Kavanaugh's testimony is starting to look more and more problematic  —  First Read is your briefing from “Meet the Press” and the NBC Political Unit on the day's most important political stories and why they matter.  —  WASHINGTON — Two reports last night — from NBC News and the New York Times …

Jeff Flake: 'We Can't Have That on the Court'  —  As the Senate awaits the results of the FBI investigation into the Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, Jeff Flake, one of the lawmakers who spurred the inquiry, criticized the judge Tuesday for his recent appearance in the upper chamber.

Trump Directed Legal Action to Enforce Stormy Daniels's Hush Agreement  —  President in February instructed Michael Cohen to seek restraining order against adult-film actress, people familiar with the effort say  —  President Trump personally directed an effort in February to stop Stormy Daniels …

Hazmat Team Sent to Cruz Campaign Office in Houston  —  Staffers opened an envelope containing a white powdery substance.  —  A hazardous materials response team was dispatched to Texas Senator Ted Cruz's campaign office in Houston on Tuesday morning to investigate a mailed envelope …

APNewsBreak: EPA says a little radiation may be healthy  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is quietly moving to weaken U.S. radiation regulations, turning to scientific outliers who argue that a bit of radiation damage is actually good for you — like a little bit of sunlight.

Trump Administration to Deny Visas to Same-Sex Partners of Diplomats, U.N. Officials  —  The new policy will insist they be married—even if they're from countries that criminalize gay marriage.  —  The Trump administration on Monday began denying visas to same-sex domestic partners …

Ricin detected in mail sent to Pentagon  —  (CNN)Two pieces of mail delivered to the Pentagon mail facility on Monday have initially tested positive for ricin, according to a US defense official.  —  The mail facility is in a separate building on the grounds of the Pentagon and the piece …

White House Edits Trump Insult to Reporter Out of Official Transcript  —  After President Trump was caught on-camera telling a reporter she “never” thinks during a Monday afternoon press conference, the White House moved to retroactively fix the president's blunder by changing a word in the official transcript.

Megyn Kelly Attacks Julie Swetnick, Says ‘Not All Women Tell the Truth’  —  The NBC host declared some women lie about sexual assault, while discussing the third Kavanaugh accuser.  Critics detect an ulterior motive.  —  NBC host Megyn Kelly fired off an incendiary series of tweets Monday night …

Dear dads: Your daughters told me about their assaults.  This is why they never told you.  —  A man emailed recently in response to something I'd written about street harassment.  He was so glad, he said, that his college-age daughter never experienced anything like that.  Less than a day later, he wrote again.

Alex Trebek moderated a gubernatorial debate in Pennsylvania.  It didn't go well.  —  It was a surreal moment in the middle of a surreal news cycle.  Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) and his Republican challenger, Scott Wagner, sat on stage, their faces frozen and their hands clasped.

U.S. would destroy banned Russian warheads if necessary: NATO envoy  —  BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Russia must halt its covert development of a banned cruise missile system or the United States will seek to destroy it before it becomes operational, Washington's envoy to NATO said on Tuesday.

Dem Maintains Lead in CD10  —  Incumbent improves standing, but does not erase deficit  —  West Long Branch, NJ - Democrat Jennifer Wexton continues to lead Republican Barbara Comstock in the race for Virginia's 10th Congressional District, according to the Monmouth University Poll.

Truck smashes into group of protesters that included Gretchen Whitmer  —  Gallery: Eight hospitalized after truck smashes into Flint protest  —  FLINT, MI - Eight people were hospitalized when a truck crashed into a large group of people protesting early Tuesday.

Feds Make Several Arrests In Connection With Charlottesville Unite The Right Weekend  —  Federal charges came more than a year after violence surrounding the August 2017 rally.  —  WASHINGTON Federal authorities in Virginia have arrested several individuals in connection with the violence …

Amazon Raises Minimum Wage to $15 for All U.S. Employees  —  New $15 minimum wage is effective beginning this November 1  —  New $15 minimum wage includes associates employed by temp agencies  —  More than 250,000 Amazon employees, as well as more than 100,000 seasonal holiday employees …

What a Book Critic Finds in Mark Judge's ‘Wasted’ 21 Years Later  —  Alcohol warms some people up and gives them a little glow; for others, it offers almost instant access to their inner troglodyte.  Life is unfair this way.  —  Mark Judge started out as the first kind of drinker and quickly became the second.

D.C. Council takes initial vote to overturn wage hike for bartenders, servers - four months after voters approved it  —  D.C. lawmakers on Tuesday took initial steps to overturn an initiative that would have raised the minimum wage for servers, bartenders and other workers who rely on tips …

Will the Democrats Wake Up Before 2020?  —  They have no unifying leader and no clear message — yet.  A definitive inquiry into the state of the party.  —  The Iowa State Fair is an obligatory stop on the road to the White House, a cultural and culinary festival of heartland sensibilities …

Married Women May Be Moving Away From The GOP  —  Christine Garcia, a 37-year-old stay-at-home mom, doesn't consider herself a particularly political person.  But like a lot of women, she has strong opinions about President Trump.  —  “Maybe on the business side ... the money is better as far as I understand,” said Garcia.

Opinion of America around the world plummets under Trump  —  World leaders aren't the only ones laughing at Trump — much of the rest of the world is, too.  —  Seven in 10 people around the world have no confidence in Trump, and America's global image may be suffering as a result, a new survey finds.

Republicans don't care if Kavanaugh is guilty because they don't think what he did was wrong  —  He says he didn't do it; his allies say it's no big deal if he did.  —  Republican leaders, pretty clearly, were annoyed when sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh emerged …