Donald Trump Is Canceling TV Ads In Midwest States That Made Him President  —  President Donald Trump's reelection campaign is slashing television spending in the Midwest, canceling millions of dollars in advertising in states that carried him to victory in 2016.  —  He's been off the local airwaves completely in Iowa and Ohio.

South Carolina Senate Moves To Toss Up  —  There has been no more surprising race on the Senate map than South Carolina.  Even early this year, it looked like Sen. Lindsey Graham would cruise to re-election.  Instead, the Republican incumbent finds himself in a tied race in both public …

White House Quietly Told Vets Group It Might Have Exposed Them to COVID  —  The first known White House warning to visitors about a coronavirus risk came the same day that the president acknowledged getting the virus. … On the same day President Trump acknowledged contracting the coronavirus …

DOJ Frees Federal Prosecutors to Take Steps That Could Interfere With Elections, Weakening Long-standing Policy … ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power.  Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they're published.  —  The Department of Justice …

‘Where are all of the arrests?’:  Trump demands Barr lock up his foes  —  Donald Trump mounted an overnight Twitter blitz demanding to jail his political enemies and call out allies he says are failing to arrest his rivals swiftly enough.  —  Trump twice amplified supporters' criticisms …

High court nominee served as ‘handmaid’ in religious group  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett served as a “handmaid,” the term then used for high-ranking female leaders in the People of Praise religious community, an old directory for the group's members shows.

Dying in a Leadership Vacuum  —  Article  —  Covid-19 has created a crisis throughout the world.  This crisis has produced a test of leadership.  With no good options to combat a novel pathogen, countries were forced to make hard choices about how to respond.  Here in the United States, our leaders have failed that test.

BuzzFeed News Pulls Reporter From White House, Citing Virus Risk  —  She said she had “obvious concerns about working indoors during an outbreak.”  The White House Correspondents' Association pushed for more information on known infections.  —  BuzzFeed News has pulled a political correspondent …

Ex-N.J. Gov. Chris Christie remains hospitalized for COVID-19  —  THE LATEST: Chris Christie said he was ‘checking’ himself into the hospital after coronavirus test.  Here's how doctors say the system works.  —  Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie remains hospitalized at Morristown Medical Center …

Unemployment benefits may pay just $5 a week without stimulus deal  — President Donald Trump called off negotiations on another coronavirus relief package until after the November election.  — That means millions of unemployed workers likely won't get a weekly boost in benefits for several months.

The plexiglass barriers being used at tonight's debate are pretty useless, experts say.  —  A box fan, an air filter — and duct tape to attach them.  With four such devices cobbled together for a grand total of about $150, the vice-presidential debate on Wednesday night can be made much safer …

Republicans: Ditch Trump, Save the Senate  —  “This is the time you have to make tough decisions,” former congressman Tom Davis, said of the party allocating its resources.  —  Increasingly convinced that President Donald Trump's election chances are grim, top Republican donors, lobbyists …

Biden Leads Trump in Nevada and the Two Are Tied in Ohio, Polls Show  —  Women and suburbanites continue to power Joe Biden's support, new polls by The Times and Siena College show.  A majority of voters say campaigning in front of large crowds is inappropriate.

Trump's corrupt schemes to save himself keep blowing up in his face  —  When you step back and survey the last two years of U.S. politics, one of the biggest story lines that comes into view is this: One after another, a whole string of deeply corrupt schemes that President Trump has hatched …

Supreme Court rejects GOP attempt to get rid of ranked voting in Maine  —  (CNN)Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer cleared the way Tuesday night for ranked-choice voting to be used in Maine, delivering a blow to Republican challengers.  —  In September, Maine's Supreme Court had sided …

COVID-19 cases rising in 39 states - 9 months into the pandemic: ‘We are overwhelmed’ … U.S. coronavirus cases surpassed 7.5 million on Wednesday with most states seeing a rise in cases - nine months into the pandemic - and a startling nine states setting ominous, seven-day records for infections.

