Exclusive: As war began, Putin rejected a Ukraine peace deal recommended by aide  —  Vladimir Putin's chief envoy on Ukraine told the Russian leader as the war began that he had struck a provisional deal with Kyiv that would satisfy Russia's demand that Ukraine stay out of NATO …

Durham Inquiry Appears to Wind Down as Grand Jury Expires  —  The special counsel appointed by the Trump administration to examine the Russia investigation seems to be wrapping up its work with no further charges in store.  —  WASHINGTON — When John H. Durham was assigned by the Justice Department …

Trump Called In to a Pro-January 6 Rally at the DC Jail  —  The former President said the January 6 prisoners in the jail were “being treated very, very unfairly.”  —  Former President Trump called into a small rally held in support of January 6 prisoners at the DC Jail Tuesday.

Fear of a Black Hobbit  —  Maybe you've heard that people are mad about Black actors being cast in Lord of the Rings.  Or Game of Thrones.  Or maybe it was Star Wars.  Or perhaps Thor.  Wait, maybe it was Titans, or Superman.  The Witcher?  Or maybe you heard that people are angry …

POLITICO Playbook: Did Lindsey Graham just score an own goal on abortion?  —  With help from Eli Okun and Garrett Ross  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, most Republicans stuck to a simple message: The decision merely sent the issue back to the states …

Mike Lindell: Feds Seized My Cellphone at Hardee's  —  Lindell also posted a subpoena and what appears to be a search warrant.  —  MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell told The Daily Beast on Tuesday night that the FBI seized his cellphone while he was at a Hardee's restaurant.

Police: Armed man wearing clown wig said he wanted to ‘kill all Democrats’  —  DELMONT, Pa. (KDKA) - A Westmoreland County man is facing several charges after police said he wanted to “kill all Democrats.”  —  Jan Stawovy, 61, took a loaded gun into a Delmont Dairy Queen and police said the quick action of an officer saved lives.

Economy, abortion shape Pennsylvania midterm races — CBS News Battleground Tracker  —  Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman leads Mehmet Oz by five points among Pennsylvania's likely voters, in a Senate race that seems still fluid, with Republicans less enamored by the candidates they nominated …

First on CNN: Biden to nominate new ambassador to Russia  —  President Joe Biden plans to nominate Lynne Tracy, a career diplomat currently serving in Armenia, as the next US ambassador to Russia, according to three sources familiar with the matter.  Tracy, who speaks Russian and was the No. 2 diplomat …

Why Buttigieg is sparking 2024 chatter  —  The ordinarily polished Mayor Pete suddenly was casual.  —  “Who knows,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told Vox Media's Code Conference when asked last week about the idea of running for president again.

Texas delays publication of maternal death data until after midterms, legislative session  —  Texas health officials have missed a key window to complete the state's first major updated count of pregnancy related deaths in nearly a decade, saying the findings will now be released next summer …

Biden admin makes it more expensive to drill for energy.  Again  —  During yesterday's White House press briefing, Karine Jean-Pierre tried to brag about gas prices coming down no less than five times while insisting that there was “more work to be done” and Joe Biden was on top of the problem.

Matt Yglesias and Laura McGann Launch a Podcast to Counter the Internet's ‘Bad Takes’ (EXCLUSIVE) … Matt Yglesias returns to podcasting today with “Bad Takes,” a new show that aims to challenge political pieties that take hold online.  —  Yglesias will co-host the show with his longtime editor …

Why aren't medical breakthroughs in obesity a bigger deal?  —  We're stuck in a dead-end debate over body positivity and dieting when real solutions to the problem exist.  —  Editor-at-Large  —  Back in the fraught winter of 2020 when covid vaccines were first authorized but not yet widely available …

Republicans plan to grill Gen. Mark Milley if they take back the House  —  The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has been cast in books about the Trump administration as a critic of the ex-president.  He has received death threats from Trump supporters.

1 person injured at Northeastern University after package detonated on Boston campus, officials say  —  (CNN)A Northeastern University staff member was injured Tuesday when a package he was opening detonated on the Boston campus, officials said,  —  “The staff member sustained minor injuries …

Vestager wins historic battle in record Google case  —  Margrethe Vestager badly needed a win to vindicate her fight against antitrust abuses in the EU — and she got one.  —  The EU General Court on Wednesday sided with the European Commission on a record-breaking fine against Google for its abuses in the mobile market.

Former Gov. Phil Bryant helped Brett Favre secure welfare funding for USM volleyball stadium, texts reveal  —  Text messages entered Monday into the state's ongoing civil lawsuit over the welfare scandal reveal that former Gov. Phil Bryant pushed to make NFL legend Brett Favre's volleyball idea a reality.

Ken Starr, Independent Counsel in Clinton Investigation, Dies at 76  —  Mr. Starr's investigation into President Clinton's affair with a former White House intern propelled issues of sex and morality to the center of American life for more than a year.  —  WASHINGTON — Ken Starr …

With successful Kharkiv operation, Ukraine turns the war in its favor  —  KHARKIV - In warfare, there's no such thing as a miracle.  —  Yet what happened in early September in the east of Ukraine's Kharkiv Oblast may ascend in history as the Miracle on the Oskil River.

Clear Creek County deputies shoot and kill man who asked for help after car crash … After getting stuck on a dirt road in Clear Creek County in June, Christian Glass called 911 for help.  —  Instead, the 22-year-old was killed while locked inside his own car after a long, tense …

Trump tells authors of ‘The Divider’ book he won't pick Pence for 2024  —  Former president told Peter Baker and Susan Glasser that Pence ‘committed political suicide’ by refusing to reject Biden victory  —  Donald Trump will not pick Mike Pence as his running mate if he runs for the presidency again …

Satanic panic is making a comeback, fueled by QAnon believers and GOP influencers  —  PROVO, Utah — On June 1, David Leavitt, the prosecuting attorney for Utah County, stood behind a lectern in his windowless Provo office before a gaggle of reporters.  Wearing a gray suit and an exasperated look …

Harvard Tells Students: ‘Using Wrong Pronouns’ Constitutes ‘Abuse’  —  Welcome to Harvard!  —  “Fatphobia” and “cisheterosexism” perpetuate “violence.”  “Using the wrong pronouns” constitutes “abuse.”  And “any words used to lower a person's self-worth” are “Verbal Abuse.”

FTC and Six States Sue Roomster Over Alleged Deception, Including Fake Reviews … The FTC and six states allege violations of the FTC Act and various state statutes, prohibiting deceptive trade practices (state UDAP statutes) at a cost of over $27 million to consumers.

9/14/22 ☀️ Punchbowl News AM  —  AS WE SCOOPED YESTERDAY, NEW YORK REP. ELISE STEFANIK IS RUNNING FOR ANOTHER TERM AS HOUSE REPUBLICAN CONFERENCE CHAIR.  —  STEFANIK, A CLOSE ALLY OF FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, IS THE ONLY ANNOUNCED CANDIDATE FOR THE SLOT.

Joint Statement by U.S. Treasury and State Department: The United States and Partners Announce Establishment of Fund for the People of Afghanistan  —  The United States, through the Department of the Treasury and the Department of State, and in coordination with international partners including …