Behind the Senate GOP's high-stakes health-care gamble: Unrelenting criticism back home  —  (Michael Reynolds/European Pressphoto Agency/EFE/Rex/Shutterstock)  —  Senate Republicans have made a calculated decision: Better to fail again trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act then not to try at all.

Another potential Mueller honey pot: Spicer's notebooks  —  The Watergate resonance of the Bob Mueller probe rose this week with a CNN report that the special counsel has details of wiretaps of “former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort under secret court orders before and after the election.”

Manafort offered to give Russian billionaire ‘private briefings’ on 2016 campaign  —  FILE - In this July 17, 2016 file photo, then-Trump Campaign Chairman Paul Manafort talks to reporters on the floor of the Republican National Convention at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland as Rick Gates listens at back left.

LEAKED: Watch MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell's Unhinged Outtakes...for Eight Crazy Minutes (UPDATE)  —  Lawrence O'Donnell had a really bad night on August 29, 2017.  —  We draw that conclusion based on the above clip obtained by Mediaite, showing behind the scenes footage of a furious O'Donnell absolutely …

Sean Spicer defends brief WH tenure: I 'don't think' I lied to American people  —  Sean Spicer acknowledges that he's “made mistakes,” but says that for those who “want some blanket apology — that's not happening.”  —  “I made mistakes,” Spicer, who's been out at the White House for less than a month, told ABC News' Paula Faris.

Trump Leaning Toward Decertifying Iran Nuclear Deal, Say Sources  —  President Donald Trump is leaning toward decertifying the Iran nuclear deal and putting the decision of whether the United States withdraw from the accord in the hands of Congress, according to four sources …

Roy Moore disrupts Alabama Senate race — and prepares for new level of defiance in Washington  —  DECATUR, Ala. — With the thunder and fire of an old-time revivalist, U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore rose before the assembled souls at the Redemption Baptist Church, a front-runner in the polls days …

SEC Chairman Clayton Issues Statement on Cybersecurity  —  Discloses the Commission's Cyber Risk Profile, Discusses Intrusions at the Commission, and Reviews the Commission's Approach to Oversight and Enforcement  —  SEC Chairman Jay Clayton today issued a statement highlighting the importance …

All Power Out as Hurricane Maria's Winds, Floods Crush Puerto Rico  —  SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Hurricane Maria is likely to have “destroyed” Puerto Rico, the island's emergency director said Wednesday after the monster storm smashed ripped roofs off buildings and flooded homes across the economically strained U.S. territory.

‘The View’ co-host: Trump making ‘phallic reference’ with ‘Rocket Man’ talk  —  A co-host on ABC's “The View” weighed in on President Trump referring to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as “Rocket Man,” with one host theorizing that the characterization is actually a “phallic reference to masculine dominance.”

Parents divided in opinion after gender neutral teacher sends home note with 5th graders  —  A new fifth grade teacher at Canopy Oaks Elementary is asking students to use gender-neutral pronouns in the classroom.  —  Math and science teacher Chloe Bressack sent the request home in a letter to parents headlined “About Mx.

NBC/WSJ Poll: Public Likes Trump's Bipartisan Move — But Little Else  —  WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's approval rating has inched up, and more than 70 percent of Americans support his recent deal with Democratic leaders to provide hurricane relief and keep the government open for 90 days …

‘Like a Slave:’ Three Muslim Women, At Least One Of Them Bloodied, Called Police on Imran Awan  —  Multiple women in relationships with Imran Awan, the indicted former IT aide for Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, have recently called Virginia law enforcement and alleged being abused by him …

Ta-Nehisi Coates and the Politics of Contempt  —  The polemicist attributes Trump's election to ‘white supremacy,’ and liberals can't get enough.  —  The great jazz musician Miles Davis was known for his boorishness, especially toward his white fan base.  Davis would play his trumpet …