Trump offered a grieving military father $25,000 in a call, but didn't follow through  —  President Trump, in a personal phone call to a grieving military father, offered him $25,000 and said he would direct his staff to establish an online fundraiser for the family, but neither happened, the father said.

Signaling Frustration, Senior House Republican Plans to Quit Early  —  In a sign of mounting frustration among Republicans in Washington, Representative Pat Tiberi of Ohio, a senior lawmaker with close ties to his party's leaders, is expected to resign and take up an executive post …

Trump Campaign Staffers Pushed Russian Propaganda Days Before the Election … Some of the Trump campaign's most prominent names and supporters, including Trump's campaign manager, digital director and son, pushed tweets from professional trolls paid by the Russian government in the heat of the 2016 election campaign.

Shakeup at Democratic National Committee, Longtime Officials Ousted  —  WASHINGTON — A shakeup is underway at the Democratic National Committee as several key longtime officials have lost their posts, exposing a still-raw rift in the party and igniting anger among those in its progressive wing …

Trump strategist quits Gillespie campaign for Va. governor, sources say  —  RICHMOND — The man who rallied Southwest Virginia to vote for Donald Trump last year quit Republican Ed Gillespie's gubernatorial campaign this week, offended by a personal snub and exasperated by the campaign's …

Facebook's General Counsel to Testify to Congress in Russia Probe  —  WASHINGTON — Facebook's general counsel, Colin Stretch, will testify before the House and Senate intelligence committees in open hearings Nov. 1 as part of the congressional investigation into Russia's use of technology …

A Judge Just Ordered The Trump Administration To Allow An Undocumented Teen To Get An Abortion  —  A federal judge ordered federal officials to allow the teen to travel to an abortion provider “promptly and without delay.”  The 17-year-old Jane Doe at the center of the case is approximately 15 weeks pregnant.

These Americans Were Tricked Into Working For Russia.  They Say They Had No Idea.  —  BuzzFeed News spoke to four people who organized black rights protests and taught self-defense classes after being contacted by Russian trolls pretending to be US activists.  —  Hayes Brown

Don't rush to judgment on Alexander-Murray  —  Yes, the Senate's bipartisan Affordable Care Act bill ran into some political roadblocks yesterday.  The White House said President Trump, who had taken several positions over the course of the day, is against it.  House Speaker Paul Ryan is also against it.

Goodbye and Good Riddance to the Islamic State  —  Without territory, the terror group's influence will wane.  —  The fall of Raqqa won't be the last time you hear the words “Islamic State.”  The name remains capable of inspiring acts of terrorism, and various groups fighting for territory …

The private life of Sgt. La David Johnson, the slain soldier ensnared in a Trump controversy  —  To most of the country, Sgt. La David Terrence Johnson was an American service member killed in action in West Africa.  —  But to his family and his community in Miami Gardens, Fla. …

Children Are Dying at Alarming Rates in Foster Care, and Nobody Is Bothering to Investigate … Children in the for-profit foster care system are dying at alarming rates, but the deaths are not being investigated, and autopsies are not even being attached to the now-closed case files, a two-year investigation has found.

In North Carolina, Republicans Stung by Court Rulings Aim to Change the Judges  —  RALEIGH, N.C. — Republicans with a firm grip on the North Carolina legislature — and, until January, the governor's seat — enacted a conservative agenda in recent years, only to have a steady stream …

Frail and disoriented, Cochran says he's not retiring  —  Mississippi GOP Sen. Thad Cochran insists that he is not retiring from Congress, despite widespread speculation about the veteran lawmaker's health and political future.  —  The 79-year-old Cochran appeared frail and at times disoriented during …

Republican senators ask McConnell to open Senate 24/7  —  Nine Republican senators have signed a letter to Mitch McConnell calling on him to “turn the Senate on full time, 24/7, to advance the president's agenda.”  The senators write that “perversion of Senate rules” by Democrats …

Steve Bannon's Motley Crew of Challengers  —  One is fresh out of prison.  Another held a town hall to discuss ‘chemtrail’ theories.  —  Steve Bannon, the failed presidential adviser and alt-right sympathizer, has declared war on incumbent Republicans, particularly Sen. Mitch McConnell.

Rich City, Poor City  —  With most big cities' economies continuing to grow, the most pressing issue they face is how to connect their low-income communities to the opportunities that growth creates.  New efforts developing in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Chicago show the many creative alternatives cities …

Spain threatens to take over Catalonia's government as constitutional crisis looms  —  A clock on City Hall of Barcelona shows shortly after 10am on Oct. 19.  Catalonia's regional president let a 10am deadline set by the Spanish government pass and threatened to declare independence.

Blood and Beauty on a Texas Exotic-Game Ranch  —  UVALDE, Tex. — On a ranch at the southwestern edge of the Texas Hill Country, a hunting guide spotted her cooling off in the shade: an African reticulated giraffe.  Such is the curious state of modern Texas ranching, that a giraffe among …

Why rumors of a Gorsuch-Kagan clash at the Supreme Court are such a bombshell.  —  Following his nomination to the Supreme Court, Neil Gorsuch was packaged by his wealthy benefactors as the judicial equivalent of a carrot cake: mild and wholesome with the occasional hint of spice.

Beyond “power pose”: Using replication failures and a better understanding of data collection and analysis to do better science  —  So.  A bunch of people pointed me to a New York Times article by Susan Dominus about Amy Cuddy, the psychology researcher and Ted-talk star famous for the following claim …

Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams jumps into U.S. House race against Rep. Mia Love  —  Says with outside money sure to pour in, race will get ‘ugly,’ negative.  —  Ben McAdams, the Democratic mayor of Salt Lake County, announced he is running for Utah's 4th Congressional District …

Russian Socialite Enters Race to Challenge President Putin  —  MOSCOW — A young socialite and television journalist whose father was a close ally of Russia's president, Vladimir V. Putin, declared her intention on Wednesday to challenge him in the presidential election scheduled for next March …

The Europe Merkel Made  —  Her legacy includes Brexit, the rise of far-right parties, and border walls.  —  Angela Merkel really is the most consequential politician of modern Europe, but lately not in the way she hopes.  Her 2015 decision to welcome over 1 million migrants into her country …