Why Is Donald Trump Afraid to Debate?  —  He's ducking exchanges with his competitors who could challenge his record and platform.  —  Donald Trump has a big lead in the polls for the GOP presidential nomination, but he's acting as if he has already won.  After skipping the first GOP debate …

Playbook: A breakthrough or a mirage?  —  Presented by With help from Eli Okun and Garrett Ross  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  WELCOME TO WASHINGTON, MR. ZELENSKYY — This morning, more than two dozen Hill Republicans — including six senators, led by Ohio's J.D. VANCE — are sending a letter …

Republicans can't pass bills for the same reason they support insurrection  —  The defense bill disaster shows that they can't even make deals with themselves. … Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the foaming clown car that is his caucus once again performed their expected rituals …

Conservative media titan Rupert Murdoch to step down as chairman of Fox Corp. and News Corp.  —  He will become chairman emeritus of the two corporations, the company said in a news release.  —  Rupert Murdoch, the Australian press baron who reshaped conservative media in his image …

Ignorant, pathetic Merrick Garland wilts on the hot seat before Congress  —  You would think that an attorney general who has presided over the embarrassing debacle of the Hunter Biden investigation would express contrition, or maybe a little anger at the underlings who have shamed him …

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton suggests he might run against Sen. John Cornyn  —  Paxton last week was acquitted on 16 impeachment articles alleging corruption, abuse of public trust, misuse of public funds and other charges.  —  In the wake of his impeachment acquittal …

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.

Book banners target public libraries  —  The campaign to censor America's libraries is expanding.  —  A new report from the American Library Association (ALA) finds that this year, between January 1 and August 31, there have been “695 attempts to censor library materials and services and documented challenges to 1,915 unique titles.”

Blame Bidenomics for UAW strike  —  If you want to understand why the United Auto Workers union is striking now, look at the three factories it chose to target for its first wave shutdowns.  —  The General Motors plant in Wentzville, Missouri, makes the Chevy Colorado and the GMC Savana.

The US is allowing hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans in the country to work legally  —  The Biden administration says it's granting temporary legal status to hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans who are already in the country — quickly making them eligible to work …

Meet the Real Househusbands of the ‘Squad’  —  It pays to be married to the “Squad.”  —  As Democratic Reps. Ayanna Pressley (Mass.), Ilhan Omar (Minn.), and Cori Bush (Mo.) rage against capitalism from within the halls of Congress, their husbands bring home the bacon …

Five suspected Russian spies to be charged in the U.K.  —  Britain has been seeking to take tougher action on external security threats and potential spies.  —  British prosecutors said on Thursday they had authorized charges to be brought against five Bulgarian nationals accused of spying for Russia for almost three years.

Former prosecutor who quit Trump-Russia probe says she left over concerns with Barr  —  Nora Dannehy had been part of the investigation led by John Durham.  —  HARTFORD, Conn. — A former federal prosecutor who helped investigate the origins of the Trump-Russia probe said Wednesday she left …

Poland Seeks to Mend Ukraine Rift With Arms Supplies U-Turn  — Warsaw will continue to send weapons under existing contracts  — Escalating spat between Poland and Ukraine has alarmed allies  —  The Polish government sought to walk back remarks by its premier that the country …

Trump in Iowa Rally Warns GOP They Will Lose Elections Without Exceptions to Abortion Bans  —  Trump added that Republicans should learn how to ‘properly talk about abortion’  —  A Facebook icon representing an external link to share the article on Facebook.A Twitter icon representing …

Extremists have turned Texas into a hotbed for hate, report finds  —  The report blames an “alarming rise in extremist ideology and activity” on white supremacist and anti-LGBTQ+ groups that are active or headquartered in Texas.  —  Texas continues to be a hotbed for extremism and antisemitism …

Secretary Mayorkas Announces Extension and Redesignation of Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status  —  Redesignation Allows Additional Eligible Venezuelan Nationals in the U.S. to Apply for TPS and Employment Authorization Documents  —  WASHINGTON — Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro …