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 …

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.”

“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.

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 …

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 1996.1

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.

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 …

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 …

Airlines begin mass layoffs while clinging to hope for federal aid  —  American Airlines and United Airlines said they will begin furloughing 32,000 employees Thursday, as federal aid that propped up the industry during the pandemic expires, with no deal in sight for an extension.

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 …

Joe Biden Leads President Trump By Two Points in Nexstar Iowa 2020 RABA Research Poll  —  DES MOINES, IOWA — Former Vice President Joe Biden leads President Donald Trump by two-percentage points in Iowa with just over one month to go until Election Day, according to the Nexstar Iowa RABA Research Poll released on Wednesday.

Exclusive: FDA widens U.S. safety inquiry into AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine - sources  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has broadened its investigation of a serious illness in AstraZeneca Plc's COVID-19 vaccine study and will look at data from earlier trials …

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.

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” …

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.

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.

Facebook will ban ads that seek to delegitimize US election  — Facebook on Wednesday announced that it will not allow any ads on its service that seek to delegitimize the outcome of an election, including the upcoming U.S. election on Nov. 3.  — This policy will prohibit any ads …

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.

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.

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 …

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.

Liberals Nostalgic for ‘Simpler Time’ When They Could Freak Out About a Nice Mormon Who Hired Women  —  Ladies and gentleman, we regret to inform you that the libs are at it again.  They were so offended by Tuesday night's slugfest of a presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden …

Judge orders DOJ to publish info redacted as privileged from Mueller report  —  A federal judge on Wednesday ordered the Department of Justice (DOJ) to publish information redacted from the Mueller report that had been designated as privileged.  —  District Judge Reggie Walton …

Bob Murray, Who Fought Against Black Lung Regulations As A Coal Operator, Has Filed For Black Lung Benefits  —  Robert E. Murray, the former CEO and president of the now-bankrupt Murray Energy, has filed an application with the U.S. Department of Labor for black lung benefits.