SCOOP: Manchin Tells Associates He's Considering Leaving the Democratic Party and Has an Exit Plan  —  In recent days, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) has told associates that he is considering leaving the Democratic Party if President Joe Biden and Democrats on Capitol Hill do not agree to his demand …

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Takes Additional Actions on the Use of a Booster Dose for COVID-19 Vaccines  —  For Immediate Release:  —  Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration took action to expand the use of a booster dose for COVID-19 vaccines in eligible populations.

When M.I.T. Asked Dorian Abbot to Speak, It Invited Criticism  —  Dorian Abbot is a scientist who has opposed aspects of affirmative action.  He is now at the center of an argument over free speech and acceptable discourse.  —  CHICAGO — The Massachusetts Institute of Technology invited …

Report: Sinema Bent on Destroying Biden Presidency to Keep Taxes on the Wealthy Low This sounds extremely bad.  —  News reports this week have portrayed Democrats in Congress as slowly converging on a deal to pass a shrunken version of President Biden's Build Back Better agenda.

GOP Gains in Governor's Race  —  Enthusiasm gap and shift in voter priorities boost Youngkin  —  West Long Branch, NJ - With two weeks to go before Election Day, Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin are locked in a close battle for governor of Virginia.

Biden abruptly accelerates his involvement in agenda talks  —  For weeks, President Biden has met repeatedly with Democratic lawmakers as part of the tortuous negotiations over his agenda — but to the frustration of many, he has revealed few opinions of his own on what should remain in the plan and what should be jettisoned.

Rep. Jim Jordan tells House panel he can't recall how many times he spoke with Trump on Jan. 6  —  Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) on Wednesday struggled to answer questions about his communications with then-President Donald Trump during the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, telling a House panel …

Suspected human remains and items belonging to Brian Laundrie found in Florida park, FBI says  —  (CNN)What appears to be human remains and items belonging to Brian Laundrie, including a backpack, have been found in the Carlton Reserve in North Port, Florida, according to FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael McPherson.

Leaked Oath Keepers Data Shows At Least 28 Elected Officials Have Ties To The Group  —  Over the past dozen years, at least 28 people who currently hold elected office joined or financially supported the Oath Keepers, the extremist group that figured prominently in the violent Jan. 6 storming …

Netflix Employee Walkout Grows Tense as Trans Rights Protesters Clash With Dave Chappelle Supporters  —  Hundreds of Netflix employees and supporters gathered in the shadow of the streaming giant's Los Angeles headquarters on Wednesday to protest Dave Chappelle's standup special “The Closer.”

Environmental group quits democracy rally because ‘Zionist’ groups are present  —  WASHINGTON (JTA) — The Washington D.C. branch of a national climate action group turned down a role at a voting rights rally because a “number of Zionist organizations” will be taking part.

The accused spy knew stealth was crucial from his work on submarines.  He surfaced anyway.  —  For years, the aspiring spy had gone to remarkable lengths to protect his identity and evade detection.  —  With a cash-bought burner phone, he created an anonymous email account …

Why Facebook is rebranding  —  Fresh details from the search for a new name.  PLUS: Five former employees weigh in  —  Programming note: Platformer will be off on Thursday to work on some ... stuff.  See you Monday!  —  Facebook is changing its name.  Perhaps you heard.

The $100 Million Plan to Completely Fix Washington  —  In 2017, a Wisconsin dairy scion wrote a Harvard Business School case study applying “industry competitive analysis” to party politics.  The result is a $100 million plan to transform election rules.  Reid Hoffman and one of the Bay …

The Trump Organization faces a new criminal inquiry tied to a New York golf club  —  A New York prosecutor has opened up a previously unreported criminal probe of Trump Organization finances, NPR has confirmed.  —  The investigation by Westchester District Attorney Miriam E.

A worker in Florida applied to 60 entry-level jobs in September and got one interview  — Businesses across the US say they are struggling to find employees, especially for hourly work.  — Joey Holz decided to test their claims, submitting two applications a day in September.

Stymied Before, Trump Finds Backing for His Own Media Venture  —  A merger could give the former president access to nearly $300 million in cash — and perhaps a new platform.  —  Former President Donald J. Trump said on Wednesday that he had lined up the investment money to create …

Meet the New Owners of the Wu-Tang Clan's One-of-a-Kind Album  —  The government sold “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin” to satisfy a judgment against its first owner, Martin Shkreli.  It ended up with a collective called PleasrDAO that paid an intermediary $4 million.

Attack hits Syria base that houses U.S. troops  —  WASHINGTON — A military outpost in southern Syria was hit by a coordinated attack on Wednesday, but a U.S. official said no American troops stationed there were injured or killed.  —  The official said the attack appeared to include at least one drone strike and possibly groundfire.

Youngkin Supporter Punches Reporter At Campaign Rally In Burke  —  BURKE, VA — A supporter of Virginia gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin struck a reporter outside a campaign rally in Burke Tuesday night, leading the journalist to report the incident to a Fairfax County police officer.

'I'm Invincible': FBI Arrests Capitol Rioter Who Was ‘Not Too Worried’ He'd Be Charged  —  Landon Mitchell told a Facebook friend he thought the FBI wouldn't get him because he “was masked up the whole time.”  —  On Jan. 6, Landon Mitchell bragged to a Facebook friend that he “breached the Capitol” …