Coordinated push of conspiracy theories target Biden hours before debate  —  A conspiracy theory that Joe Biden would wear an electronic device in his ear during the first presidential debate went wildly viral Tuesday in the hours before the debate, and the theory was later amplified …

Intel chief releases Russian disinfo on Hillary Clinton that was rejected by bipartisan Senate panel  —  Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe on Tuesday declassified a Russian intelligence assessment that was previously rejected by Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Intelligence Committee …

GOP threatens more judicial confirmations if Dems delay Barrett  —  Senate Republicans say they are planning some payback if Senate Democrats force procedural votes to delay the Supreme Court nomination of Amy Coney Barrett: more judges.  —  Though Democrats cannot stop Barrett's nomination …

Hospitalized Brad Parscale 'is under investigation for stealing up to $40million from Trump's campaign and $10million from the RNC', as he spirals out of control over White House ‘gravy train’ ending and mounting debt  — Brad Parscale is under investigation for ‘stealing’ between $25-$40 million …

Ohio State Professor Apologizes for ‘Hurt, Sadness, Frustration, Fatigue, Exhaustion and Pain’ Caused By Pro-Football Article  —  Matthew Mayhew is sorry.  Very, very sorry.  —  “I am sorry for the hurt, sadness, frustration, fatigue, exhaustion and pain this article has caused anyone …

Trump Secretly Mocks His Christian Supporters  —  One day in 2015, Donald Trump beckoned Michael Cohen, his longtime confidant and personal attorney, into his office.  Trump was brandishing a printout of an article about an Atlanta-based megachurch pastor trying to raise $60 million from his flock to buy a private jet.

Flynn lawyer spoke with Trump, she reveals in contentious hearing  —  A federal judge on Tuesday pressed the lead lawyer for former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn about her contacts with President Donald Trump and whether she had urged him or Attorney General William Barr to take any actions to influence the ongoing case.

Electoral College Rating Changes: Ohio and Iowa Move to Toss Up  —  In mid-June, we moved both Iowa and Ohio from Likely Republican to Lean Republican.  At the time, we noted that while the polls were looking shaky for Pres. Trump, they were also catching him at what could be his lowest point of the cycle.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce abruptly ousts top political consultant Scott Reed, alleging leaks  —  Reed played a central role in political decisions at the business lobby  —  Scott Reed, the veteran GOP political consultant, was fired Tuesday by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce …

ICE preparing targeted arrests in sanctuary cities, amplifying president's campaign theme  —  The Trump administration is preparing an immigration enforcement blitz next month that would target arrests in U.S. cities and jurisdictions that have adopted “sanctuary” policies …

CBS News Eye on Trends: The latest from the Election & Survey Unit  —  Watch this space for a recap of the latest polls and data-driven studies curated by the CBS News Election & Survey Unit!  —  CBS NEWS BATTLEGROUND TRACKER POLL  —  The First Debate: Voters who plan to watch are rooting …

How Trump Voters Feel About His Refusal to Commit to Transferring Power  —  Many Trump supporters do not believe that he can or will lose, and say he would be justified in questioning whether Democrats manipulated the outcome.  But some believe a loss is a loss.

Mueller pushes back on insider book faulting special counsel for not doing more to hold Trump accountable  —  Former special counsel Robert S. Mueller III pushed back Tuesday against a prosecutor in his office whose tell-all book alleges investigators should have done more to hold President Trump accountable …

Fascism expert: Trump has used all ‘four threats’ that can topple a democracy  —  On Tuesday, speaking with Molly Jong-Fast and Rick Wilson on the podcast The New Abnormal, Johns Hopkins political science professor Robert Lieberman warned that President Donald Trump poses all of the fundamental …

Disney Parks to Lay Off 28,000 Employees; Cites California's “Unwillingness” to Reopen Disneyland  —  The Southern California destination has been shuttered since mid-March.  —  The Walt Disney Co. on Tuesday announced that 28,000 employees from the Parks, Experiences and Products segment “at all levels” will be laid off.

NATALIE ALLISON  —  Despite pressure from a vocal group of conservatives to put an end to his coronavirus emergency declaration, Gov. Bill Lee on Tuesday announced he would extend the state of emergency, explaining that he would do so as long as President Donald Trump's administration keeps its declaration in place.

Compact Nuclear Fusion Reactor Is ‘Very Likely to Work,’ Studies Suggest  —  A series of research papers renews hope that the long-elusive goal of mimicking the way the sun produces energy might be achievable.  —  Scientists developing a compact version of a nuclear fusion reactor have shown …

Trump doesn't decide who wins the election.  We do.  —  Vanita Gupta is president and chief executive of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.  She is the former head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.  —  In recent weeks, President Trump has been escalating …

Trump Has Sold Off America's Credibility for His Personal Gain  —  From China to Ukraine, this president has acted at odds with American foreign policy.  Imagine what he could do with four more years.  —  Lt. Col. Vindman served on the National Security Council.