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 …

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 …

Trump's Return Leaves White House in Disarray as Infections Jolt West Wing  —  The West Wing was mostly empty, cleared of aides who were sick or told to work from home, and staff in the White House residence were in full personal protective equipment.  —  The White House that President …

‘We Need to Take Away Children,’ No Matter How Young, Justice Dept. Officials Said  —  Top department officials were “a driving force” behind President Trump's child separation policy, a draft investigation report said.  —  WASHINGTON — The five U.S. attorneys along the border with Mexico …

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 …

Trump's erratic tweets on economic relief — over several hours — leave strategy unclear  —  First, he says he won't pursue a package until after election.  Then he demands Congress immediately pass bills.  —  President Trump called on Congress to approve federal economic relief late …

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 …

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 …

Amy Coney Barrett served as a ‘handmaid’ in Christian group People of Praise  —  While Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett has faced questions about how her Catholic faith might influence her jurisprudence, she has not spoken publicly about her involvement in People of Praise …

Support Grows for Confirming Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court  —  46% of voters back Trump's nominee, up 9 points from late last month  —  Democrats are losing the Supreme Court messaging war, new polling indicates, with support for Judge Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation trending in the GOP's direction.

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 …

‘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 …

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.

ISIS ‘Beatles’ to face charges in US for role in murders of American hostages  —  The families of the four hostages released a statement celebrating the news.  —  Catch up on the developing stories making headlines.  —  The Justice Department announced Wednesday that two former ISIS guards …

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 …

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.

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 …

NYC Orthodox community holds large protest over new coronavirus restrictions  —  Hundreds of members of the Borough Park Orthodox community took to the streets Tuesday night defying orders to disperse and lighting a fire in protest of new state mandated restrictions imposed on area synagogues …

“It is a slaughter”: Infectious disease icon asks CDC director to expose White House, orchestrate his own firing  —  A former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and public health titan who led the eradication of smallpox asked the embattled, current CDC leader to expose …

80-Year-Old Is Killed After Asking Bar Patron to Wear Mask  —  The man was shoved to the ground and hit his head after confronting another patron at a bar in upstate New York, the police said.  The case is one of the first of its kind in the state.  —  When an 80-year-old man at a bar near Buffalo …

Far-Right Pennsylvania Politics Blog Was Mirrored by Obscure Russian Website  —  Lancaster Patriot, a partisan, reactionary Pennsylvania politics blog that first surfaced in April, is mirrored online by a Russian website with the domain oc.binaria.ru, which is affiliated with creators …

Why Won't the Media Listen to These Scientists?  —  Prize-winning biologists vs. compelling narratives.  —  This week dozens of esteemed medical experts with blue-chip academic credentials published a warning about the destructive policies adopted to address Covid-19.

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 …

How Much Would Trump's Coronavirus Treatment Cost Most Americans?  —  Even for those with insurance, surprise bills for things not covered can add up fast. … President Trump spent three days in the hospital.  He arrived and left by helicopter.  And he received multiple coronavirus tests …

PA Rep. slams Republicans for COVID cover-up as “height of grotesque partisanship”  —  MLK III says we need leaders like Joe Biden & Kamala Harris in the White House  —  Scott talks with Martin Luther King, III who divulged details about his meeting with Donald Trump and spoke about a range …

Duck Stamp Artists Turn to Spent Shotgun Shells to Meet New Pro-Hunting Mandate  —  The government art competition now requires hunting imagery, a change that some wildlife painters say undermines its conservation message.  —  Associate Editor, Audubon Magazine  —  Associate Editor, Audubon Magazine

Trump support craters after contracting coronavirus, new FPU/Herald poll reveals  —  Catching coronavirus has been disastrous for President Trump's re-election hopes, with support for the president plummeting since news of the infection broke, allowing Democratic nominee Joe Biden to open …

EU climate clash looms as Parliament backs ‘bloody hard’ emissions cuts  —  MEPs from all sides of the political spectrum claim to have science on their side.  —  The European Parliament narrowly backed slashing the bloc's greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percent by 2030 …

Trump's collapse among seniors could endanger the entire Republican Party  —  Something wild and unexpected unfolded in the second half of President Trump's term, and now is accelerating: Elderly Americans, who helped elect him, have swung sharply against him.

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris's proposals could cut poverty in half  —  Democrats have a historic opportunity to lift 20 million people out of poverty.  —  Graphics by Christina Animashaun  —  SHARE All sharing options  —  This story is part of a group of stories called