Federal officials stockpiled munitions, sought ‘heat ray’ device before clearing Lafayette Square, whistleblower says  —  Hours before law enforcement forcibly cleared protesters from Lafayette Square in early June amid protests over the police killing of George Floyd, federal officials began …

Barr Tells Prosecutors to Consider Charging Violent Protesters With Sedition  —  To bring a sedition case, prosecutors would have to prove there was a conspiracy to attack government agents or officials that posed an imminent danger  —  Attorney General William Barr told the nation's federal prosecutors …

Postal Service Stiffed $20 Million Cost of Delivering Trump COVID-19 Mailer  —  “The U.S. Postal Service is a self-funding agency,” said Kevin Kosar, a fellow at American Enterprise Institute.  “By law it should be paid whenever it provides delivery services.”  —  BEAST INSIDE

CDC says U.S. should have enough coronavirus vaccine to return to ‘regular life’ by third quarter of 2021  —  The U.S. should have enough Covid-19 vaccine doses for Americans to return to “regular life” by the third quarter of next year, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday.

Poll shows Collins down 12 points, Graham tied with Democratic challenger  —  Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) face rising odds in their high-profile re-election bids, according to a Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday.  —  Why it matters: Many thought Graham's Senate race …

On Rosh Hashanah call, Trump tells American Jews ‘We love your country’ and asks for their vote  —  WASHINGTON (JTA) — President Donald Trump spent much of his 20-minute call with American Jewish leaders making the case for more American Jews to vote for him.  He closed by repeating a line that has raised their eyebrows before.

'You can't attack a regular voter': Trump faces a retail-campaigning gap  —  President Donald Trump rarely interacts for extended periods with everyday Americans who haven't been pre-screened by the White House or campaign.  He's never been fond of retail politics, like the random visit to a coffee shop or diner.

Freedom Caucus presses McCarthy to launch long-shot bid to oust Pelosi  —  Members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus are quietly working to convince GOP leadership to sign off on a long-shot bid to oust Nancy Pelosi from the speakership, according to multiple sources …

Nearly two-thirds of US young adults unaware 6m Jews killed in the Holocaust … Almost two-thirds of young American adults do not know that 6 million Jews were killed during the Holocaust, and more than one in 10 believe Jews caused the Holocaust, a new survey has found …

White House Staff Members Reportedly Test Positive For COVID-19 Less Than 24 Hours After President Donald Trump Visited Philadelphia  —  PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — White House staff members have reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 less than 24 hours after President Donald Trump visited Philadelphia.

Bail Fund Promoted By Kamala Harris Helped Man Accused Of Sexually Penetrating A Child  — A bail fund promoted by Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris helped a man accused of sexually assaulting an eight-year-old girl get out of jail in July, court records show.

Invisible company owned by Rudy Giuliani got taxpayer-backed PPP money — but where did it go?  —  Giuliani's payroll company got a PPP loan from a Trump-friendly bank — but lists no employees.  Was it fraud?  —  view in app  —  Additional reporting was contributed by Kathleen O'Neill.

New QAnon-Allied GOP Senate Candidate Also Pushed Anti-Semitism, Flat Earthism, and 9/11 Conspiracies  —  The National Republican Senatorial Committee did not return a request for comment.  —  One-time QAnon supporter Lauren Witzke won the Republican Senate primary in Delaware on Tuesday …

Big Ten's decision to play football signals darkest day in conference's sports history  —  For decades, the Big Ten has thought of itself as a different kind of sports conference, one that proudly touts the academic achievements and Great Lakes values of its like-minded, highly-regarded, internationally-ranked research institutions.

Judge orders all federal prosecutors in Manhattan to read opinion on withholding evidence  —  A federal judge has ordered all federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York to read a ruling she issued Wednesday that blasts prosecutors for their handling of evidence …

Chris Rock Tried to Warn Us  —  In a candid interview, the comic discusses America's summer of strife, Trump, blackface and his dramatic turn in the new season of “Fargo.”  —  Chris Rock wasn't sure if he was hiding out or not.  —  On the Friday before Labor Day, he was speaking by phone …

Fed expects to keep rates near zero through 2023  —  Federal Reserve officials on Wednesday projected that they would keep interest rates near zero through 2023 to help the economy fully recover from the pandemic, but Fed Chair Jerome Powell warned that Congress will probably have to do more.

‘The difference is QAnon’: how a conspiratorial hate campaign upended California politics … Catie Stewart was on her way home from a vacation in early August when her phone reconnected to cell service and she realized something was wrong.  As the communications director for Scott Wiener …

These Two Lawyers Face Up To Life In Prison For Allegedly Burning An Empty Cop Car  —  The NYPD van on a Brooklyn street was banged up and empty, a battered steel shell with shattered windows and a mask of spray paint.  Shortly before 1 a.m. on Saturday, May 30, the fourth straight night …

White House Watch  —  Trump Takes First Lead  —  President Trump has now edged to a one-point lead over Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the latest Rasmussen Reports' weekly White House Watch survey.  While statistically insignificant, it's the first time Trump has been ahead.

‘Democrat Voters Against Joe Biden’ Group Has Trump Fanatics, a Psychic, but No Actual Dems  —  It's meant to be a counterpoint for Republican Voters Against Trump.  But so far, it's mainly just copying the text from its website.  —  A new advocacy group ostensibly comprised of Democrats opposed …

Ratcliffe reinstates election briefings for intel panels  —  The nation's top intelligence official is partially reversing course on his decision to scale back critical election-security briefings for lawmakers.  —  John Ratcliffe, the director of national intelligence …

The latest crisis: Low-income students are dropping out of college this fall in alarming numbers  —  Many low-income students say they don't have good enough WiFi at home to take online courses.  —  In August, Paige McConnell became the first in her family to go to college — and the first to drop out.

The presidency has been swamped by the Trump Aesthetic  —  President Trump did not walk off the stage to “Hail to the Chief” after his first address to the Republican National Convention last month.  His exit was accompanied by the Village People's “Y.M.C.A.,” a kitschy disco wink to cruising for sex …

ProPublica's Pandemic Guide to Making Sure Your Vote Counts  —  Sign up for ProPublica's User's Guide to Democracy, a series of personalized emails that help you understand the upcoming election, from who's on your ballot to how to cast your vote.  —  If you're anxious about running …

Republicans set aside past concerns over controversial Georgia candidate as they urge her to join ‘team’  —  (CNN)Rep. Steve Scalise, the No. 2 House Republican, said in mid-June that congressional candidate Marjorie Taylor Greene had made “disgusting” comments regarding Black people …

Rep. Conor Lamb, who showed Democrats how to win in Trump districts, works to deliver Pennsylvania for Biden  —  In early 2018, Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Pa.) opened a new path for Democrats: Distance yourself from national leaders, highlight your own background and don't get dragged into controversies surrounding President Trump.