UGA poll: Warnock-Walker close; Kemp builds lead over Abrams  —  U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker remain in a neck-and-neck race for the state's wildly competitive Senate seat, according to a University of Georgia poll released Wednesday, while GOP Gov. Brian Kemp …

New evidence to show Trump was warned of violence on Jan. 6  —  The Jan. 6 select committee's hearing this week is expected to corroborate parts of the more-startling accounts of that day  —  The probably final public hearing of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 …

We Are On a Path to Nuclear War  —  In war, nothing is inevitable and not much is predictable.  But the war in Ukraine has a direction that observers can see and that we should name.  What began as a criminal Russian aggression against Ukraine has become a proxy war between Washington and Moscow.

How Bad Can a Lawyer Be?  —  On Tuesday, September 20, 2011, a young patient walked haltingly into a medical office in South Philadelphia to have his bullet wounds examined.  —  The patient was a 17-year-old named C. J. Rice, who lived in the neighborhood.  The doctor was a pediatrician named Theodore Tapper.

“There's no secular argument against adult incest”  —  QAnon and white nationalist-linked media provide friendly platform for Arizona GOP gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake  —  Spotify's Joe Rogan has repeatedly spread the baseless conspiracy theory that January 6 was a false flag orchestrated by the FBI

How Far Would a Republican Majority Go?  —  Not just democracy is at stake this fall.  —  In 2011, the new House Republican majority, egged on by Eric Cantor and Kevin McCarthy and led by radical Tea Party rightists such as Jason Chaffetz, brought the U.S. to the brink of a default.

Historically, Toss Up Races Break Decidedly Toward One Party  —  In the Cook Political Report vernacular, the classification of “Toss Up” is used to refer to races that are the most competitive of the cycle, and which either party stands a reasonable chance of winning.

How to Make a Semi-Fascist Party  —  The hostile, paranoid, and increasingly authoritarian path ahead for American conservatism.  —  In mid-September, I attended the National Conservatism Conference in Miami, where Republican politicians, right-wing thought leaders, and various party apparatchiks …

Biden hit on economy as more say finances poor: AP-NORC poll  —  More U.S. adults are now feeling financially vulnerable amid high inflation — a political risk for President Joe Biden and his fellow Democrats one month before the midterm elections.  Some 46% of people now call …

The Folly of Iran's Hard-Liners … Iran is no stranger to mass protests, but the demonstrations sparked by the killing in police custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman detained by the so-called morality police, signal a tipping point.  For weeks now, Iranian women have shown extraordinary courage …

“A Concierge at a Rock Star Hotel”  —  Plus: A Wisconsin poll tests the appeal of centrism  —  ICYMI: David Frum and I covered a lot of ground in Tuesday's podcast — from nuclear “Armageddon” and Right-wing pro-Putinism to Kevin McCarthy.  —  The whole thing is worth your time …

Mayorkas alerted that no Haitian migrants were ‘whipped’ hours before WH press conference  —  Mayorkas would go on to describe the incident as ‘horrifying’  —  Flashback montage: Media pushed false narrative about Border Patrol whipping migrants  —  EXCLUSIVE: Homeland Security Secretary …

Ben Sasse is an affirmative action hire if there ever was one  —  Conservatives have long bemoaned the politicization of higher education, accusing faculty and administrators of catering to “wokeness” and engaging in cancel culture personnel policies.  Now, we will see how deep their concern …

How Dr. Oz Boosted an Osteopath Who Became a Top Spreader of Covid Misinformation  —  The FDA has warned Joseph Mercola over his medical claims.  The GOP Senate candidate promoted him.  —  Washington, DC, Bureau Chief  —  Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.

KFOR EXCLUSIVE: Stitt's secret plan to build a new Governor's mansion  —  OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — The State of Oklahoma has a website devoted to the Oklahoma Governor's mansion.  As of this month, paragraph 12 of the website states: “Governor Stitt and his family live in the five rooms on the second floor.”

