The U.S. Debt-Ceiling Drama Is Back, But Democrats Can Finally Break the Cycle  —  We've been here before—in 1995-96, 2002, 2003, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2019.  This time may end a little differently.  —  Joe Biden has had to confront plenty of new problems since becoming president …

Pelosi signals she won't move $3.5T bill without Senate-House deal  —  Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has signaled to colleagues in both chambers that she will not put the $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation package on the House floor for a vote until it's clear that it can also pass the 50-50 Senate.

Sen. Susan Collins won't support abortion rights bill  —  As Democrats consider legislation to respond to a new Texas state ban on abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy, they have lost the support of one of the few remaining Republicans who support abortion rights.

EXCLUSIVE: New emails reveal Hunter Biden asked for $2 million plus ‘success fees’ to help unfreeze Libyan assets … Two previously unpublished emails sent by business contacts of Hunter Biden indicate that the president's son requested an annual retainer of $2 million to help recover billions …

The Five Coup Schemes of Donald J. Trump  —  Last year, John Eastman, whom CNN describes as an attorney working with Donald Trump's legal team, wrote a preposterous memo outlining how then-Vice President Mike Pence could overturn the 2020 election by fiat or, failing that …

Nearly half of the unvaccinated say they're willing to get a coronavirus shot.  The challenge is trying to get it to them.  —  Yolanda Orosco-Arellano decided she would get the coronavirus vaccine long before it became available.  But securing an appointment for it was less straightforward.

Biden Security Adviser Jake Sullivan Tied to Alleged 2016 Clinton Scheme to Co-Opt CIA and FBI to Tar Trump  —  White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan figures prominently in a grand jury investigation run by Special Counsel John Durham into an alleged 2016 Hillary Clinton campaign scheme …

Paul LePage Is Back.  And Maine Is Terrified.  —  LEWISTON, Maine — Remember Paul LePage?  Sure you do.  He's the former governor of Maine who has called himself, accurately enough, “Donald Trump before Donald Trump” — a hot-headed, vulgar and sometimes erratic figure who regularly …

A year after Trump said he wanted to “get rid of the ballots,” has the press learned anything?  —  “That particular question was the precursor to everything that followed - the Big Lie, the Insurrection and what we're living with as far as Trump being in denial about the election results...”

Has Covid Cost Australia Its Love for Freedom?  —  Half the country is locked down, and its borders remain closed.  But most Australians are willing to make these sacrifices in pursuit of a collective freedom from fear of the virus.  —  SYDNEY, Australia — In the war against the coronavirus's …

Lauren Boebert paid rent and utilities with campaign funds, FEC filings show  —  Republican congresswoman later reimbursed her campaign for $6,650  —  Republican U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert paid rent and utility bills with campaign funds in violation of federal campaign finance laws, new filings with the Federal Election Commision show.

Biden's Deportation of Haitian Migrants Uses Trump-Era Immigration Tactics  —  The deportation of Haitian migrants is a stark example of how President Biden has deployed some of the most aggressive approaches to immigration put in place by former President Donald J. Trump.

Diplomat overseeing ‘Havana Syndrome’ response is out after 6 months  —  WASHINGTON — The top State Department official overseeing the response to “Havana Syndrome” is leaving her position after only six months on the job, three officials tell NBC News.  —  Ambassador Pamela Spratlen …

Democrats Are in Disarray, or Maybe Just Negotiating  —  Threats are flying among party factions and headlines are blaring about Biden's agenda in trouble.  Maybe it is, but a lot of the noise is bluffing.  —  Groups of congressional Democrats trekked down to the White House on Wednesday …

Little Outcry Over Antifa's Equal-Opportunity Beatdowns of Journalists Left and Right  —  Above, Maranie Staab, photojournalist thrown to the pavement covering antifa Aug. 22 in Portland.  —  From covering displaced refugees around the globe to the obstacles faced by protesters seeking change in America …

The Stacey Abrams tour  —  Stacey Abrams this week launched an ambitious national tour that will stretch across months and many swing states ahead of the 2022 midterms — and potentially elevate her standing in the Democratic Party in the process.  —  Driving the news: Abrams kicked off …

Grand Jury Returns Indictments Charging 2 Afghan Evacuees with Crimes While at Fort McCoy & Wisconsin Residents with Gun & Drug Crimes  —  MADISON, WIS. - A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictments today.

White House blames Boris Johnson after U.S. press corps' questions for Biden shut down  —  Members of the White House press corps filed a formal complaint after a meeting between President Biden and the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson ended with questions only from members of the British press.

F.D.A. Authorizes Pfizer Booster Shots for Older and At-Risk Americans  —  Regulators said that people over 65 or at high risk of severe Covid-19 were eligible for an extra shot, setting up a staggered national booster campaign.  —  WASHINGTON — After weeks of internal strife at the Food …

The tangled tale of the Israel consulate, the Dilbert cartoonist and the Matt Gaetz case  —  MIAMI — Of the many only-in-Florida aspects of the Rep. Matt Gaetz sex-crimes investigation, one stands out for its utter weirdness: the story of the Israeli consulate staffer, the cartoonist …

Facebook to testify on kids' safety as lawmakers probe a whistleblower's revelations  —  Happy Thursday and welcome to The Technology 202!  Below: Meet “Help Desk,” a new initiative our colleagues are launching to help you navigate the murky world of personal technology.  But first:

Statement by Donald J. Trump, 45th President of the United States of America  —  I spent virtually no time with Senators Mike Lee of Utah, or Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, talking about the 2020 Presidential Election Scam or, as it is viewed by many, the “Crime of the Century.”

After Mandating Masks Outdoors, Oregon's Active COVID-19 Cases Increased 73 Percent  —  On August 24, Oregon governor Kate Brown instated a state masking requirement that requires everyone five years and older, regardless of vaccination status, to wear a mask, face covering or face shield …

10% of Biden's Afghanistan Aid Will Go To Taliban  —  Why are American taxpayers funding the Taliban?  —  Daniel Greenfield, a Shillman Journalism Fellow at the Freedom Center, is an investigative journalist and writer focusing on the radical Left and Islamic terrorism.

Florida's new surgeon general says COVID-19 vaccines are ‘nothing special’ and opposes mask mandates  — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Dr. Joseph Ladapo to surgeon general and secretary of the state's health department on Tuesday.  — But Ladapo has come under fire for his criticism of COVID-19 vaccines and mask mandates.

Oakland school board 1st in Northern California to require vaccination for students  —  The Oakland Unified School District will require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19, the school board decided Wednesday night, making it the first in Northern California to impose a student mandate.