Putin's partial military mobilization condemned by U.S., Europe … Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement of a “partial mobilization” of troops was condemned by United States and European officials as a dangerous escalation as the invasion in Ukraine falters.

Trump vs. DeSantis in 2024?  USA TODAY/Suffolk poll shows Florida Republicans prefer their governor  —  In a hypothetical 2024 presidential primary in the Sunshine State, DeSantis leads Trump 48%-40%.  That's a reversal from a poll of Florida in January, when Trump led DeSantis 47%-40%.

Special master to Trump's lawyers: 'You can't have your cake and eat it'  —  NEW YORK — The senior federal judge tasked with reviewing the materials seized by the FBI from Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate sharply questioned the former president's attorneys Tuesday during their first hearing in his courtroom.

‘Unchecked’ book excerpt: Inside McConnell's decision not to convict Trump  —  “Let's just ignore him,” the GOP Senate leader said at one point, underscoring his hands-off approach on whether to stand up to pro-Trump lawmakers after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol

Man admits to killing teen after political dispute in Foster Co., court docs allege  —  MCHENRY, N.D. (Valley News Live) - A community is mourning the loss of an 18-year-old man from Grace City, North Dakota, as investigators look into what led up to a deadly crash.

Biden aims to rally world leaders behind Ukraine in U.N. remarks  —  WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will use his remarks at the United Nations General Assembly Wednesday to rally the world in support of Ukraine as part of a broader call for countries to protect the established international order.

Scoop: McConnell-aligned super PAC pulls out of Arizona  —  The Mitch McConnell-aligned Senate Leadership Fund is canceling $9.6 million in television ads for the Arizona Senate race, confident that other outside conservative groups will make up much of the difference for Republican nominee Blake Masters.

Trump's legal payments soar in wake of Mar-a-Lago search, campaign finance filings show  —  Spending by Donald Trump's Save America PAC surged in August to more than $6.3 million — its highest monthly total of the year — as the former President waged court battles over the FBI's search of his waterfront Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

Meta: We're not-so-big tech now  —  As Meta shapes its antitrust defense, it has begun pointing out its plummeting stock price as a sign that competition is alive and well in its market. … It has lost ground to its surging rival TikTok, and its revenue has been curtailed by Apple's iOS privacy changes.

Revealed: the ‘shocking’ levels of toxic lead in Chicago tap water  —  Tests performed for thousands of Chicago residents found lead, a neurotoxin, in amounts far exceeding the federal standards  —  Erin McCormick, Aliya Uteuova and Taylor Moore with photographs by Jamie Kelter Davis

Trump to Face Sexual Battery Suit Under New ‘Survivors’ Law  —  Donald Trump has faced a defamation suit from journalist E. Jean Carroll over her allegations that Trump raped her.  Now she's escalating the suit.  —  E. Jean Carroll, the journalist who claims she was raped by Donald Trump decades ago …

Dozens of Trump's phony electors, many under investigation, still hold powerful GOP jobs in key states  —  They were part of an effort across battleground states to upend the 2020 presidential election results, signing documents asserting they were their states' rightful electors and Donald Trump — not Joe Biden — was the victor.

Personal and national factors collide in tight Georgia Senate race — CBS News Battleground Tracker poll  —  It's the personal vs. the partisan in Georgia's Senate race, where the candidates are close in support, but voters' rationales for supporting each of them are quite different.

More Than Half of US Car Sales Will Be Electric by 2030  —  Just over half of passenger cars sold in the US will be electric vehicles by 2030, according to a report from BloombergNEF, thanks in part to consumer incentives included in the $374 billion in new climate spending enacted by President Joe Biden.

The six types of races that will decide control of the House in 2022  —  Analysis: The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter rates 31 House races as toss-ups.  Control of the chamber will come down to a very narrow cross-section of the country.  —  Republicans need to pick up at least five seats …