Fetterman's painful debate … Capitol Hill's reaction to the Pennsylvania Senate debate was brutal for Democratic nominee John Fetterman, from Democrats and Republicans alike. … Fetterman struggled at times to respond to the moderators' questions, even with the assistance of a closed captioning device.

The House: GOP Hits 218 in Ratings as Battle Rages Across Big Playing Field  —  Five rating changes, all benefiting Republicans  —  KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE  — We now rate 218 House seats — the magic number for winning a majority — as at least Leans Republican in our House ratings.

Senator Robert Menendez is under investigation again  —  Kadia is a Political Reporter for Semafor, joining us from BuzzFeed News.  Sign up for the daily Principals newsletter to get our insider's guide to American power.  —  Senator Robert Menendez, D-N.J. faces a new federal investigation …

A Secret Deal, Wishful Thinking: How the U.S.-Saudi Relationship Ruptured  —  Ahead of President Biden's trip to Saudi Arabia this summer, his administration thought it had secured pledges of increases in oil production throughout the year.  The opposite happened.

Here's what changed in Dinesh D'Souza's ‘2,000 Mules’ book after it was recalled  —  After an abrupt recall and a two-month delay - along with the threat of possible legal action - the election denial book 2,000 Mules has reached bookstores, though with a few significant changes.

That Cardboard Box in Your Home Is Fueling Election Denial  —  A previously unreported boom in profits for the shipping supply giant Uline has provided the funds for a deeply conservative Midwestern family to bankroll anti-democracy causes around the country.  —  Co-published with Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Mark Meadows ordered by court to testify in Georgia 2020 election meddling probe  —  A South Carolina judge on Wednesday ruled that former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows must appear for testimony in the Atlanta-area grand jury election meddling investigation.

Why Are Florida Republicans Paying a White Supremacist Goon? … Monday morning, Senator Marco Rubio sent out a tweet with the horrifying news that “one of our canvassers wearing my T-shirt and a Desantis hat was brutally attacked by 4 animals who told him Republicans weren't allowed in their neighborhood.”

Attorney who fought Florida helmet laws died in motorcycle crash while not wearing one  —  Ron Smith, 66, and his girlfriend, 62-year-old Brenda Jeanan Volpe, were on their way to a funeral with a group of riders from the American Legion.  —  In the late 1990s, when Florida bikers …

Two-thirds of Republicans still don't believe Biden was elected legitimately  —  Just 5% of “Trump-first” Republicans view Biden's election as legitimate almost two years after the 2020 race concluded.  —  Almost two years after President Joe Biden won the presidential election …

‘Absolutely F—ing Not.’ Trump's Team Scrambled to Talk Him Out of Jan. 6 Testimony  —  The former president saw a chance for a live televised spectacle.  His advisors saw a fast-track to perjury charges … Even the idea of it sent Trump's advisers scrambling to convince him it would be a disaster.

If I Emailed My Parents Like Democrats Email Me  —  Mom, did you see this?!?  —  FIRST: I got a $300 traffic ticket because I forgot about alternate side parking.  —  THEN: I saw this really cute shirt and it was $95, but that's actually a good deal because I'm definitely going to wear it a lot.

Climate Pledges Are Falling Short, and a Chaotic Future Looks More Like Reality  —  With an annual summit next month, the United Nations assessed progress on countries' past emissions commitments.  Severe disruption would be hard to avoid on the current trajectory.

U.S. Senate Race Remains Close  —  Warnock holds his own on issues, Walker has higher negatives  —  West Long Branch, NJ - The U.S. Senate race in Georgia remains tight.  Incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock has a significant lead among early voters, while challenger Herschel Walker is bolstered …

Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Marco Rubio hold big leads over Democratic opponents  —  TALLAHASSEE — Less than two weeks before the November 8 election, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and Republican Sen. Marco Rubio hold double-digit leads over their Democratic opponents, a new poll shows.

Treasury Sanctions Iranian Officials and Entities Responsible for Ongoing Crackdown on Protests and Internet Censorship  —  WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating 10 Iranian officials for the brutal ongoing crackdown …

Justice Alito says leak of abortion opinion made majority ‘targets for assassination’  —  Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. said Tuesday that the leak of his draft opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade made his colleagues in the majority on the U.S. Supreme Court “targets for assassination.”

As mayor trying to revive crumbling town, Fetterman shunned local government  —  The Pennsylvania Democratic Senate candidate used a family-funded nonprofit to circumvent a city council he viewed as broken and intransigent.  —  BRADDOCK, Pa. — The website promoting this gutted steel town …