Kansas Votes to Preserve Abortion Rights Protections in Its Constitution  —  OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Kansas voters resoundingly decided against removing the right to abortion from the State Constitution, according to The Associated Press, a major victory for the abortion rights movement in one of America's reliably conservative states.

Alex Jones concedes Sandy Hook attack was ‘100% real’  —  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones testified Wednesday that he now understands it was irresponsible of him to declare the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre a hoax and that he now believes it was “100% real.”

Mark Finchem is the latest in a wave of election deniers moving toward controlling elections  —  Mark Finchem on Aug. 2, 2022, at an election night party for Kari Lake.  Photo by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy |  Arizona Mirror  —  Mark Finchem, an Arizona state representative who has said he would …

Giuliani Is Unlikely to Face Criminal Charges in Lobbying Inquiry  —  A federal investigation into Donald Trump's former lawyer over his work in Ukraine during the 2020 campaign is winding down with no indictment expected.  —  As Rudolph W. Giuliani comes under intensifying scrutiny …

FIRST ON CNN: Former Deputy White House counsel subpoenaed in January 6 probe  —  The former deputy counsel to President Donald Trump has been subpoenaed in the federal criminal probe of the January 6 attack on the US Capitol, two sources familiar with the matter tell CNN.

John Fetterman's parents gave him money into his 40s.  Republicans say that undercuts his blue collar image.  —  In his ads, and much of the public imagination, John Fetterman is a tattooed everyman from a rugged steel city outside Pittsburgh.The phrase “blue collar tough guy” …

First look: Former Treasury secretaries push Manchin bill  —  Five former Treasury secretaries — including Hank Paulson, who served under President George W. Bush — signed a statement strongly backing the “Inflation Reduction Act” brokered by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.).

Trump is losing ground in the 2024 primary.  Here's why.  —  Donald Trump leads in primary polls and is well-liked by his party — but his position is worse than it was a year ago.  Surveys show half of Republican voters are considering other candidates.  Candidates endorsed by the former president …

Scoop: 2024 GOP hopefuls back Trump's plan to purge civil servants  —  Several possible 2024 Republican presidential candidates tell Axios they support former President Trump's plan to make it easier for the president to purge federal workers. … Democrats, increasingly concerned, are scrambling to block that possibility.

Dems Gain Slightly in Congress Support  —  Midterm issue picture largely unchanged; Biden rating stabilizes  —  West Long Branch, NJ - The latest Monmouth ("Mon-muth") University Poll finds the Democrats making small gains in preference for Congressional control and the year-long slide …

A Cynical Low for the Democratic Party  —  The editorial board is a group of Opinion journalists whose views are informed by expertise, research, debate and certain longstanding values.  It is separate from the newsroom.  —  On the first anniversary of the Jan. 6 attacks at the U.S. Capitol …

McConnell says ‘good luck’ to senators looking for excuse to oppose Finland, Sweden NATO bids  —  Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Wednesday spoke in support of Finland's and Sweden's bids to join NATO in advance of a Senate vote later in the day expected to have broad, but not unanimous, support.

A TikTok rival promised millions to Black creators.  Now some are deep in debt.  —  Triller made its name recruiting talent with lavish perks.  Now, dozens of influencers are struggling to get paid.  ‘We were made to look like fools,’ one creator said.  —  Last fall, David Warren seemed to be on the verge of a breakthrough.

Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers loses state Senate bid  —  PHOENIX (AP) — Republican Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers lost his bid for a state Senate seat after refusing then-President Donald Trump's pleas to help overturn the 2020 election results and testifying before Congress about the efforts.

Colleges Scale Back Covid Precautions for Fall, Saying Pandemic Phase Over  —  Requirements for masking, testing, vaccinations and isolation decrease even as virus surges  —  Seven Ways Covid Science Has Evolved Since 2020 … Colleges this fall are no longer treating Covid-19 …

Live Updates: Even as It Mounts Its Own Offensive, Ukraine Braces for a Russian Attack in the South  —  As tensions rise in Asia, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine offered careful words on China, saying he would like it to join the “unified world” against Russia while praising its “neutrality.”

Manchin, Collins cite Jan. 6 as they push reforms to 1887 Electoral Count Act  —  The once obscure law became a focal point of Trump's scheme to remain in power.  —  Sen. Joe Manchin and Sen. Susan Collins speak to members of the media after they testified at a hearing on the Electoral Count Act …