Bob Woodward and the Nihilism of “LOL Nothing Matters” Republicans  —  Real people are dying.  Real people are hurting.  And all of this matters.  —  It was getting late on a balmy Charleston January night and we were all a few beers deep.  Earlier in the evening we had learned that Jon Huntsman …

Exclusive: Russian state hackers suspected in targeting Biden campaign firm - sources  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) recently alerted one of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden's main election campaign advisory firms that it had been targeted by suspected Russian …

How McConnell is maneuvering to keep the Senate in GOP hands — and navigating Trump  —  (CNN)Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was on a mission.  It was late February, and two vulnerable Republican senators facing voters this fall were pushing a bill that had generated opposition …

The Post-Labor Day Sprint, Part Two: The Electoral College  —  KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE  — Joe Biden is better positioned to win the presidency than Donald Trump, but it would be foolish to rule out another Trump upset.  — Trump's potential winning map would look a lot like 2016 …

South Carolina 3rd grade teacher, 28, dies from COVID-19  —  COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A South Carolina third grade teacher who was last in her classroom less than two weeks ago has died from COVID-19, officials at the Richland 2 School District said Wednesday.

AARP Poll: Biden, Trump Neck and Neck Among Arizona Voters  —  Former Vice President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump are locked in a statistical dead heat among likely Arizona voters, a new AARP public opinion survey finds.  The poll also shows that Democrat Mark Kelly has a slim lead …

CNN to host town hall with Joe Biden  —  (CNN)CNN will host a town hall with 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden next week, the network announced Thursday.  —  The town hall will take place on September 17 at 8 p.m. ET in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and will be moderated by CNN's Anderson Cooper.

Most Americans want to vote before Election Day, a significant shift from previous years, poll finds  —  About six in 10 registered voters nationwide say they want to cast their ballots before Election Day, a significant departure from previous years that will force the candidates to reshape …

'We're No. 28!  And Dropping!'  —  A measure of social progress finds that the quality of life has dropped in America over the last decade, even as it has risen almost everywhere else.  —  To hear more audio stories from publishers like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android.

$2,933 for 'Girl's Night': Medicaid chief's consulting expenses revealed  —  When Seema Verma, the Trump administration's top Medicaid official, went to a reporter's home in November 2018 for a “Girl's Night” thrown in her honor, taxpayers footed the bill to organize the event: $2,933.

Large network of Facebook pages circulates voting misinformation from obscure right-wing website  —  Facebook has permitted a large network of Facebook pages and groups — with names like Trump's Deplorable Army, To The Death Media, and One Angry Conservative — to spread disinformation …

Megyn Kelly Launches Independent Media Company, Will Start Podcast … Megyn Kelly isn't on a mainstream news outlet at present, but that isn't going to keep her from broadcasting. … Kelly will launch Devil May Care Media, a production company that will back podcasts and other shows built around …

Department Store Century 21 Files Bankruptcy, Will Shut Down  — The chain will close its 13 stores in the eastern U.S.  — Off-price retailer blames shutdown on lack of insurance payout  —  Century 21 Stores, an iconic New York off-price department store chain …

CNN's Jake Tapper urged Republican Sean Parnell not to run against Democrat Rep. Conor Lamb  —  ‘I was trying to talk you into running in a safer R district!  Lol,’ Tapper wrote  —  EXCLUSIVE: CNN anchor Jake Tapper tried to convince Republican Sean Parnell not to run against incumbent Democrat …

‘We all do stupid things at 17’: Donald Trump Jr. speaks about Kenosha protest shootings  —  MILWAUKEE -While speaking about 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, charged with homicide in the shooting deaths of two people and the wounding of a third during unrest in Kenosha, Donald Trump Jr. said, “We all do stupid things at 17.”

This Republican Party Is Not Worth Saving  —  I was a Republican for most of my adult life.  I came of political age in 1980, and although I grew up in a working-class Democratic stronghold in Massachusetts, I found a home in Ronald Reagan's GOP.  Back then, the Republicans were a confident …

Scarcity of key material squeezes medical mask manufacturing  —  FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — Rachel Spray is still grieving the loss of her fellow nurse who died after being exposed to the novel coronavirus at Kaiser Permanente Fresno Medical Center.  Now, as she stands in front of the gleaming glass …

Endorsement: Joe Biden isn't just ‘anybody but Trump.’ He's the right fit for our polarized time  —  This year's presidential election confronts voters with the most consequential choice they have faced in decades, and for many, their lifetimes: between a divisive, authoritarian-leaning incumbent …

Trump's Strength With Military Households Persists in Wake of Atlantic Report  —  But the president's advantage with the group is smaller than it was in 2016  — Donald Trump leads Joe Biden by 10 points among military-affiliated voters, compared with an 18-point edge in 2016 exit polling.

Honoring The Dishonorable, Part 2: The Dishonorable Living  —  In my previous essay, I argued—with some help from Adam Smith's moral psychology—that political life typically includes an excessive eagerness to admire and celebrate the powerful, to overstate the moral merit of those who rule, and to understate their moral faults.

Most Adults Wary of Taking Any Vaccine Approved Before the Election  —  The public is deeply skeptical about any coronavirus vaccine approved before the November election, and only 42% would be willing to get a vaccine in that scenario, according to a new poll.