Belligerent Trump debate performance stokes fears among Republicans about November  —  The aftermath of the first presidential debate between President Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden triggered a reckoning among Republicans on Wednesday about the incumbent's incendiary remarks …

Internal document shows Trump officials were told to make comments sympathetic to Kyle Rittenhouse  —  WASHINGTON — Federal law enforcement officials were directed to make public comments sympathetic to Kyle Rittenhouse, the teenager charged with fatally shooting two protesters in Kenosha …

“The Family Is Worried Brad Will Start Talking”: Trumpworld Panics Over Debate Fiasco as Campaign Turmoil Mounts  —  Over three days, the New York Times dropped a tax bombshell, Florida cops cuffed Brad Parscale, and the president just couldn't help himself onstage.

Chris Wallace Calls Debate ‘a Terrible Missed Opportunity’  —  The veteran anchor conceded he was initially “reluctant” to step in during the Trump-Biden matchup.  “I've never been through anything like this,” he said.  —  “I'm just sad with the way last night turned out.”

Trump requires food aid boxes to come with a letter from him  —  The Agriculture Department last week began mandating that millions of boxes of surplus food for needy families include a letter from President Donald Trump claiming credit for the program.  —  The USDA's $4 billion Families …

Intelligence Officials Urged Trump Spy Chief Not to Disclose Unverified Russian Claims About Clinton  —  Officials at CIA, NSA, Office of Director of National Intelligence warned disclosure to Congress would give credibility to Kremlin-backed material  —  WASHINGTON—Senior U.S. officials urged Director …

Study Finds ‘Single Largest Driver’ of Coronavirus Misinformation: Trump  —  Cornell University researchers analyzing 38 million English-language articles about the pandemic found that President Trump was the largest driver of the “infodemic.”  —  WASHINGTON — Of the flood of misinformation …

Ted Cruz blocks pre-existing conditions bill — two days after saying his party would always protect them  —  On Monday, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) told CNBC that there was no question the Republican Party was going to take care of people with pre-existing health conditions if the Supreme Court invalidates the Affordable Care Act.

Listen to What Trump 2016 Swing-State Voters Had to Say About the Debate  —  Nine women.  All from swing states.  All 2016 Trump voters.  And they have thoughts about Trump's debate meltdown.  —  On Wednesday night I checked back in with a focus group of female 2016 Trump voters …

Ski, Party, Seed a Pandemic: The Travel Rules That Let Covid-19 Take Flight  —  The World Health Organization said open borders would help fight disease.  Experts, and a global treaty, emphatically agreed.  But the scientific evidence was never behind them.

MARY SPICUZZA  —  President Donald Trump is planning a pair of Saturday campaign rallies in Green Bay and La Crosse, areas currently labeled by the White House Coronavirus Task Force as “red zones,” the highest level of COVID-19 community spread.  —  The task force's report says the state overall …

Kentucky attorney general says he never recommended murder charges in Breonna Taylor case  —  Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said Tuesday that he never recommended murder charges against police officers for Breonna Taylor's death.  The grand jury handed down no charges in connection with Taylor's death.

Trump's Chances Are Dwindling.  That Could Make Him Dangerous.  —  President Trump's quest to win a second term is not in good shape.  He entered Tuesday night's debate with roughly a 7- or 8-point deficit in national polls, putting him further behind at this stage of the race than any other candidate since Bob Dole in 1996.6

The Day I Met Donald Trump  —  The digital clock next to my bed showed 4:06 a.m. As usual, my body clock had stirred me awake before my bedside radio alarm was set to go off, nine minutes later.  I stared motionless at the pitch-black ceiling for a few minutes.

