Free Republic

The waitress was pouring tap water. But Natalie Winters was quick to ask for bottled.“No fluoride for our dear dinner guest!” she said, gesturing to me. “Only filtered water and pesticide-free limes.”We were sitting in the back corner of Butterworth’s, a Capitol Hill bistro that has become a destination for friends and supporters of President Trump. Stephen K. Bannon, Ms. Winters’s current boss, has hosted private events there. Her former boss, Raheem Kassam, the editor in chief of The National Pulse, is an investor. The menu that night featured lamb tartare, oysters brûlée and pork cheeks.Ms. Winters and I had...

Coronavirus cases are spiking in nearly every state, fueled by the spread of the highly contagious delta variant. The overwhelming majority of cases are appearing in Americans who are not vaccinated against the virus, with many of the highest increases coming in states where vaccination rates are the lowest. Cases nationwide are up 55% in the past week as a result, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Florida is now averaging the most cases of any state in the country, reporting approximately 6,500 new cases—a 91% jump from the week before—each day, according to the...