The Scandal of Trump's China Policy  —  The president pleaded with Chinese leader Xi Jinping for domestic political help, subordinated national-security issues to his own reelection prospects and ignored Beijing's human-rights abuses  —  U.S. strategy toward the People's Republic of China …

Does Trump Want to Fight for a Second Term?  His Self-Sabotage Worries Aides  —  Advisers and allies say the president's repeated acts of self-destruction have significantly damaged his re-election prospects, and yet he appears mostly unable, or unwilling, to curtail them.

‘Wednesday night massacre’ as Trump appointee takes over at global media agency  —  New York (CNN Business)The heads of four organizations overseen by the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) were all dismissed Wednesday night — a move likely to heighten concerns that new Trump-appointed CEO Michael Pack means …

Impeachment casts shadow over Army officer's promotion  —  An Army officer's promotion is in jeopardy over what some officials fear could be White House retaliation for his role in last year's impeachment inquiry, raising the possibility that President Trump might again intervene in military affairs …

Aunt Jemima brand to change name, remove image that Quaker says is ‘based on a racial stereotype’  —  The Aunt Jemima brand of syrup and pancake mix will get a new name and image, Quaker Oats announced Wednesday, saying the company recognizes that “Aunt Jemima's origins are based on a racial stereotype.”

Blackface incident at Post cartoonist's 2018 Halloween party resurfaces amid protests  —  Every year, Tom Toles's Halloween party draws an eclectic mix — journalists and political types from Washington's power elite, but also artists and musicians, everyone from retirees to college kids …

Half-brother of man found hanged involved in deputy shootout  —  The half-brother of a man found hanged from a tree in Southern California was involved in a gunfight with authorities Wednesday in the Mojave Desert, law enforcement sources told NBC News and NBC Los Angeles.

Pinal County sheriff says he tested positive for COVID-19 before planned Trump meeting  —  Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb announced on Wednesday afternoon that he tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.  —  Lamb posted on the Pinal County Sheriff Office's Facebook page …

10 Problematic Films That Could Use Warning Labels  —  It's now widely accepted that despite being a beloved classic, “Gone With the Wind” needs an explanation of its context when it's screened on TV or in theaters.  HBO Max says it will eventually restore the Oscar-winning film to the service, but with “context and framing.”

House Republican leaders condemn GOP candidate who made racist videos  —  The House's highest-ranking Republicans are racing to distance themselves from a leading GOP congressional candidate in Georgia after POLITICO uncovered hours of Facebook videos in which she expresses racist, Islamophobic and anti-Semitic views.

A Striking Display of Sophistry  —  The Supreme Court's decision in Bostock v. Clayton County offers a striking display of sophistry in service of the spirit of the age.  The Court had to rule on whether Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act bars employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Wisconsin Elections Commission approves sending 2.7 million absentee ballot request forms to voters  —  MADISON - State election officials signed off Wednesday on a plan to send absentee ballot request forms to most registered voters despite a last-minute push by a Republican lawmaker to halt the effort.

'That ‘70s Show’ Star Danny Masterson Charged With Raping Three Women  —  The alleged separate incidents occurred between 2001 and 2003, according to authorities.  —  Daniel Masterson was charged on Wednesday by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office with raping three women.

Revealed: officer who killed Rayshard Brooks accused of covering up 2015 shooting  —  The Atlanta police officer who shot and killed Rayshard Brooks was accused of covering up an earlier shooting he and other officers participated in, according to a judge who reviewed the case.

US stockpile stuck with 63 million doses of hydroxychloroquine  —  (CNN)The federal government is stuck with 63 million doses of hydroxychloroquine now that the US Food and Drug Administration has revoked permission for the drug to be distributed to treat coronavirus patients.

Anti-intellectualism at Cornell Law School: Student groups organize boycott of my course  —  “we further urge the administration to critically examine the views of the individuals they intend to employ”  —  I have been chronicling the saga of efforts to get me fired and denounced …

Big Tech Finds Competent Defenders Hard to Come By  —  You don't want the guy who said there would be 500 total deaths from COVID-19 in the United States as your champion.  —  Amazon and other Big Tech firms are calling in the big legal guns as investigations into their business practices mount in multiple jurisdictions.

Financial Problems Plagued Rick Wilson as He Became Never Trump Leader  —  Never Trump leader Rick Wilson's hypocrisy is not limited to now attacking those who support the Confederate flag after previously supporting it himself.  —  As Wilson's personal financial situation turned dire …

Elite N.Y.C. Girls' Schools Have a Racist Culture, Black Alumni Say  —  Prestigious all-girls schools, including Brearley and Chapin, have been rocked by allegations of racism made by generations of black graduates on Instagram.  —  Stories of racism faced by black students …

Senate Democrats Silent When Asked If They Condemn Dick Durbin's ‘Token’ Comment Towards Sen. Tim Scott's Legislation  —  Every Democrat in the Senate has refused to acknowledge Democratic Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin's comments calling Republican South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott's police reform legislation “a token.”