What if We're Already Fighting the Third World War with Russia?  —  Putin's latest provocations once again put Washington in an awful bind.  —  Nuclear blackmail, illegal annexation of territory, hundreds of thousands of Russian men rounded up and sent to the front lines in Ukraine …

Gerrymandering Isn't Giving Republicans the Advantage You Might Expect  —  Yes, the G.O.P. has a structural edge in the House, but it isn't anything near insurmountable for Democrats.  —  There is no shortage of reasons Republicans are expected to retake the House this year …

Georgia and Nevada on their minds: Senate watchers sweat two swing states  —  The Democratic and Republican campaign chiefs agree on one thing about the battle for the Senate majority: Nevada and Georgia are at the center.  —  “If you look at the polls, Nevada and Georgia are the two logical ones” …

Trevor Noah to Exit ‘Daily Show’ After Seven Years  —  Trevor Noah is nearing his last laugh on “The Daily Show.”  —  The comedian, who came out of near anonymity to take over the program from Jon Stewart in 2015, plans to exit the flagship Comedy Central series after a seven-year tenure …

It's “Oppo Dump” O'Clock: OH-09 Moves from Toss Up to Lean Democrat  —  With less than six weeks to go, it's “oppo dump” o'clock — the time when both parties start unleashing their most damning opposition research about the other side's candidates on the airwaves or leaking it to friendly (or curious) media outlets.

A Prominent Federal Judge Declares He Will No Longer Hire Clerks From Yale Law School  —  And he's trying to get his fellow judges to join his boycott of YLS clerks—will it work? … Actions have consequences.  And the problematic actions of Yale Law School when it comes to free speech …

'It's My Curse and My Salvation': Trump's Most Famous Chronicler Opens Up  —  NEW YORK — Late one recent afternoon, Maggie Haberman pulled into a parking spot in the lot at Gargiulo's, the old-time Italian restaurant in Coney Island where Donald Trump's father used to eat lunch.

DeSantis, Once a ‘No’ on Storm Aid, Petitions a President He's Bashed  —  The Florida governor, who as a congressman opposed aid to victims of Hurricane Sandy, is seeking relief from the Biden administration as Hurricane Ian ravages his own state.  —  As a freshman congressman in 2013 …

The Pandemic's Legacy Is Already Clear  —  Recently, after a week in which 2,789 Americans died of COVID-19, President Joe Biden proclaimed that “the pandemic is over.”  Anthony Fauci described the controversy around the proclamation as a matter of “semantics,” but the facts we are living with can speak for themselves.

Dysfunction in Texas AG's office as Paxton seeks third term  —  Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's staff this month quietly dropped a series of human trafficking and child sexual assault cases after losing track of one of the victims, a stumble in open court emblematic of broader dysfunction inside …

At least 12 confirmed dead as the scope of Hurricane Ian's devastation comes into focus  —  Hurricane Ian leaves Florida's southwest coast unrecognizable  —  At least 12 people have died after Hurricane Ian tore across Florida with such ferocity that President Joe Biden said it could be the deadliest in state history.

Treasury Imposes Swift and Severe Costs on Russia for Putin's Purported Annexation of Regions of Ukraine  —  TREASURY SANCTIONS INTERNATIONAL SUPPLIERS FOR SUPPORTING RUSSIA'S DEFENSE SECTOR AND WARNS OF COSTS FOR THOSE OUTSIDE RUSSIA WHO PROVIDE POLITICAL OR ECONOMIC SUPPORT FOR RUSSIA'S PURPORTED ANNEXATION

EXCLUSIVE: Pence Org, Conservative Coalition Demands DOJ Comms on ‘Violent Attacks Against Pro-Life Organizations’  —  Former Vice President Mike Pence's Advancing American Freedom is leading a conservative coalition in demanding Justice Department records about the “ongoing attacks …

Pennsylvania 2022: Fetterman's Lead Shrinks in US Senate Race; Shapiro's Lead Expands For Governor's Seat  —  Home Polls Pennsylvania 2022: Fetterman's Lead Shrinks in US Senate Race; Shapiro's Lead Expands For Governor's Seat  —  The latest Emerson College Polling/The Hill survey …

Judge rules Trump lawyers don't have to clarify Mar-a-Lago document claims  —  Special master Raymond Dearie had told Donald Trump's attorneys to address whether documents were, as Trump has claimed, planted or declassified  —  Judge Aileen M. Cannon told Donald Trump's lawyers Thursday …

Biden's mental sharpness is increasingly doubtful, and it's a serious issue  —  How do you know President Joe Biden is genuinely losing the mental faculties required to govern?  One way is to look at his White House staff scrambling to cover up every clue that this is the case.

The Supreme Court Is Broken.  Where's Biden?  —  In a recent speech at Independence Hall, President Biden called on Americans to stand against an assault on democracy — the ongoing assault waged by insurrectionists and would-be patriots, by election deniers and other extremists.

Warden of Texas immigrant jail fired after arrest for shooting 2 migrants  —  The warden of a West Texas federal jail for immigrants has been fired after he and a brother allegedly shot at migrants drinking water along a roadside in Hudspeth County on Tuesday, killing one and wounding another.

The Tories have become unmoored from the British people  —  The government may have adopted the most extreme economic position of any major party in the developed world  —  In a single week, Britain has gone from being one among many nations facing fierce economic headwinds to being a financial basket case …

How the Celebrity-Industrial Complex Hinders Democrats  —  On the menu today: Politico recognizes what some of us have been saying for a long time — Democratic gubernatorial candidates Beto O'Rourke and Stacey Abrams are not only failing to live up to the enormous hype that has been steadily building around …

GOP Candidate's Staffer Has a Murder-for-Hire Past  —  Kari Lake, the GOP nominee for Arizona governor, has hired a staffer who “attempted to kill” an FBI informant.  —  Arizona Republican governor candidate Kari Lake has made her support for law enforcement a centerpiece of her campaign …

Joe Manchin says he's ‘praying’ for an end to 50-50 Senate as it breaks for election  —  WASHINGTON — Shortly before the Senate adjourned for a six-week recess ahead of the midterm election, the linchpin of Democrats' narrow majority said he's ready for a change.

Former Trump Official Pleads Guilty to Child Porn Charge, Is Sentenced to Prison  —  One-time Turning Point USA staffer belonged to secret group that shared graphic fantasies and child-molestation videos  —  Turning Point USA Founder and President Charlie Kirk, left, with Adam Hageman …