Trump weighed bombing drug labs in Mexico after he mistook adviser, new book shows  —  The 607-page ‘Confidence Man,’ from New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman, details unusual and erratic interactions between Trump and world leaders, members of Congress and his own aides

Notes on the State of Politics: Sept. 28, 2022  —  Dear Readers: This is the latest edition of Notes on the State of Politics, which features short updates on elections and politics.  — The Editors  —  Table 1: Crystal Ball gubernatorial rating changes  —  Governor Old Rating New Rating

UNDER SEAL, TRUMP ACCUSES HAND-PICKED SPECIAL MASTER OF NOT FOLLOWING ORDERS UNDER SEAL, TRUMP ACCUSES HAND-PICKED SPECIAL MASTER OF NOT FOLLOWING ORDERS  —  Trump appears to be accusing his hand-picked Special Master, Raymond Dearie, of violating Judge Aileen Cannon's rules under seal.

Security Alert for U.S. Citizens in Russia  —  Event: On September 21, the Russian government began a mobilization of its citizens to the armed forces in support of its invasion of Ukraine.  Russia may refuse to acknowledge dual nationals' U.S. citizenship, deny their access to U.S. consular assistance …

Scoop: White House mulling potential Yellen departure after midterms  —  White House officials are quietly preparing for the potential departure of Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen after the midterms, the first and most consequential exit in what could be a broad reorganization …

The Right's Lust for Violence  —  Roger Stone, Michael Anton, Kyle Young, and the Oath Keepers.  —  The House January 6th Committee has postponed today's hearing because of the massive Hurricane Ian bearing down on Florida.  But we have an idea what we were going to see.

What Country Is the Wall Street Journal Living In?  —  The paper's editorial board deludes itself with its endorsement of Kari Lake.  —  The headline of a Wall Street Journal editorial caught my eye: “Arizona's School Choice Election.”  Rubbing my eyes, I read it again.

Why NOT Me?  —  June 21, 2022, was the first day of summer, my 8th wedding anniversary, and the day I found out I had breast cancer.  —  “You're due for a mammogram,” my gynecologist said, looking over my medical chart.  It was May; I had just gotten a pap smear and was still sitting …

‘The Wire’ Creator David Simon Defends Show Against ‘Conservative Art’ Label  —  David Simon, the creator of the classic HBO drama “The Wire,” bristled Tuesday in defense of the show after it was called “the best piece of conservative art ever made.”  —  Simon, reacting in a lengthy Twitter thread …

What Ted Cruz and Tucker Carlson Don't Understand About War  —  Russian President Vladimir Putin and his generals aren't the only people who think that the more ruthless, hypermasculine, and reflexively brutal an army is, the better it performs on the battlefield.  That view also has fans in the United States.

Biden Appears to Ask If Dead Congresswoman Is in Attendance at White House Event  —  YIKES  —  During the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health on Wednesday, President Joe Biden seemingly asked if the late Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN) was in attendance.

Christine Drazan, Tina Kotek neck-and-neck in race for Oregon governor, new poll from The Oregonian/OregonLive shows  —  Republican Christine Drazan and Democrat Tina Kotek are neck-and-neck in the three-way race for governor six weeks before the November election, according to a new poll commissioned …

Oath Keepers trial: A 1800s-inspired defense meets most significant Jan. 6 prosecution yet  —  In a case that could be a referendum on the insurrection, “prosecutors are really going for the three-pointer” against an untested, controversial defense.  —  Stewart Rhodes and others from the Oath Keepers …

Billionaire-backed legal group sues to block student loan forgiveness  —  In August, President Biden announced he would provide student debt relief to lower and middle-class borrowers.  Under the plan, eligible individuals would get up to $20,000 in student debt canceled if they received Pell Grants and up to $10,000 otherwise.

Corey Lewandowski cuts deal on charge stemming from alleged unwanted sexual advances  —  Former senior Donald Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski has cut a deal with Las Vegas prosecutors after he was charged with misdemeanor battery, stemming from allegations of unwanted sexual advances toward a woman during a charity dinner in Sept. 2021.

Poll: Most U.S. Republicans reject ‘MAGA’ label  —  Overall, 42% of Republicans embraces the “MAGA” label while 58% disavow the term, according to a new poll.  —  A total of 42% of Republicans in the U.S. identify as “MAGA” Republicans, while 58% disavow the term, according to a new national poll by J. Ann Selzer and Grinnell College.

Hurricane Ian gets nasty quickly, turbocharged by warm water  —  Hurricane Ian is quickly gaining monstrous strength as it moves over oceans partly heated up by climate change, just like 30 other Atlantic tropical storms since 2017 that became much more powerful in less than a day.

US poised to provide $1.1 billion more in aid to Ukraine  —  The U.S. will provide an additional $1.1 billion in aid to Ukraine, with funding for about 18 more advanced rocket systems and other weapons to counter drones that Russia has been using against Ukrainian troops, according to U.S. officials.

Iranian woman whose death led to mass protests was shy and avoided politics  —  The young Iranian woman Mahsa Amini, whose death in police custody triggered nationwide protests, was a shy, reserved resident of a small town who never challenged the country's clerical rulers or its Islamic dress code, sources close to the family said.

Kelly Up in Arizona Senate Race, Hobbs and Lake in Tight Governor's Race  —  Democrat Mark Kelly is ahead of Republican Blake Masters among Arizona registered voters in the state's U.S. Senate race.  Kelly's lead narrows among those who say they definitely plan to vote.

Alzheimer's Progression Slowed by Drug in Major Trial  —  Shares of Eisai Co. and partner Biogen Inc. surged after they reported that a drug significantly slowed Alzheimer's disease, making it the first medicine to blunt progression of the most common dementia in a definitive, large-scale trial.

C.I.A. warned European governments of potential attacks on undersea pipelines.  —  The C.I.A. issued a vague warning in June to a number of European nations, including Germany, that the two Nord Stream gas pipelines that carry natural gas from Russia could be targeted in forthcoming attacks …

Tim Ryan Says Americans Need To Give Up Gas Cars as He Drives Around Ohio in Gas Guzzlers  —  Rep. Tim Ryan (D., Ohio) says the United States is ready to ban gas cars, arguing in 2019 that socialist Bernie Sanders's plan to ban gas vehicles wasn't ambitious enough.  On the Senate campaign trail, Ryan is sticking to gas guzzlers.

As Russians Flee, Some Find Draft Notices Waiting at the Border  —  The Kremlin dispatched federal security forces to frontier border crossings packed with Russian men trying to escape the draft by entering countries like Georgia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia.  —  KYIV, Ukraine …

Top surgery drastically improves quality of life for young transgender people, study finds  —  The quality of life of young transmasculine people dramatically improves after receiving top surgery — a mastectomy procedure that removes breast tissue — according to a study by Northwestern Medicine.

Hurricane expert brushes off Don Lemon climate change question: ‘I want to talk about the here and now’  —  A leading expert on hurricanes on Tuesday declined to draw a connection between the intensity of Hurricane Ian, which is bearing down on the Florida Gulf Coast, and climate change when pressed by CNN anchor Don Lemon.