Trump suffers big loss in E. Jean Carroll defamation case, judge says he's liable  — A judge ruled that Donald Trump is liable for defamatory statements he made about the writer E. Jean Carroll in 2019 when she went public with claims he had raped her decades earlier.

I Can't Keep Trump Off the Ballot  —  Voters should decide elections: That's the simple lesson of Georgia in 2018 and 2020.  —  Atlanta  —  Some legal scholars are arguing that secretaries of state should remove Donald Trump from the 2024 presidential ballot under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment …

‘A Big Circle Jerk’: John Fetterman Dares Republicans To Impeach Joe Biden  —  “Go ahead.  Do it, I dare you,” said the Democratic senator.  “It's a loser.”  —  LOADING  —  Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) had some blunt words for Republicans who are pushing to impeach President Joe Biden: It'll bite you in next year's elections.

Mexico decriminalizes abortion, extending Latin American trend of widening access to procedure  —  Mexico's Supreme Court threw out all federal criminal penalties for abortion Wednesday, ruling that national laws prohibiting the procedure are unconstitutional and violate women's rights …

Special counsel to indict Hunter Biden in gun case this month, DOJ says  —  Special counsel David Weiss intends to seek an indictment against President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, relating to gun charges by the end of the month, the Justice Department said Wednesday.

A crisis in U.S. presidential legitimacy is looming  —  If anyone — Democrat or Republican — hoped the four indictments against former president Donald Trump would weaken him politically, they have so far hoped in vain.  Rather than making him more beatable in the Republican primaries …

Judge Orders Texas to Move Barrier From Middle of the Rio Grande  —  A federal judge ordered the state to move the barrier, placed to discourage illegal crossings from Mexico, to the banks of the river.  —  A federal judge ordered Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday to move a barrier of floating buoys …

Newly obtained George Santos “vulnerability report” spotted red flags long before embattled Rep. was elected  —  When an outside firm hired by then-congressional hopeful George Santos in 2021 delivered a secret internal report detailing aspects of the candidate's checkered background, several of his aides found it too much to stomach.

Former President Donald Trump On His Trials and His Campaign  —  Former President Trump joined me this morning:  —  Audio:  —  09-06hhs-trump  —  Transcript:  —  HH: Pleased to welcome back to the program former President Donald Trump.  Mr. President, welcome.  Good to have you back.

America's Authoritarian Exceptionalism  —  Demagogues usually arise in times of chaos and privation.  In America, our demagogues have become powerful during a period of peace and prosperity.  —  ∙ Paid  —  1. Decadence  —  We're going to keep doing this and I'm sorry.

QAnon-embraced film pulled from screening on-base at SOUTHCOM  —  U.S. Southern Command planned, and then canceled, two showings of the Christian-faith-based thriller “Sound of Freedom” at its headquarters this summer.  The movie's been a runaway hit, grossing more than $200 million …

FDA could green light new Covid boosters as early as Friday  —  The shots could become available next week, after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also signs off.  —  The Food and Drug Administration plans to green light updated versions of the Covid booster as early as Friday …

Pentagon goes on the attack amid Tuberville blockade  —  Top leaders are stepping up their pressure campaign now that the Senate is back in session.  —  Pentagon leaders have launched a new, more aggressive campaign this week to pressure Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville into finally releasing …

Project Veritas audit accuses ‘untouchable’ founder of improper spending  —  A law firm's report alleges James O'Keefe spent nonprofit funds on helicopter travel and DJ equipment and that his ‘volatile’ behavior disrupted the workplace  —  In August 2022, James O'Keefe needed to get to Maine for a sailing trip.

To settle suit, NYPD agrees to scale back enforcement of protests  —  The New York City Police Department on Tuesday agreed to scale back its enforcement of street protests like those that erupted after the death of George Floyd in 2020, enacting a series of reforms including banning the tactic known as “kettling.”

Exclusive: Dianne Feinstein speaks on family's financial feud and her daughter's role in estate  —  WASHINGTON — Sen. Dianne Feinstein gave her daughter power of attorney over her legal affairs so that she can focus on her work in Congress, she told the Chronicle Wednesday in her first public comments …