Keith Olbermann quits ESPN in order to ‘serve my country’ with anti-Trump commentary  —  Liberal commentator Keith Olbermann announced Tuesday he is leaving ESPN for a third time so that he can focus his efforts on political commentary ahead of the November election.

Army Reserve investigating Cunningham after woman confirms affair, more texts emerge  —  RALEIGH, N.C. — A California woman on Tuesday confirmed to The Associated Press that she had a physical relationship with Cal Cunningham, North Carolina's Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate.

Facebook Widens Ban on Political Ads as Alarm Rises Over Election  —  Political ads will be banned indefinitely after polls close on Nov. 3 and the company plans new steps to limit misinformation about the results.  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Over the past few weeks, Mark Zuckerberg …

White House physician says Trump has been “symptom-free for over 24 hours”  —  President Trump has been “symptom-free” from the coronavirus for over 24 hours, White House physician Dr. Sean Conley said in a Wednesday update.  —  The state of play: Conley's letter also says that Trump has not received …

Harris County can't send mail-in ballot applications to all registered voters, Texas Supreme Court rules  —  The elections administrator for the county, Texas' most populous and a critical stronghold for Democrats, has already sent the applications to voters 65 or over.

Wide-bodied 747 crowned Alaska's fattest bear  —  ANCHORAGE (Reuters) - In Alaska's annual battle of heavyweights, a salmon-chomping bruin named 747 - like the jetliner - has emerged as the most fabulously fat.  —  The bear, one of more than 2,200 brown bears roaming Alaska's Katmai National Park …

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate MJ Hegar voted against Obama twice  —  WASHINGTON — MJ Hegar, the former Air Force pilot running as a Democrat against U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, voted for Republican presidential nominees John McCain and Mitt Romney in 2008 and 2012, she told Hearst Newspapers on Tuesday.

why Trump should skip the Miami debate … While I have great confidence in President Trump's skill as a debater and recognize him as perhaps the greatest counter-puncher in American political history, I strongly urge him not to attend the second Presidential Commission debate scheduled for October 15 in Miami.

‘Red Sweater Guy’ Ken Bone from 2016 Town Hall Says Watching This Year's Debates is ‘Like Watching Your House Burn Down’  —  U.S. 2020 Presidential Election 2016 Presidential Debates  —  It has been almost four years to the day since Ken Bone became one of the most famous uncommitted voters …

Susan Collins lets loose with her career on the line  —  Susan Collins generally keeps an even keel.  But she's had it with Sara Gideon.  —  “She will say or do anything to try to win,” Collins said when asked of her opponent during a wide-ranging 30-minute interview in her Capitol quarters last week.

Political sign theft leads to bizarre cover-up effort  —  Don't read all about it  —  A series of minor thefts in early September had Lakes Area store clerks scratching their heads.  Newspaper racks were empty.  Storefront vending boxes were cleaned out, and copies of the Sept. 2 Dickinson County News …

Manhattan D.A. Can Obtain Trump's Tax Returns, Judges Rule  —  The dispute will now likely head to the Supreme Court for a second time.  —  The Manhattan district attorney can enforce a subpoena seeking President Trump's personal and corporate tax returns, a federal appeals panel ruled on Wednesday …

QAnon High Priest Was Just Trolling Away as a Citigroup Tech Executive  —  Jason Gelinas lived a normal suburban life with a plum Wall Street gig.  He also ran the conspiracy theory's biggest news hub.  —  Like many future Donald Trump voters, Jason Gelinas felt something shift inside him during the presidency of Barack Obama.

The Creepy Trump Meme Taking Over Twitter  —  When Donald Trump announced that he and his wife, Melania, had tested positive for COVID-19, the replies were full of well-wishing, as well as admonishments from others for not being careful.  Less expected was a whole host of messages full …

A Warning From Michigan  —  Last week, in a 4-3 party-line vote, Republican judges on the Michigan Supreme Court invalidated a law that had empowered a historically popular Democratic chief executive to take emergency actions to combat COVID-19.  The basis for the decision was an antiquated doctrine …