Mandatory reporting was supposed to stop severe child abuse.  It punishes poor families instead.  —  After the Penn State scandal, Pennsylvania required more professionals to report suspected child abuse.  A flood of unfounded allegations followed, ensnaring thousands of low-income parents.

The Supreme Court won't let a racist jury stop a death sentence  —  “I think we should stay with our Blood Line,” a juror who later sentenced Andre Thomas to death told lawyers before trial.  The conservatives let the Texas death sentence stand.  And: More from SCOTUS.

Ex-Bill Clinton Strategist Paul Begala Decries ‘Pain-In-The-Ass White Liberals’  —  The CNN commentator called out those in his party who he thinks could stand in the way of Joe Biden's reelection.  —  Democratic strategist Paul Begala took aim at “pain-in-the-ass white liberals on Twitter” …

Under criminal investigation, DePerno seeks to be the state's chief law enforcement officer  —  The Republican attorney general nominee has made Michigan history, experts say  —  It's a situation unprecedented in Michigan political history: A candidate for statewide office is running under …

Good news for Democrats: abortion is a strong motivator for voters  —  Welcome to Wednesday.  If you missed yesterday's breaking news, we've got you covered: A winner has been crowned in the Fat Bear Week contest after a drama-filled week.  —  Today's edition: The Biden administration finalized a fix to Obamacare's “family glitch.”

Who in the World Is Still Answering Pollsters' Phone Calls?  —  Response rates suggest the “death of telephone polling” is getting closer.  —  We're already in the field with our next New York Times/Siena College national survey, so it's a good time to go through some of the poll-related reader mail we've received recently.

Brett Favre says he has ‘done nothing wrong’ in Mississippi welfare scandal  —  Brett Favre denied wrongdoing in the Mississippi welfare scandal, speaking out for the first time on the controversy in a statement to Fox News Digital, saying, “I have done nothing wrong and it is past time to set the record straight.”

Secret Service employee charged with criminal harassment and witness intimidation  —  A US Secret Service employee and driver for former first lady Michelle Obama was charged with criminal harassment and witness intimidation in a Massachusetts court on Friday, according to court documents.

Judge rules Trump must sit for deposition in rape accuser's lawsuit next week  —  A federal judge has denied former President Trump's motion to pause the proceedings of a defamation suit against him from a woman who has accused him of rape while appeals over the case play out, setting him up for a deposition next week.

Washington State GOP Pays a White Nationalist, Pro-Nazi Blogger  —  Add it to the list of ways in which Washington has a far-right problem.  —  It's no secret that Washington state has a white nationalist problem.  Among the rugged mountains and towering pines are neo-Nazi groups …

Election deceiver, science fabulist, billionaire benefactor.  After 12 years, it's time to term-limit Sen. Ron Johnson  —  USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Editorial Board  —  He's an election falsifier who recklessly promoted lies about the 2020 presidential race long after it was clear Donald Trump lost.

Oath Keeper describes group's large weapons cache ahead of Jan. 6  —  A member of the Oath Keepers who traveled with the group to Washington D.C. ahead of the Jan. 6 riot described a massive stockpile of firearms and other weaponry that allies had stashed in an Arlington, Va. hotel.

President Biden Pushes Hunter's Addiction as CNN Omits Questions on Influence Peddling and Contradictions  —  This week I wrote a column on a notable shift by political and media figures on the Hunter Biden scandal toward a last line of defense: the addiction defense.

Ex-Texas cop charged for shooting teen eating hamburger  —  A now-former San Antonio police officer was charged Tuesday with two counts of aggravated assault by a peace officer for shooting and gravely wounding a teen eating a hamburger in his car in a McDonald's parking lot.

Baltic nations long warned about Russia.  Now, maybe the West is listening.  —  RIGA, Latvia — Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv's strongest allies against President Vladimir Putin have been the nations that know his Soviet playbook best: Estonia, Latvia …

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Authorizes Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech Bivalent COVID-19 Vaccines for Use as a Booster Dose in Younger Age Groups  —  For Immediate Release:  —  Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended the emergency use authorizations (EUAs) …