Trump played tough with Putin when cameras were around, while Putin toyed with his insecurities, a new book says  —  Little is known about what happened in the 90-minute conversation between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Osaka, Japan, two years ago.

Scoop: Dems' sneaky sabotage  —  A group tied to prominent Democratic strategists is posing as a conservative outfit to try to drive a wedge between the Republican candidate for Virginia governor and his core voters, Axios has learned.  —  Why it matters: The state's gubernatorial race …

Pass the damn infrastructure bill, dammit  —  Then pass the reconciliation bill, then pass another bill...  I am annoyed at the way Democrats are handling the two spending bills now moving through Congress.  When the bipartisan infrastructure deal passed the Senate, I assumed it was a done deal …

Republicans Block Government Funding, Refusing to Lift Debt Limit  —  Senate Republicans opposed legislation to avert a government shutdown and prevent a debt default at a critical moment for Democrats' domestic agenda.  —  WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans on Monday blocked a spending bill needed …

Deadline Looming, Thousands of Health Care Workers in New York Get Vaccinated  —  Though many hospital and nursing home employees remain unvaccinated, officials say worst-case staffing shortages seem less likely.  —  When New York State officials issued a sweeping coronavirus vaccine mandate …

Marine officer who blasted leaders over Afghanistan withdrawal now in the brig  —  “All our son did is ask the questions that everybody was asking themselves, but they were too scared to speak out loud.”  —  Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller, the Marine officer whose meteoric rise to internet fandom began …

Trump's spiteful support for Abrams over Kemp sparks midterms fear from Georgia Republicans  —  (CNN)Donald Trump is escalating his fight against Republican Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia, and state Republicans fear it will give Democrats a stronger foothold in the key swing state as next year's midterm elections loom.

A.C.L.U. Apologizes for Tweet That Altered Quote by Justice Ginsburg  —  The organization acknowledged that changing references from women to people was a mistake — albeit a well-intentioned one.  —  Anthony Romero, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union …

The unimportance of Trump's incompetence  —  The most talked-about essay of the past week is undoubtedly Robert Kagan's “Our constitutional crisis is already here” in The Washington Post, a long, gripping examination of the very serious danger that Donald Trump poses to American democracy …

‘Speed equals safety’: Inside the Pentagon's controversial decision to leave Bagram early  —  The administration didn't second-guess its decision to rapidly withdraw from Afghanistan.  Lawmakers are fuming.  —  Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Mark Milley stressed …

R. Kelly Found Guilty in Decades-Long Sexual Abuse Scheme  —  The six-week trial in Brooklyn, N.Y., included graphic and disturbing testimony about sexual abuse by one of America's best-known musicians.  —  Key Updates:  —  Jonah Bromwichcovers the courts in New York

The Largest Autocracy on Earth  —  In 1947, Albert Einstein, writing in this magazine, proposed the creation of a single world government to protect humanity from the threat of the atomic bomb.  His utopian idea did not take hold, quite obviously, but today, another visionary is building the simulacrum of a cosmocracy.

New Taliban Chancellor Bars Women From Kabul University  —  The new policy for Afghanistan's premier university is another major blow to women's rights under Taliban rule, and to a two-decade effort to build up higher education.  —  Tightening the Taliban's restrictions on women …

Florida Man Dies While Awaiting Trial on Charges Related to Jan. 6 US Capitol Breach  —  A U.S. military veteran who was charged in the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol breach has died.  —  John Anderson, 61, died at a hospital in Jacksonville, Florida, on Sept. 21, according to family members and his lawyer.

Here's the Truth About Brett Kavanaugh's Finances  —  No, liberals, the Koch brothers don't own him.  —  It's become a predictable pattern: The Supreme Court issues a controversial ruling on a hot-button social issue, and then Justice Brett Kavanaugh trends on Twitter.

Jumaane Jumps In He's running for governor, calling Kathy Hochul a Cuomo ‘enabler,’ and keeping an eye on Tish James.  —  Three years ago, Jumaane Williams came within seven points of beating Kathy Hochul in the Democratic primary for New York lieutenant governor.

Unvaccinated Americans say the need for booster shots proves Covid vaccines don't work, Kaiser survey shows  — A Kaiser Family Foundation survey shows that 71% percent of unvaccinated respondents said boosters are a sign that vaccines are not working.  — The split in attitudes toward …

Axios-Ipsos poll: Biden trust takes a blow as COVID lingers  —  For the first time in his presidency, Joe Biden faces a trust deficit among Americans when it comes to COVID-19, according to the latest installment of the Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index.  —  Why it matters: The latest findings point to malaise more than fear.

The ‘comfort the comfortable’ coalition  —  Last Wednesday, I saw a friend walking his dog in the late morning on Capitol Hill, attired in shorts and flip-flops.  “Nice suit,” he said to me as we crossed paths.  “Yep,” I said.  “Busy week at work.”  He laughed.  “I am at work now.”

Massive spike in murders — the Left's policies hit black lives hardest  —  In 2015, Michael Brown robbed a convenience store and was justifiably shot in self-defense while assaulting the police officer who attempted to confront him.  —  Despite the facts behind that shooting …

Persistence Pays  —  “Harriet Tubman was born a slave, and her story could have ended there.  Instead, she persisted, escaping from slavery and becoming the most famous ‘conductor’ on the Underground Railroad,” begins the first section of Chelsea Clinton's baffling 2017 children's book …

Mapped: No majority-Hispanic districts added in Texas  —  Texas Republicans propose adding seats in Austin and Houston — but no majority-Hispanic districts — in new congressional district maps released Monday.  —  Why it matters: Texas is a rapidly growing, diversifying and politically changing state.

How Covid Misinformation Created a Run on Animal Medicine  —  Veterinarians, ranchers and farmers say they are struggling with the effects of the surging demand for ivermectin, a deworming drug.  —  Emerson Animal Hospital was down to its last 10 milliliters of ivermectin.