Hu Jintao escorted out of China party congress  —  Chinese former President Hu Jintao was unexpectedly escorted out of the closing ceremony of a congress of the ruling Communist Party on Saturday.  —  Hu, 79, Xi Jinping's immediate predecessor, was seated to the left of Xi.

In Nevada, election deniers prepare to sabotage the midterms  —  PAHRUMP, Nev. — If the midterm elections degenerate into chaos in a couple of weeks — a very real possibility — then Nevada is poised to lead the way.  Indeed, the chaos here has already begun.

Biden's ‘worst performing message’  —  Welcome to POLITICO's West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration.  With help from Allie Bice.  —  It's an article of faith among Democrats that their party is deeply hampered by its inability or unwillingness to tout its own accomplishments.

Exclusive: Emails reveal warning to Trump team about fraud claims  —  A senior White House lawyer expressed concerns to President Trump's advisers and attorneys about the president signing a sworn court statement verifying inaccurate evidence of voter fraud, according to emails from December 2020 obtained by Axios.

U.S. appeals court temporarily blocks Biden's student loan forgiveness plan  —  A U.S. appeals court on Friday temporarily blocked President Joe Biden's plan to cancel billions of dollars in college student debt, one day after a judge dismissed a Republican-led lawsuit by six states challenging the loan-forgiveness program.

Patty Murray still leads but Tiffany Smiley closes gap in new WA Poll  —  Democratic U.S. Sen. Patty Murray holds an 8-point lead over Republican challenger Tiffany Smiley in a new poll commissioned by The Seattle Times and partners, a result that shows Smiley gaining 10 points since a similar poll taken in July.

Using Adoptions, Russia Turns Ukrainian Children Into Spoils of War  —  Thousands of Ukrainian children have been transferred to Russia.  “I didn't want to go,” one girl told The New York Times from a foster home near Moscow.  —  As Russian forces laid siege to the Ukrainian city of Mariupol this spring …

Sacheen Littlefeather was a Native American icon.  Her sisters say she was an ethnic fraud  —  The “Apache” actress and activist wasn't Native American, say her sisters.  And that wasn't the only thing she lied about.  —  You might not know her name, but you've probably seen the video that made her famous.

In bloody battle for Bakhmut, Russian mercenaries eye a symbolic prize  —  BAKHMUT, Ukraine — The crash and roar of artillery rarely stops in this east Ukrainian city.  In the cold and broken houses, residents huddle by candlelight and pray that they have safety in numbers.

Virginia directs 60,000 voters to wrong polling place for midterms  —  RICHMOND — State elections officials directed more than 30,000 Northern Virginia voters to the wrong polling place in mailers sent ahead of the Nov. 8 midterm elections, an error they acknowledged Friday and blamed …

Over 6 in 10 Americans favor leaving race out of college admissions, Post-Schar School poll finds  —  But an equally strong majority backs programs to boost racial and ethnic diversity among students.  —  More than 6 in 10 Americans support a ban on the consideration of race in college admissions …

The Words About Ukraine That Americans Need to Hear  —  Wars are won by deeds—but also by persuasive moral arguments.  —  “Deeds, not words,” is the motto of the 22nd Infantry Regiment, a credo that befits a fighting unit that has seen service from the Civil War to Iraq.

Liberal parents are joining the school culture wars — but conservatives are way ahead  —  Liberal parents concerned about the right's increased focus on school board elections are ready to fight back — but they face obstacles in fundraising and organizing, with little national support.

Trump Firm's Tax Fraud Trial Promises Ex-CFO as Star Witness  —  One of Donald Trump's most loyal deputies is expected to testify against the Trump Organization, in a trial that threatens to reveal the inner workings of the real estate empire that set the former president on his path to the White House.