Trump's comments send a signal to his supporters about how to react if Biden prevails  —  (CNN)President Donald Trump's refusal on Wednesday to guarantee a peaceful transfer of power if he loses to Joe Biden in November is leading America towards a dark place during a year of incendiary political tensions.

Nearly 500 former senior military, civilian leaders signal support for Biden  —  Nearly 500 retired senior military officers, as well as former Cabinet secretaries, service chiefs and other officials, have signed an open letter in support of former vice president Joe Biden …

FACT CHECK: Debunking 8 widely shared rumors in the Breonna Taylor police shooting  —  Editor's note: This fact check has been updated to reflect new evidence and theories presented in the case.  As a result, some of our findings have changed to reflect that new information.

Trump Faces Challenges Even in Red States, Poll Shows, as Women Favor Biden  —  Close races in Georgia, Iowa and Texas show President Trump's vulnerability and suggest that Joseph Biden has assembled a formidable coalition, according to a New York Times/Siena College poll.

Trump Ally: Kelly Loeffler Offered Trump $50 Million to Help Get Her Opponent Out of the Race  —  SHOW.  ME.  THE.  MONEY.  —  Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Doug Collins supporter, made the incendiary claim at a recent rally.  A source says it was more nuanced than that.

‘This is an illegitimate nomination’: Some Democrats snub Trump's pick  —  President Donald Trump hasn't announced a Supreme Court nominee yet, but some Democrats have already decided there's no point in meeting with her, no matter who it is.  —  These Senate Democrats say it's a no-brainer …

'Something's in the water': Florida Republicans see surge in voter registration  —  MIAMI — Republicans have closed the traditional voter registration gap with Democrats to an historically small margin in Florida, triggering a wave of Democratic apprehension in the nation's biggest swing state.

In Politically Charged Inquiry, Durham Sought Details About Scrutiny of Clintons  —  John Durham's team has sought information about the F.B.I.'s handling of the Clinton Foundation investigation, raising questions about the scope of the prosecutor's review.  —  WASHINGTON — From the beginning …

Democrats' mail voting pivot  —  Democrats spent the early months of the coronavirus pandemic urging their base to vote absentee.  But as threats of U.S. Postal Service delays, Team Trump litigation and higher ballot rejection rates become clearer, many are pivoting to promote more in-person voting as well.

Harold Evans, Crusading Newspaperman With a Second Act, Dies at 92  —  In Britain, he helped redefine high-quality newspapers and challenged legal restrictions on the press.  In America, he brought new scope and glitz to book publishing as the head of Random House.

Weekly jobless claims rise unexpectedly, total 870,000  — The Labor Department reported Thursday that initial jobless claims for the week ending Sept. 19 came in at 870,000.  — Economists polled by Dow Jones expected first-time claims to come in at 850,000, down slightly from the 860,000 claims reported for the previous week.

Only Joe Biden can win the election in a popular and electoral vote landslide  —  Joe Biden or President Trump could win the election narrowly — but only one in a popular and electoral vote blowout.  —  Why it matters: A Biden blowout would mean a Democratic Senate, a bigger Democratic House …

7-year disqualification for Cambridge Analytica boss  —  Alexander Nix banned from running limited companies for seven years after permitting companies to offer potentially unethical services to prospective clients.  —  From:  —  Alexander James Ashburner Nix (45), from Holland Park …

Trays of mail, including absentee ballots, found in a ditch in Wisconsin  —  Police in Greenville, Wisconsin, found three trays of mail, including absentee ballots, in a ditch.  —  The Outagamie County Sheriff's Office discovered the trays in a ditch on Tuesday morning, near Appleton International Airport, according to WLUK.

US sanctions Iran's court system over execution of wrestler, other alleged abuses  —  Wrestler was arrested for participating in protests, was tortured and executed Sept. 12  —  Iranian activist speaks to mother of wrestler jailed after allegedly confessing to murder under torture

Pompeo urges other countries to join alternative U.S. view on human rights  —  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo brought his campaign to redefine and prioritize human rights to the United Nations on Wednesday, declaring that such protections around the world are in “crisis.”

UK preparing sanctions over Belarus human rights violations  —  LONDON — The U.K. is preparing sanctions against individuals in Belarus in coordination with the U.S. and Canada, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said Thursday.  —  Addressing the House of Commons, Raab said: “The U.K. …