Republicans cling to Walker's denials  —  Good morning, Early Birds.  Congratulations to White House grounds superintendent Dale Haney on 50 years of service.  (Haney started weeks before President Biden was first elected to the Senate.)  Tips: earlytips@washpost.com.  Thanks for waking up with us.

Time for U.S. to reevaluate Saudi relationship, Sen. Chris Murphy says ahead of OPEC output cut  — OPEC+'s plans to cut oil production is a “mistake,” said U.S. Senator Chris Murphy.  — “I think it is a mistake on their part.  And I think it's time for a wholesale re-revaluation …

Inside Mar-a-Lago: Pardons, White House Emails, Legal Bills  —  The thousands of documents seized from former President Donald Trump's Florida home included a mix of government, business and personal affairs, including analysis about who should get a pardon, call notes marked with a presidential seal …

Mark Kelly has edge in Arizona Senate race that hinges on abortion, economy, immigration — CBS News Battleground Tracker  —  Arizona is another battleground where strong opposing forces underpin the race.  —  Democratic candidates enjoy stronger personal ratings, while Republican voters …

Chess Investigation Finds That U.S. Grandmaster ‘Likely Cheated’ More Than 100 Times  —  An internal report reviewed by The Wall Street Journal alleges a previously unknown pattern of likely widespread cheating by Hans Moke Niemann, the player whose September victory over Magnus Carlsen has rocked the chess world

Trump's no-hope CNN lawsuit has nothing to do with the law  —  Former President Donald Trump is suing CNN for defamation and demanding $475 million in damages.  His lawsuit has nothing to do with the law.  Instead, it helps Trump mobilize his supporters as he looks toward a 2024 presidential run.

The facts need a bullhorn  —  (Sorry about the long hiatus, I was dealing with issues.  But I'm back and angrier than ever.)  —  “The facts speak for themselves.”  —  That is what the political reporters and editors in our top newsrooms keep telling themselves — long after it has become clear that they don't.

DeSantis blasts ‘illegal alien’ looters after Hurricane Ian in Florida  —  Most of the heartless looters busted in hurricane-ravaged Florida were illegal immigrants, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday — as he said he'd like to “drag them out by the collars” and “send them back to where they came from.”

Elon Musk's Twitter Will Be a Wild Ride  —  His deal to buy the company is back on.  Here are six predictions about Twitter under Musk's control, if it happens.  —  Buckle up.  —  Elon Musk, who for months has been strenuously trying to back out of a deal to buy Twitter for $44 billion …

Lauren Boebert's re-election in jeopardy, new poll shows  —  Republican firebrand Rep. Lauren Boebert is dangerously close to being upset by a little-known Democratic rival, a new poll in Colorado's 3rd Congressional District shows. … - 7% of voters are undecided, per the poll.

First on CNN: Barnes raises more than $20 million in third quarter of closely watched Wisconsin Senate race  —  Democratic Senate candidate Mandela Barnes raised more than $20 million in the third quarter of 2022, according to details from the Wisconsin lieutenant governor's campaign …

Attorney General Ken Paxton ordered to testify in abortion lawsuit after evading subpoena  —  A federal judge who previously quashed the subpoena ruled that the attorney general must take the witness stand in a lawsuit from abortion funds.  —  Copy link  —  A federal judge has ordered …

Lifting Up the Rock on the Gutter Right  —  Lie after lie after lie.  —  I want to write about cruelty and slander and how those dark sins are wielded as weapons of political and cultural warfare in the worst corners of the online right.  While politics has never been a gentle pursuit …

A cop in a MAGA hat and an Oath Keeper: Inside one of Jan. 6's strangest moments  —  WASHINGTON — It was an oddity amid the chaos.  As a rowdy pro-Trump mob tried to force their way into the Capitol on Jan. 6, a Capitol Police lieutenant emerged out of the Columbus Doors on the eastern side of the building …

DeSantis leads ‘defanged’ Crist after hurricane, poll shows  —  The Republican governor holds an 11-point lead as Florida voters begin receiving vote-by-mail ballots.  —  Ahead in fundraising and advertising, Florida Gov Ron DeSantis has a large 11-percentage-point lead …

Talk of ‘Civil War,’ Ignited by Mar-a-Lago Search, Is Flaring Online  —  Soon after the F.B.I. searched Donald J. Trump's home in Florida for classified documents, online researchers zeroed in on a worrying trend.  —  Posts on Twitter that mentioned “civil war” had soared nearly 3,000 percent …

Northeastern Lab Manager Charged With Staging Zuckerberg-Inspired Explosion  —  Jason Duhaime, who claimed he was injured by an explosive device that was sent to him last month with a threatening note, has been charged with fabricating the entire thing.  —  UPDATE, 10/4/22, 10:16PM ET …