Ex-Trump aide Cassidy Hutchinson claims Rudy Giuliani groped her on January 6  —  Exclusive: in a new book, Hutchinson describes incident in which the former New York mayor put his hand ‘under my blazer, then my skirt’  —  Cassidy Hutchinson, the former Trump aide turned crucial January 6 witness …

Bipartisan McCarthy bailout talks gaining steam thanks to House chaos  —  Any Democratic participation in a plan to stop a shutdown — let alone save the speaker's gavel — would have huge conditions attached.  —  The long-shot idea that Democrats could bail out the beleaguered Speaker Kevin McCarthy is suddenly getting real.

Lin Wood: 'I didn't flip on President Trump'  —  X  —  Former Atlanta attorney Lin Wood pushed back Wednesday on the notion that he would testify against Donald Trump in Fulton County's racketeering case.  —  Wood's name turned up in a new filing by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis naming …

Free COVID test kits are coming back.  Here's how to get them.  —  The Biden administration is preparing to resume taking orders for free at-home COVID-19 tests starting September 25, officials announced Wednesday.  The administration is also planning a new infusion of money to boost domestic manufacturing of the test kits.

Trumpism costs the GOP in a crucial election, again  —  The Republican Party's increasing Trump-era tendency toward more extreme nominees and its struggles to account for the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade have already cost it plenty.  It's quite possible that these things cost …

Merrick Garland faced fire from Republicans on Hunter Biden, Trump  —  House Republicans peppered Attorney General Merrick Garland with criticisms during the nearly six-hour House Judiciary Committee hearing.  The divide between Democratic and Republican lawmakers on a range of issues …

CNN Poll: Trump leads in New Hampshire while Ramaswamy, Haley, Christie and DeSantis battle for second  —  Former President Donald Trump holds a sizable lead in the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination in New Hampshire, but a close contest for second place …

Kari Lake to launch Arizona Senate bid next month  —  The close ally of Trump is looking to run in the swing state again.  —  Arizona Republican Kari Lake will launch a Senate run as soon as early next month, according to three people familiar with her plans.

FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Launches American Climate Corps to Train Young People in Clean Energy, Conservation, and Climate Resilience Skills, Create Good-Paying Jobs and Tackle the Climate Crisis  —  In its first year, the American Climate Corps will put more than 20,000 young people …

‘We knew the numbers were bad’: Law enforcement staff raised concerns about Ron DeSantis' top crime talking point  —  Three former staffers in Florida's top law enforcement agency told NBC News they could not get behind the statement that state crime was at “a 50-year low.”

Exclusive: Pentagon to review cases of LGBTQ+ veterans denied honorable discharges under “don't ask, don't tell”  —  Thousands of LGBTQ+ veterans who were kicked out of the military because of their sexuality could see their honor restored under a new initiative the Defense Department is set …

The anti-vaccine movement is on the rise.  The White House is at a loss over what to do about it.  —  “They keep just hoping it'll go away.”  —  This is the first story of a five-part series diving into the rise of the anti-vaccine political movement.  —  A Biden administration that vowed …

Federal Reserve issues FOMC statement  —  For release at 2:00 p.m. EDT  —  Recent indicators suggest that economic activity has been expanding at a solid pace.  Job gains have slowed in recent months but remain strong, and the unemployment rate has remained low.  Inflation remains elevated.

Senate Poised to Confirm Military Chiefs, Sidestepping Tuberville Blockade  —  Three generals were on track for confirmation, but Senator Tommy Tuberville, the Alabama Republican who has been blocking them, said he would continue to hold up others over a Pentagon abortion policy.

Florida's “War on Woke” Is Spurring a Brain Drain  —  Thanks to Ron DeSantis's education policies, the state is seeing an unprecedented exodus of teachers, professors, and college students.  —  Pocket  —  This article appears in the October 2/9, 2023 issue, with the headline “Florida's Brain Drain.”

Murdoch Compared to ‘Mafia Boss’ Ordering Hit in Smartmatic Case  — Fox Corp. is seeking dismissal from the $2.7 billion lawsuit  — Company says Smartmatic case is ‘disconnected from reality’ … Fox Corp. agreed to pay $787.5 million in April to another voting-machine company …