First on CNN: Burgum suffered high-grade Achilles tear playing basketball, throwing debate participation into question  —  North Dakota governor and Republican presidential candidate Doug Burgum suffered a high-grade tear of his Achilles tendon while playing a game of pick-up basketball …

The GOP debate shows that Trump's hostile takeover is complete  —  He's thoroughly humiliated everyone involved, including Fox News and the RNC. … The first Republican presidential primary debate of 2024 is tonight.  Usually the events are chances to shape the future of a party by introducing voters to new ideas and faces.

Poll: DeSantis's support collapses ahead of 1st GOP debate  —  Last month, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis launched a heavily hyped campaign “reboot,” in hopes of saving his struggling bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.  —  It hasn't worked, according to a new Yahoo News/YouGov poll.

Prosecutors: Trump Mar-a-Lago security aide flipped after changing lawyers  —  Special counsel Jack Smith's team revealed the details of the employee's about-face in a new filing.  —  A Trump employee who monitored security cameras at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate abruptly retracted …

Rudy Giuliani Set to Meet With Fani Willis in Georgia: Report  —  SO IT BEGINS...  Rudy Giuliani is expected to travel to Georgia on Wednesday to meet with Fulton County prosecutors—including District Attorney Fani Willis—according to CNN.  Giuliani, a former federal prosecutor himself …

‘Dark Brandon’ Appears on Fox News' Homepage on Day of Republican Debates: 'I'm Bringing Roe Back' (Exclusive)  —  President Joe Biden's 2024 reelection campaign is sending Milwaukee — and Fox News readers — a pro-choice message from the president's satirical alter-ego

Emails reveal Secret Service contacts with Oath Keepers  —  Internal Secret Service emails obtained by CREW show special agents in close communication with Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes, while failing to acknowledge the group's ties to white nationalists and clashes with law enforcement.

Trump gravitates to fringe figures despite efforts to limit their influence  —  The former president has resumed consulting with and embracing supporters whom other Republicans shun  —  On Aug. 13, former president Donald Trump spent the day at his New Jersey golf club with former congressional …

Man flees China by riding jet ski hundreds of miles to South Korea  —  The man, who has been detained since washing up in the port city of Incheon last week, is believed to be a dissident who was previously jailed for criticizing President Xi Jinping.  —  Video shows jet ski ‘Chinese man used to travel to South Korea’

Fake electors, Trump attorneys surrender in Trump Georgia case  —  More defendants charged alongside former President Trump in Georgia are surrendering, including two of the three indicted fake electors and two Trump attorneys.  —  David Shafer and Cathy Latham, both of whom signed documents purporting …

All male South Carolina Supreme Court upholds ‘fetal heartbeat’ abortion ban  —  South Carolina's law banning abortion after detection of a “fetal heartbeat” is legal, and there is no constitutional right to an abortion, the state Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.

The Secret Weapon Hackers Can Use to Dox Nearly Anyone in America for $15  —  It took only a few seconds to uncover the target's entire life.  —  On the messaging app Telegram, I entered a tiny amount of information about my target into the dark blue text box—their name and the state I believed they lived in—and pressed enter.

How Oklahoma's schools superintendent became the state's top culture warrior  —  Ryan Walters, who called a teachers union a “terrorist organization” and pushed for prayer in public schools, offers a preview of what could be coming in other Republican-led states.