Morning Must Reads: August 21

A Michigan judge warned that disparaging online comments about witnesses could lead to contempt charges, highlighting concerns about witness intimidation in a high-profile case involving so-called "fake electors." District Court Judge Kristin Simmons addressed the issue on Tuesday during a hearing. She pointed out that making negative comments about witnesses on social media platforms like Facebook could be seen as an attempt to intimidate. The case centers around 16 individuals, including former Michigan Republican Party co-chair Meshawn Maddock.

A Ukrainian soldier played the national anthem of the United States for the Russian soldiers somewhere on the frontline in eastern Ukraine. Unsurprisingly, the Russians did not care to be serenaded in this fashion and responded with their AK-47s and fired an RPG in the general direction of the offensive tune.

Republicans sure have changed, huh? As if Talking Point USA's Charlie Kirk wasn't bad enough, he somehow decided to bring Curtis Yarvin, an anti-democratic blogger, on as his guest. What could go wrong? Well, I'm glad you asked that. OK, you didn't really ask that. I did. Yarvin wants to give Trump unchecked power in November. Trump's lawyer is currently arguing in the Supreme Court for presidential immunity, which is not even in the Constitution.

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Challengers. What is it about tennis that reminds directors of sex? Is it the fact that, unlike swimming or golf, the player must look across the net directly at their opponent? Is it the sheer athleticism on display? Is it the obvious love pun in the scoring?

Poultry producers will be required to bring salmonella bacteria in certain chicken products to very low levels to help prevent food poisoning under a final rule issued Friday by U. S. agriculture officials. When the regulation takes effect in 2025, salmonella will be considered an adulterant—a contaminant that can cause foodborne illness—when it is detected above certain levels in frozen breaded and stuffed raw chicken products.

Fragments of the bird flu virus have been found in about one fifth of commercial milk samples tested in a U. S. nationally representative study, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). While the presence of traces of the virus in milk doesn’t necessarily indicate a risk to consumers, more tests are needed to confirm if intact pathogen is present and remains infectious, the FDA said in a statement on its website.