Top Twitter executives fired as Elon Musk takeover begins  —  Musk's $44 billion deal to acquire the social media company closed on Thursday night.  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Elon Musk took control of Twitter late Thursday as his $44 billion deal to takeover the company closed.

Pelosi Spokesperson Statement on Violent Assault on Paul Pelosi  —  Washington, D.C. — Drew Hammill, spokesman for Speaker Nancy Pelosi, issued this statement:  —  “Early this morning, an assailant broke into the Pelosi residence in San Francisco and violently assaulted Mr. Pelosi.

Young voters MIA as Dem base flocks to vote early  —  Add this to the list of Democratic worries ahead of the midterms: Younger voters — a cornerstone of the party's electoral coalition — make up a smaller share of early and absentee voters so far than they did in 2020.

James Bennet was right  —  Controversy over an op-ed by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) consumed the New York Times in June 2020 and claimed the job of then-editorial page editor James Bennet.  Two-and-a-half years later, Bennet has shared some thoughts about the episode — and, in particular, the role of Times Publisher A.G. Sulzberger.

Russia's elite begins to ponder a Putinless future  —  Once unthinkable, the president's removal can at least be contemplated  —  “What is next?  Is there life after Putin?  How does he go and who replaces him?”  Such are the questions that weigh heavily these days on the minds of the Russian elite …

The 2022 Race for the House, in Four Districts, and Four Polls  —  Swing-district polls by The New York Times and Siena College show how the midterm races are being shaped by larger, surprising forces, beyond the traditional red and blue divide.  —  President Biden is unpopular everywhere.

The quarter-billion dollar PAC driving a red wave  —  How would you spend a quarter of a billion dollars on the 2022 midterms?  This week on the Playbook Deep Dive podcast, we chatted with the 37-year-old operative overseeing just such a budget.  —  Dan Conston is the president …

More Americans than ever think crime is up in their neighborhood  —  Benjy is Semafor's Washington Bureau Chief, joining us from NBC News.  Sign up for the daily Principals newsletter to get our insider's guide to American power.  —  Dave is a Political Reporter for Semafor, joining us from the Washington Post.

St. Louis school shooter bought gun from private seller after dealer sale was blocked, police say  —  The shooter who killed two people at a St. Louis high school this week bought the rifle used in the attack from a private seller after he was blocked from buying a gun at a licensed dealer, police said Thursday.

Appeals Court Upholds House's Effort to See Trump's Tax Returns  —  The former president is likely to appeal to the Supreme Court after the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit declined to rehear the matter.  —  WASHINGTON — A full federal appeals court denied …

Scoop: John Kerry preparing to leave Biden administration  —  Special climate envoy John Kerry is actively considering leaving the Biden administration after next month's COP27 summit, soliciting advice from friends and colleagues on how to stay involved in climate efforts from the private sector …

Many Military U.F.O. Reports Are Just Foreign Spying or Airborne Trash  —  Forget space aliens or hypersonic technology; classified assessments show that many episodes have ordinary explanations.  —  WASHINGTON — Government officials believe that surveillance operations by foreign powers …

Republican senator Tom Cotton brags about ignoring Trump impeachment evidence in new book  —  The Arkansas senator, a Republican presidential hopeful, also suggests president did not know military procedures  —  In January 2020, the rightwing Arkansas Republican Tom Cotton said he would vote …

Welcome to hell, Elon  —  You break it, you buy it.  —  Twitter is a disaster clown car company that is successful despite itself, and there is no possible way to grow users and revenue without making a series of enormous compromises that will ultimately destroy your reputation …

Dems Sound the Alarm Over GOP's New ‘Stop the Steal’ Threats  —  With Donald Trump already mobilizing allies to undermine confidence in Pennsylvania elections, Democrats are telling their House candidates to get lawyers now. … With the threat of another GOP “Stop the Steal” …

Hawaii's Big Island gets warning as huge volcano rumbles  —  Hawaii officials are warning residents of the Big Island that the world's largest active volcano, Mauna Loa, is sending signals that it may erupt.  Scientists say an eruption isn't imminent, but they are on alert because of a recent spike …

‘Raise the challenge’: Eastman exhorts poll watchers to build a record  —  At a speech last week before prospective GOP poll workers and challengers in New Mexico, former Trump attorney John Eastman urged his allies to file complaints that could form the basis for court challenges to the upcoming midterm and presidential elections.