BRIAN LYMAN  —  Gov. Kay Ivey on Wednesday offered a “sincere, heartfelt apology” to a survivor of the 1963 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, and offered to meet with her attorneys as she seeks compensation from the state.  —  The governor's letter to an attorney for Sarah Collins Rudolph …

Millions of Americans risk losing power and water as massive, unpaid utility bills pile up  —  More than 179 million people may be at risk for shut-offs as many state protections end  —  This Tuesday marked 67 days of darkness for Kenneth Parson.  He fell behind on his utility bills in the spring …

Pope rejects US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meeting  —  The Vatican has denied US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo an audience with Pope Francis.  —  The Holy See said the Pontiff does not receive politicians during an election period.  —  The move adds to a diplomatic row following comments …

Religious group scrubs all references to Amy Coney Barrett from its website  —  People of Praise, a tiny charismatic Catholic organization, admits removing mentions and photos of Trump's supreme court pick  —  A tiny religious organization tied to Amy Coney Barrett, Donald Trump's supreme court nominee …

Trump Is Not the Man He Used to Be  —  Donald Trump believes, to his core, that a single event in 2016 clinched him the presidency.  —  It wasn't the FBI reopening its investigation into Hillary Clinton.  It wasn't the Wikileaks dump of hacked DNC emails.

Veterans' Home Recently Visited by Governor Parson Has Outbreak of COVID-19  — Governor Mike Parson tweeted this photo of himself meeting with staff at Missouri Veterans Home, which is now dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak.  —  UPDATE 5:15 p.m.: We've updated this story to include a response from Governor Parson's spokeswoman below.

Memory sticks used to program Philly's voting machines were stolen from elections warehouse  —  A laptop and several memory sticks used to program Philadelphia's voting machines were stolen from a city warehouse in East Falls, city officials confirmed Wednesday, setting off …

Transmission of the President's Report to Congress on the Proposed Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2021  —  Today, the Department of State, together with the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Health and Human Services, submitted the President's Report to Congress …

CDC places ‘moratorium’ on releasing new coronavirus health guidance  —  The agency hasn't updated new health guidance since Sept. 24.  —  Spike in New York City COVID cases  —  Tami Chappell/AFP via Getty Images  —  For the last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention …

Wife of Boston Marathon hero said Biden touched her in ‘an inappropriate and uncomfortable way’  —  The wife of a Massachusetts transit police officer who was injured in the manhunt for the Boston Marathon bombers accused Joe Biden of touching her inappropriately and making a suggestive comment in 2014.

Republican super PAC to spend $9 million in Michigan Senate race  —  A Republican super PAC, aligned with the party's Senate leadership, will infuse $9 million into the Senate race in Michigan where incumbent Democrat Gary Peters faces GOP challenger John James.

Largest study of COVID-19 transmission highlights essential role of super-spreaders  —  In the bleak ranking of worst COVID-19 outbreaks, the United States, with 7.2 million infections, is likely to be eclipsed only by India, which has 1 million fewer cases but is catching up fast.

A two-page White House ‘race’ memo became a flash point in Tuesday's debate  —  Trump wanted to ban federal agency training on ‘critical race theory,’ but agencies have scrambled, stumbled  —  A two-page White House memo that directed federal agencies to halt “un-American” and “divisive” …

Americans Increasingly Believe Violence is Justified if the Other Side Wins  —  At the presidential debate this week, the Republican candidate voiced his concern about political violence—left-wing political violence.  And the Democratic candidate likewise voiced concern about political violence—right-wing political violence.

U.S. push for Sudan to recognize Israel falters — and puts Khartoum in a tight spot  —  Last week, U.S. officials held talks with Sudan in the hopes of adding it to a growing list of countries that have normalized relations with Israel, in what the Trump administration has billed as part of its Middle East peace process.

As Kim wooed Trump with ‘love letters,’ he kept building his nuclear capability, intelligence shows  —  In a secret letter to President Trump in December 2018, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un likened the two leaders' budding friendship to a Hollywood romance.

California task force will consider paying reparations for slavery  —  With Gov. Gavin Newsom's signature, California became the first state government in the country on Wednesday to adopt a law to study and develop proposals for potential reparations to descendants of enslaved people and those impacted by slavery.