‘Giant Backfire’: Trump's Demand for Special Master Is Looking Like a Mistake  —  The former president failed to derail the criminal investigation into his hoarding of sensitive documents and is stuck paying for a costly process that threatens to undermine his public claims.

Marjorie Taylor Greene's Husband Files For Divorce  —  6:21 PM PT — MTG's estranged husband, Perry Greene, tells TMZ ... “Marjorie has been my best friend for the last 29 years and she has been an amazing mom!  Our family is our most important thing we have done.”  —  UPDATE

Coolio Dead at 59  —  EXCLUSIVE  —  UPDATE  —  2:30 AM PT — Coolio's talent manager, Sheila Finegan, tells TMZ, “We are saddened by the loss of our dear friend and client, Coolio, who passed away Wednesday afternoon.  He touched the world with the gift of his talent and will be missed profoundly.

30 ex-FBI agents stand up to support whistleblower who exposed agency's political bias  —  MORE FROM:  —  Thirty former FBI agents, including a retired deputy assistant director, head of counterterrorism and five SWAT team members, have spoken out publicly in support of suspended FBI whistleblower Stephen Friend.

Trump's pick for governor in Michigan is left to fend for herself as money dries up  —  LANSING, Mich. — Two months ago, former President Donald Trump and the Republican establishment joined forces to elevate Tudor Dixon in Michigan's messy GOP primary for governor, signaling a united front …

Records contradict Majewski's account of military punishment  —  Republican J.R. Majewski has centered his campaign for a competitive Ohio congressional seat around his biography as an Air Force veteran.  But one of the big questions that has surfaced is why Majewski was told he could not reenlist …

Russia's Stripped Its Western Borders to Feed the Fight in Ukraine  —  But Finland and the Baltic states are still leery of Moscow's long-term designs.  —  Since Russia first launched its invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has been peeling military forces away from its bases in Northern Europe …

NATO Pledges ‘Determined Response’ to Nord Stream Pipeline Leaks … Putin will sign agreements to absorb four Ukrainian territories, the Kremlin says.  —  President Vladimir V. Putin will sign agreements on Friday for the Russian Federation to take over four Ukrainian territories …

‘Putin Is a Fool’: Intercepted Calls Reveal Russian Army in Disarray  —  In phone calls to friends and relatives at home, Russian soldiers gave damning insider accounts of battlefield failures and civilian executions, excoriating their leaders just weeks into the campaign to take Kyiv.

Fox News Poll: Pennsylvania Senate race narrows  —  Growing concern over Fetterman's health, but Oz supporters remain unenthusiastic  —  John Fetterman polls ahead of Dr. Oz in Pennsylvania amid voters' crime concerns  —  Democrat John Fetterman tops Republican Mehmet Oz among Pennsylvania voters …

Sheriff: “I'm sick of these black bastards.... Every black that I know, you need to fire him...”  —  SBI investigating allegations of Obstruction of Justice at the Columbus County Sheriff's Office  —  COLUMBUS COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) - On one end of the phone was Columbus County Sheriff Jody Greene.

Scandal-Scarred Deputy Mayor Cuts Commissioner Out of Loop to Meet With Police Brass  —  The Eric Adams ally was a top NYPD official when he suddenly resigned in 2014, before a federal investigation yielded bribery convictions of civilian associates.  Now his schedules show he's playing …

MacKenzie Scott, Billionaire Philanthropist, Files for Divorce  —  Less than two years after announcing the marriage and their intent to give money away together, Ms. Scott has parted ways with her second husband, a teacher.  —  Less than two years after announcing their intention to give away …

Supreme Court Trust, Job Approval at Historical Lows  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Forty-seven percent of U.S. adults say they have “a great deal” or “a fair amount” of trust in the judicial branch of the federal government that is headed by the Supreme Court.  This represents a 20-percentage-point drop …

Statement by the North Atlantic Council on the damage to gas pipelines  —  The NATO Invitees associate themselves with this Statement.  — The damage to the Nordstream 1 and Nordstream 2 pipelines in international waters in the Baltic Sea is of deep concern.

What's the Key to Understanding Donald J. Trump?  Start With Queens.  —  “Confidence Man,” Maggie Haberman's biography of the former president, argues that it's essential to grasp New York's steamy, histrionic folkways.  —  Buy Book ▾ … When you purchase an independently reviewed book through …

Highland Park Fourth of July massacre: First lawsuits filed, call attack ‘predictable and preventable’  —  Suspect Robert Crimo III “was ready to go to war — just as Smith & Wesson told him he could,” according to suits that accuse the gunmaker of “deceptive and unfair marketing” and also target others, including Crimo's father.

'Where's Jackie?'  Biden Asks if Deceased Lawmaker Is at White House Event  —  President Biden apparently forgot that Representative Jackie Walorski, Republican of Indiana, had died in August.  —  WASHINGTON — President Biden looked in the audience on Wednesday for Representative Jackie Walorski …

First on CNN: European security officials observed Russian Navy ships in vicinity of Nord Stream pipeline leaks  —  European security officials on Monday and Tuesday observed Russian Navy support ships in the vicinity of leaks in the Nord Stream pipelines likely caused by underwater explosions …

Why ‘Category 4’ doesn't begin to explain Hurricane Ian's dangers  —  The category system used to describe hurricanes doesn't convey some of the elements that climate change has intensified.  Some experts are floating new systems.  —  Hurricane Ian made landfall on Florida's southwestern coast Wednesday …

Biden administration to grant Puerto Rico shipping waiver after uproar  —  White House officials faced a backlash from the island's governor and members of Congress after a shipment of diesel was idled off the coast  —  The Biden administration is expected to approve a legal waiver as soon …

In a first, U.S. appoints a diplomat for plants and animals  —  Good morning and welcome to The Climate 202!  Dino Grandoni, a national environment reporter for The Washington Post, wrote the top of today's newsletter.  Below we have the latest on Hurricane Ian's devastating impact in Florida.

Bill Plante, legendary CBS News White House correspondent, has died at 84  —  William “Bill” Plante, one of the longest-serving White House broadcast journalists in history, died of respiratory failure on Wednesday, according to his family.  The award-winning CBS correspondent was 84 years old and lived in Washington, D.C.

Imprisoned Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza: 'None of us know how Putin's regime will end - but it will' … In a cell in Moscow, Vladimir Kara-Murza is awaiting trial.  He knows he will be found guilty.  His “crimes” are telling the truth about Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine …

Brett Favre's Charity for Needy Kids Gave $60K to Another Volleyball Gym  —  The NFL legend is in hot water for alleged misuse of welfare funds for a volleyball facility.  His nonprofit also directed $60K to daughter's high school for new volleyball digs.