With Feds Circling, Trump Asks Allies: Who's ‘Wearing a Wire’?  —  Donald Trump is worried he may have a rat — or multiple rats — in his midst.  He's wondering if his phones are tapped, or even if one of his buddies could be “wearing a wire.”  —  As the federal and state investigations …

FBI delivers subpoenas to several Pa. Republican lawmakers: sources say  —  1,070 … - Meadows' former aide Cassidy Hutchinson testified to the House Select Committee that Perry was among a small group of people who talked with Meadows about a potential appearance by Trump at the Capitol following …

Far-Right Extremists Are Violently Threatening the Trump Search-Warrant Judge  —  “Let's find out if he has children... where they go to school, where they live... EVERYTHING,” one person wrote on a message board where the judge's address was posted.  —  David Gilbert

Historians privately warn Biden that America's democracy is teetering  —  When Biden met with historians last week at the White House, they compared the threat facing America to the pre-Civil War era and to pro-fascist movements before WWII  —  President Biden paused last week …

Trump and James sat across from each other for hours as he said ‘same answer’ again and again.  —  The New York State attorney general, Letitia James, sat across from Donald J. Trump as he repeatedly declined to answer questions, invoking his right against self-incrimination during a deposition on Wednesday …

Europe's Energy Crisis May Get a Lot Worse  —  I don't think many Americans appreciate just how tense and tenuous, how very touch and go the energy situation in Europe is right now.  —  For months, as news of the Ukraine war receded a bit, it was possible to follow the energy story unfolding across …

Yearning for a Banana Republic  —  Emboldened by fever dreams of persecution, Republicans want nothing more than to anoint a strong man to punish their enemies.  —  What an amazingly stupid time this is.  —  Here's an easy thought experiment.  Imagine a Third World banana republic.

Joe Arpaio loses 3rd comeback bid in town mayoral race  —  Joe Arpaio, the 90-year-old former Arizona sheriff who was a once powerful figure in Republican politics but was ousted nearly six years ago amid frustration over his headline-grabbing tactics and legal troubles …

How did Ukraine strike deep inside Russian-occupied Crimea?  —  How did Ukraine blow up Russia's Saki Air Base in southwest Crimea on Tuesday?  Was it with supersonic ballistic missiles, perhaps made in the United States?  Or did it send a SEAL Team 6-style special ops, dropped deep behind enemy lines, to set explosions?

Member of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Charged with Plot to Murder the Former National Security Advisor  —  Defendant Worked on Behalf of the IRGC to Hire Persons in the United States to Carry Out the Murder, Likely in Retaliation for the January 2020 Death of Qasem Soleimani

Bored to Death by Trump  —  Sooner or later, every last thing in American life becomes about the former president.  It's incredibly tedious.  —  I  —  am inordinately bored of Donald Trump.  —  I'm bored of the man himself.  I'm bored of his opponents.  I'm bored of his supporters.

Staff allegedly took down an Escambia County teacher's posters of Black heroes.  He quit  —  An Escambia County public school teacher resigned this week over what he characterized as racist behavior by a school district employee.  —  The teacher, Michael James, emailed a letter …

Axios in Wonderland  —  How VandeHei, Allen, Schwartz & Co. remade media in a town that doesn't like to remake anything.  Plus the latest media schadenfreude enveloping Semafor.  —  Back in early July 2021, Axios C.E.O. Jim VandeHei was in his home state of Wisconsin when he received an interesting inbound call.

Scoop: Miami mayor eyes White House  —  Miami Mayor Francis Suarez's political operation is making subtle but significant moves toward a potential White House run, Axios has learned. … - Suarez is nonetheless considered a rising political star who's overseen the ascendance of one of America's fastest-growing and most dynamic cities.

Biden gets some closure  —  Welcome to POLITICO's West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration.  With help from Allie Bice.  —  President JOE BIDEN arrived in South Carolina on Wednesday afternoon for a family vacation on Kiawah Island.

Wait, This Whole Time We Could Have Solved Climate Change For $369 Billion?  —  OK, not “solved it,” but made some pretty historic progress!  —  Over the weekend the US Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act, pulling victory from the jaws of defeat.  The bill is the “the most significant climate bill ever passed by Congress.”

Yellen directs IRS not to use new funding to increase chances of audits of Americans making less than $400,000  —  Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Wednesday directed the Internal Revenue Service not to use any of the new funding allocated in the Democrats' new health care and climate bill …