House speaker live updates: Republicans to vote behind closed-doors to pick leader  — Republicans Reps. Steve Scalise, of Louisiana, and Jim Jordan, of Ohio, are the two declared candidates for House speaker to replace Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.  — House Republicans met Tuesday night …

Trump demands trial delay to wade through classified docs he stole  —  And Judge Cannon might just let him get away with it. … Donald Trump has just one goal in his two federal criminal cases: push them off until after November 2024, so that he can either pardon himself or instruct …

Congressman George Santos Charged With Conspiracy, Wire Fraud, False Statements, Falsification of Records, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Credit Card Fraud  —  For Immediate Release  —  U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York  —  Santos Allegedly Filed Fraudulent Fundraising Reports …

NYU Student Bar Association President Loses Job Offer for Calling Israel Massacre ‘Necessary’ as School Distances Itself  —  ‘Israel bears full responsibility for this tremendous loss of life,’ wrote Ryna Workman of the terror attack that left at least 1,200 people dead

Charles Koch's audacious new $5 billion political scheme  —  Billionaire Charles Koch, who will turn 88 on November 1, is funneling his wealth into two secretive organizations that can continue his right-wing political advocacy for years.  Koch structured more than $5 billion in donations …

Crackpot fight!  Trump is worried about RFK Jr. running for president — and he should be scared  —  Trump depends on the crank vote that the anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist could siphon off  —  He may not have bolts sticking out of his neck, but Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is morphing into the MAGA version of Frankenstein's monster.

Defiant Gabrielle Hanson refuses to denounce hate group as Franklin aldermen deliver stern rebuke  —  Alderman Beverly Burger: ‘Is it your mission to divide our city?  Because you are doing a bang-up job of it right now’  —  FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WTVF) — Members of the Franklin Board of Mayor …

Former OSU wrestlers say Jim Jordan betrayed them and shouldn't be House speaker  —  “Do you really want a guy in that job who chose not to stand up for his guys?” said one former wrestler who attended OSU when Jordan was assistant coach.  —  Four of the former Ohio State University wrestlers …

Trump dips into internet conspiracy theories with his latest lines about Obama  —  Donald Trump had been alluding to the idea that his predecessor, Barack Obama, is still in charge before he outright said it in New Hampshire this week.  —  WOLFEBORO, N.H. — Former President Donald Trump …

US nuclear deterrence strategy needs an update — here's how  —  Demand signals are growing for improved U.S. theater nuclear options and missile defenses in the Western Pacific.  In the runup to President Biden's recent summit with the Pacific Islands, Palau's president called …

9 UN staffers killed in airstrikes in Gaza  —  Nine United Nation staff members have been killed by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza since Saturday, the UN's agency for Palestinian refugees confirmed Wednesday.  —  The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) said nine staffers have been killed …

The Senate is a problem in the Israel crisis.  Democrats are fed up.  —  The war in the Middle East means top military and diplomatic posts must be filled now, senators say.  —  As war breaks out in the Middle East, key ambassadorships in the region and top military promotions are languishing in the Senate.

Hannity asks RFK Jr. why Democratic Party didn't ‘want’ him  —  Fox News host Sean Hannity confronted presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Tuesday about his decision to leave the Democratic Party and run for the White House as an independent.  —  “So I hope you don't mind, but I did a little research on you.

Craig, Trump lead with Michigan GOP  —  A new PPP poll of Michigan Republicans finds James Craig as the early front runner to be the party's nominee for Senate next year.  Meanwhile Donald Trump holds an overwhelming lead in the Presidential race.  —  Craig leads Mike Rogers by double digits, 30-19.

Conservatives target Ohio to end their losing streak on abortion votes  —  Abortion opponents have lost every state referendum since Roe was overturned.  In Ohio, they're wooing students, Black communities and even abortion rights advocates to turn their fortunes around.

Republican effort to impeach Wis. Supreme Court justice loses steam  —  MADISON, Wis. — Republican lawmakers in this political battleground state appear to be easing off an effort to impeach a new liberal state Supreme Court justice who in her campaign promoted abortion rights and condemned gerrymandering.

Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton battling pneumonia in intensive care  —  Retton's daughter, McKenna Kelley, made an appeal for help, saying the legend does not have medical insurance.  —  Mary Lou Retton battling rare form of pneumonia, family says  —  Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton …

Trump's Overrated Peace Plan Helped Enable the Horrors in Israel and Gaza  —  The Abraham Accords didn't bring “the dawn of a new Middle East,” they completely ignored the Palestinians and let the Netanyahu government do almost anything it wanted. … No American president caused Hamas …

Kari Lake announces run for Arizona Senate  —  Kari Lake announced her bid for Arizona Senate on Tuesday, entering the race for Sen. Kyrsten Sinema's (I-Ariz.) seat as the heavy favorite for the GOP nomination.  —  Lake, a Trump ally who has denied her loss in last year's Arizona governor's race …

Israeli woman, 25, hailed as a hero for killing terrorists, leading team that saved kibbutz from Hamas  —  The Hamas was no match for an intrepid 25-year-old Israeli woman — who saved an entire kibbutz from harm by leading a group of residents to kill more than two dozen advancing terrorists, including five she slaughtered herself.

The public is divided on McCarthy's removal as Speaker  —  Two-thirds of adults find U.S. government spending excessive, especially regarding aid to Ukraine.  However, more than half say the government is spending too little on education, assistance for the poor, Medicare, and border security.

DNC sues North Carolina over Republican-backed election bill  —  The Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the North Carolina Democratic Party on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against the North Carolina State Board of Election immediately after a pair of GOP-backed election laws went into effect …