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.”

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 …

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.

Neighbor of disabled man shot and killed by police says family will hire attorney  —  A man who witnessed a police officer shoot and kill his disabled neighbor said he does not think the shooting was justified and that the family of the man killed is planning to hire an attorney.

Unsweet Home Alabama  —  The state's brutal primary runoff battle for the GOP Senate nomination enters its final days  —  In the midst of a grueling campaign for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, Alabama's political sweet tea has acquired a distinctly sour taste.

Study: Flint water killed unborn babies; many moms who drank it couldn't get pregnant  —  Babies born in Flint after switch to river water also nearly 150 grams lighter than those born in other areas of Michigan, and gained less weight.  —  CONNECT  —  The city of Flint saw fewer pregnancies …

Border Patrol Arrests Parents While Infant Awaits Serious Operation  —  When 2-month-old Isaac Enrique Sanchez was diagnosed with pyloric stenosis, a condition that causes vomiting, dehydration and weight loss in infants, his parents were told that their son's condition was curable.

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 …

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.

Memo: NFL players ask Roger Goodell for support in racial equality campaign  —  Current and former NFL players campaigning for racial equality and criminal justice reform  —  wrote a lengthy memo to league commissioner Roger Goodell officially seeking overt league support in their effort …

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.

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 …

California files lawsuit over Trump's border wall  —  The state of California filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against President Trump's proposed plan for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.  —  Xavier Becerra  —  , the state's attorney general, announced in a statement that he has filed …

Oregon lawmakers demand investigation, apology over mistaken ICE stop  —  ICE agents approach Latino U.S. citizen, mistake him for undocumented immigrant  —  Two Oregon lawmakers are calling for a federal investigation into the conduct of immigration agents who mistakenly approached a Latino man …

Trump is assembling the most male-dominated government in decades  —  A new analysis shared exclusively with the Guardian has found 80% of nominations for top jobs in the Trump administration have gone to men  —  They were military and business leaders, political insiders, novices and lords of finance.