Signed, 650+ Law Professors (and Counting).  —  The following letter will be presented to the United States Senate on Oct. 4.  It will be updated as more signatures are received.  —  Judicial temperament is one of the most important qualities of a judge.  As the Congressional Research Service explains …

As FBI background check of Kavanaugh nears its end, probe appears to have been highly curtailed  —  The FBI background check of Brett M. Kavanaugh appeared to remain curtailed in its scope Wednesday even as agents neared the end of their work, opening up the possibility that the bureau …

How Times Journalists Uncovered the Original Source of the President's Wealth  —  Three reporters spent over a year digging through more than 100,000 pages of documents and chasing down key sources familiar with President Trump's father and his empire.  —  Times Insider delivers behind …

My husband, Rand Paul, and our family have suffered intimidation and threats  —  Sen. Paul's injuries worse than first reported  —  Kelley Paul is the wife of Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky.  The opinions expressed in this commentary are hers.  —  (CNN)An open letter to Senator Cory Booker:

QAnoners Cheer Trump's Text Alert Test, See It as a Step Toward Martial Law  —  ‘That is how we will receive orders if all else fails.’  —  Phones across the country buzzed Wednesday afternoon for the first national test of FEMA's presidential-level emergency alert system.

Where Brett Kavanaugh lost me: A conservative former appeals judge explains why he turned against the nominee  —  It seems very few minds were changed by the Christine Blasey Ford-Brett Kavanaugh hearings.  But mine, I'm sorry to say, was one of them.  —  I was enthusiastic about the Kavanaugh appointment.

Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump administration from ending TPS  —  TPS: What is Temporary Protected Status?  —  (CNN)Hundreds of thousands of immigrants who feared they could soon be facing deportation got a reprieve Wednesday, when a federal judge in California temporarily blocked …

It's Time for Democrats to Play Hardball With the FBI  —  Absent any pressure from Democrats, the FBI is likely to simply follow its orders from the White House.  So what should Democrats do?  Treat the FBI like the GOP does.  —  As the FBI prepares to conclude its review …

The Meritocracy Against Itself  —  How Ivy League resentments took over the Kavanaugh debate.  —  A week ago, Elizabeth Bruenig of The Washington Post wrote a column about the dreadful feeling of being yanked back, thanks to the allegations of teenage sexual assault against Brett Kavanaugh …

House Rating Changes: Eight More GOP Seats Move Towards Democrats  —  Five weeks out, several personally popular Republicans who appeared to be defying the “blue wave” in Clinton-won districts are beginning to see their leads erode.  GOP Reps. Carlos Curbelo (FL-26), John Katko (NY-24) …

I stepped down as U.S. ambassador to Estonia.  Here's why.  —  James D. Melville Jr. is a former member of the U.S. Foreign Service who served as ambassador to Estonia from 2015 until his resignation in July.  —  When you serve as U.S. ambassador to a foreign capital, you represent your country, of course.

The Cruelty Is the Point  —  The Museum of African-American History and Culture is in part a catalogue of cruelty.  Amid all the stories of perseverance, tragedy, and unlikely triumph, there are the artifacts of inhumanity and barbarism: the child-size slave shackles, the bright red robes …

The Internet Archive Publishes Brett Kavanaugh's 1983 Yearbook, a Key Document in Nomination Battle  —  As scrutiny of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's high school years intensifies amid accusations of sexual assault, much has been written about a series of allusive references to alcohol …

Top FBI lawyer Baker offers ‘explosive’ testimony on ‘abnormal’ handling of Russia probe into Trump campaign: lawmakers  —  Former top FBI lawyer James Baker gave “explosive” closed-door testimony on Wednesday detailing for congressional investigators how the Russia probe was handled in an …

Suspect in custody, situation over after 3 Florence Co. deputies, 2 city officers shot in Florence  —  FLORENCE, SC (WBTW) - Five law enforcement officers have been shot in Florence and a suspect is now in custody.  —  Florence County Emergency Management officials said on Facebook around 6 p.m …

Fox News Poll: Republicans make gains in top Senate races  —  A new round of Fox News battleground polls shows a Republican trend in the fight for the U.S. Senate.  The GOP candidates are helped by increased interest in the election among Republicans and pro-Donald Trump sentiment.

Erik Prince's Russian Connection Trawled Trumpland for ‘Boss’ Putin  —  In the days after the 2016 election, a well-connected Moscow executive started pitching Trump associates on a bold plan for renewed U.S.-Russian cooperation.  —  That now-infamous meeting in the Seychelles …