Gov. Abbott: Abortion bill won't force rape victims to have babies, Texas will ‘eliminate’ rapists  —  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott weighed in on a burning question related to the state's recently passed bill banning abortions after six weeks: what about victims of rape?

Scoop: Manchin backs as little as $1 trillion of Biden's $3.5 trillion plan  —  Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) has privately warned the White House and congressional leaders that he has specific policy concerns with President Biden's $3.5 trillion social spending dream — and he'll support as little …

Idaho hospitals begin rationing health care amid COVID surge  —  BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho public health leaders announced Tuesday that they activated “crisis standards of care” allowing health care rationing for the state's northern hospitals because there are more coronavirus patients than the institutions can handle.

More Americans say 9/11 changed U.S. for worse than better, Post-ABC poll finds  —  Americans increasingly say the events of Sept. 11, 2001, had a more negative than positive impact on the country, and predictions for the pandemic's long-term impact are even more downbeat, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.

How the rise of Politico shifted political journalism off course  —  Politico's sale last month to the German media company Axel Springer for a reported $1 billion was the culmination of a stunning rise of a publication founded in 2007 in what most people assumed was an overly-crowded market: coverage of Washington and U.S. politics.

Sex and Drug Videos to Minors  —  After signing up for an account on TikTok, a 13-year-old user started by searching the app for “onlyfans”—the name of a site known for hosting adult entertainment—then watched a handful of videos in the results, including two selling pornography.

Donald Trump, son to provide commentary on Evander Holyfield-Vitor Belfort alternate telecast  —  Former President Donald Trump has signed a contract to provide commentary on a “gamecast” of Saturday's boxing event headlined by Evander Holyfield vs. Vitor Belfort, Triller told ESPN on Tuesday.

Quiz: If America Had Six Parties, Which Would You Belong To?  —  This essay is part of a series exploring bold ideas to revitalize and renew the American experiment.  Read more about this project in a note from Ezekiel Kweku, Opinion's politics editor.  —  America's two-party system is broken.

Britney Spears' father petitions to end her conservatorship  —  (CNN)Britney Spears' fight to end her court-ordered conservatorship took an unexpected turn on Tuesday when her father and the conservator of her estate, Jamie Spears, filed a petition to end the arrangement.

From 4% to 45%: Biden Releases an Ambitious Plan for Solar Energy  —  The Biden administration on Wednesday released a plan to produce almost half of the nation's electricity from the sun by 2050 as part of its effort to combat climate change.  —  Solar energy provided less than 4 percent …

One Thing We Can Agree on Is That We're Becoming a Different Country  —  Mr. Edsall contributes a weekly column from Washington, D.C. on politics, demographics and inequality.  —  A highly charged ideological transition reflecting a “massive four-decade long shift in political values …

Trump set to back attorney in primary challenge to Cheney  —  Former President Trump is set to back a Wyoming attorney as she readies a primary challenge against Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), a source confirmed to The Hill on Wednesday, making good on his vow to help replace the outspoken Republican after she voted for his impeachment.

Abolishing the filibuster would pay dividends for Nevadans  —  Editor's note: Following a longstanding tradition, Brian Greenspun turned over his Where I Stand column to others in August.  Today, we continue to present columns submitted by those guests.  In presenting this year's series …

War hero, attorney, former political candidate remembered  —  POUGHKEEPSIE - Attorney Kyle Van De Water who ran as a Republican for Congress against incumbent Antonio Delgado (D, NY-19) died unexpectedly on Tuesday.  —  In July of 2021, the 41-year-old had announced that he was planning to challenge the incumbent again in 2022.

New Hampshire Democrat wins GOP-held state House seat  —  A former town councilor in Bedford narrowly won a seat in the New Hampshire state House on Tuesday, the first Democrat to win a previously Republican-held legislative district in any state since President Biden took office.

Moral Majority Media Strikes Again  —  When Rachel Maddow, Rolling Stone, and others jumped on a dubious report of ivermectin overdoses, it was just the latest in a string of moral mania mishaps  —  Citing a report of Oklahoma emergency rooms so overwhelmed by ivermectin overdoses …

Four Taliban members swapped for Bowe Bergdahl now in Afghan government  —  Four of the five Taliban members released from Guantanamo Bay by the Obama administration in 2014 in exchange for admitted US Army deserter Bowe Bergdahl are part of the Islamic fundamentalist group's new hardline government …

Nobelist, senior Democratic economist Stiglitz says Fed's Powell should go  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - For U.S. President Joe Biden to be true to his agenda he should not renominate Jerome Powell as Federal Reserve chair, Nobel prize-winning economist and longtime Democratic adviser Joseph Stiglitz …

An Incredible Exercise in Public Hypocrisy Is Unfolding Right on Schedule  —  The world's most predictable exercise in public hypocrisy is unfolding right on schedule.  After spending a couple of weeks belaboring the administration over how it allegedly left our Afghan allies behind …

US troops' rage at their leaders will grow unless there's deep reform  —  Our military's civilian leadership is corrupt and incompetent.  The brass commands respect neither among the citizenry nor the forces it commands.  Mid-level officers are in a rage — a dangerous phenomenon …

Incoming Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin Owns Insider Stock in Firm That Arranges Sky-High Interest Loans  —  Newly appointed Lt. Governor Brian Benjamin stands to make a hefty profit from insider stock he holds in a company that arranges loans with interest rates up to 500% and has been sued repeatedly, THE CITY has learned.

The U.S. helped design Afghanistan's constitution.  It was built to fail.  —  The presidential system did not encourage compromise.  Nor did a flawed method of choosing members of parliament.  —  Creating a stable Afghanistan was never fundamentally a military problem.

Biden anxiety levels  —  Presented by The American Petroleum Institute (API)  —  Welcome to POLITICO's West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration.  With Allie Bice  —  JOE BIDEN often thinks he's his own best messenger.