Secret Service official at center of Jan. 6 committee probe retires  —  Tony Ornato, the senior Secret Service official who served as a top aide in Donald Trump's White House and faced scrutiny from the Jan. 6 select committee earlier this summer, announced his retirement Monday.

Trump Bragged He Had ‘Intelligence’ on Macron's Sex Life … For Trump, that has been a subject of intense — and tawdry — interest for years.  —  Specifically, Trump has bragged to some of his closest associates — both during and after his time in the White House …

Republican Senate candidate Blake Masters scrubbed language on campaign website saying the 2020 election was stolen from Trump  —  Arizona Republican Senate nominee Blake Masters removed language from his website following his primary win that included the false claim that the 2020 election …

Ron DeSantis' First Voter Fraud Bust Is Quickly Imploding  —  The governor's own administration greenlighted the defendants' voter registration applications.  Now it has arrested them for voting.  —  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made a spectacle out of the round of arrests …

‘Do Not Drink The Water’: Jackson Water System Failing For 180,000 People  —  Jackson's water system is failing and water across the city is entirely unsafe to drink, officials said at an emergency briefing Monday night.  State leadership have warned all residents of Mississippi's capital city …

‘Joy and Sorrow, Pride and Fear’  —  On August 24, Ukraine's independence day, I e-mailed a Ukrainian friend, to wish her well — and to wish her country well.  She answered, “Such joy and sorrow, pride and fear.”  —  • On Independence Day, Boris Johnson, the British prime minister …

FBI special agent who opened Trump investigation reportedly escorted out of Bureau  —  Former Washington Field Office Assistant Special Agent in Charge Tim Thibault was reportedly escorted out of the Bureau on Friday, amid whistleblower allegations that he showed political bias in his handling of politically sensitive investigations.

Who student debt relief helps (and it's not who you think)  —  Despite what critics may say, student loan debtors who stand to benefit most from the relief plan announced last week aren't exactly latte-sipping elites. … Second, a significant percentage of student loan debtors didn't get a four-year degree.

NBC's ‘Meet the Press’ Shakeup Puts Chuck Todd in Jeopardy … This reporting appears as one of several scoops featured in this week's edition of Confider, the newsletter pulling back the curtain on the media.  Subscribe here and send your questions, tips, and complaints here.

Lakewood cut down Town Square trees to deter homeless  —  LAKEWOOD - The township cut down all of the shade trees that once lined Town Square in a controversial move designed to prevent homeless people from spending time there.  —  Mayor Ray Coles said the decision was made after a recommendation …

DOJ to file lengthy response to Trump's request for a special master to oversee Mar-a-Lago search review  —  The Justice Department on Tuesday will file publicly in court its response to former President Donald Trump's bid for a special master to oversee the FBI's review of materials seized in the Mar-a-Lago search.

Biden to give prime-time speech on ‘soul of the nation’ as voters prepare to cast midterm ballots  —  President Joe Biden plans to deliver a prime-time speech this week on how America's “rights and freedoms are still under attack,” returning to the core message of his 2020 campaign as Americans …

'There's enormous frustration': Trump forces Republicans off-script... again  —  The investigation into Donald Trump's handling of classified national security records is forcing Republicans into a strained defense during a pre-midterm sprint in which they'd much rather be talking about Joe Biden.

What Bill Barr Did to Clear Trump Is Still a Danger  —  The memo released last week by the Justice Department closing the book on the report of Special Counsel Robert Mueller and his inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 election is a frightening document.

Settling scores or telling truths?  Trump-era memoirs reveal covid chaos  —  More than a dozen books show how officials undercut one another to win president's approval.  —  In his memoir published last week, former White House adviser Jared Kushner confesses that he lost faith …

What's Behind Trump's Private War With the Intelligence Community?  —  The former president is serially criminal, loves dictators, and hates being held accountable.  No wonder he despises the U.S. intelligence community. … When you are at war with the truth, you attack the truth tellers.

House conservatives prep plans to impeach Biden  —  Republicans hoping to seize control of the House in November are already setting their sights on what is, for many of them, a top priority next year: impeaching President Biden.  —  A number of rank-and-file conservatives …

A Catholic Podcasting Star Says Theocracy Is Not the Way  —  There are things that, at first blush, might appear marginal but are in truth major.  Since it was introduced by the Catholic priest Mike Schmitz, who goes by Father Mike, in January 2021, the little-heralded “The Bible in a Year …

Fewer Americans say they are living paycheck to paycheck as inflation begins to ease  — More than half of all U.S. consumers currently live paycheck to paycheck, according to a recent report.  — However, the number of Americans who say they are stretched thin has started to fall as inflation pressures ease.

Fox News trashes Prince Harry for idling in gas-guzzling SUV, not realizing its an Audi electric SUV  —  Fox News has made a segment on Prince Harry trashing him for “idling in gas-guzzling SUV” at the airport when in fact, he was sitting in Audi e-tron electric SUV.

Pakistan floods: One third of country is under water - minister  —  One-third of Pakistan has been completely submerged by historic flooding, its climate minister says.  —  Devastating flash floods have washed away roads, homes and crops - leaving a trail of deadly havoc across Pakistan.

Lindsey Graham's prediction of riots reads more like a threat  —  Sen. Lindsey O. Graham on Sunday said that if the Justice Department prosecutes former president Donald Trump for mishandling classified information, there will be “riots in the street.”  A few minutes later, he said it again.

The Mystery of the Missing Republican Ad Money  —  One Republican has been raking in the donations and siphoning dollars away from GOP candidates.  It's just that this (former) guy isn't on a ballot this time around.  —  Hey y'all: Welcome to Morning Shots.  It's Tim in for Charlie today.