Steve Scalise's celebration on pause  —  The House GOP's hoped-for moment of unity never materialized on Wednesday.  Now it's another long slog ahead.  —  After Steve Scalise clinched House Republicans' nod for speaker on Wednesday, he did not deliver a victory speech.

Cenk Uygur running for president as Democrat  —  Progressive pundit Cenk Uygur will challenge President Biden for the Democratic nomination, offering himself as an alternative to an incumbent who “is definitely going to lose” if he makes it to the general election.

Judge Accused of Sending Wildly Inappropriate Texts During Her First Murder Trial  —  The Oklahoma judge swapped more than 500 texts about everything from a prosecutor's genitals to a “pretty” cop, an investigation found.  —  An Oklahoma judge could be booted from the bench after an investigation found …

U.S. intelligence indicates Iranian leaders were surprised by Hamas attack  —  But Biden administration officials say Iran was “complicit” in the attack since it has armed and trained Hamas for decades.  —  American spy agencies have obtained “exquisite” intelligence that shows Iranian leaders …

Democrats furious over Van Orden outburst during White House briefing on Israel terrorist attack  —  Multiple attendees described Van Orden as acting belligerent towards the Biden administration briefers when he asked questions.

Supreme Court likely to side with South Carolina GOP in racial gerrymandering case  —  A lower court had ruled that the state's Republican-drawn map was a racial gerrymander.  —  The Supreme Court's conservative majority on Wednesday appeared likely to uphold a Republican-drawn congressional district …

Israel-Hamas war live updates  —  Blinken to visit Israel; IDF ramps up preparation for offensive  —  Secretary of State Antony Blinken will arrive in Israel this week in a show of solidarity and support, the State Department said, as Israel prepares for its offensive on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

How to think morally about the Israel-Hamas war  —  Massacring civilians is neither decolonization nor self-defense.  —  In southern Israel, Hamas terrorists broke into a room where a family of five was hiding and slaughtered every one of them.  In Gaza, a father wrapped in gauze held his child …

Cory Mills Evacuates Americans out of Israel  —  As Israel calls up 300,000 reservists to join the war effort against the terror group Hamas, Florida Congressman Cory Mills (R) has once again answered the call to service, and flew overnight to Israel to help rescue Americans stranded there.

Pro-Trump Lawyers Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell Try - Again - to Dismiss Georgia RICO Charges Against Them  —  Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee on Wednesday heard pre-trial arguments to dismiss the Georgia election-racketeering case before the trial begins with jury selection on Oct. 20

8,700 Ford Kentucky Truck plant members join UAW strike  —  United Auto Workers expanded its ongoing strikes against major automobile manufacturers Wednesday after a Ford truck plant in Kentucky joined the strike, the union announced.  —  About 8,700 workers from the company's Truck Assembly Plant …

Fulton County DA rebuffs Jim Jordan's request for information on her investigation of Trump  —  Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis declined to provide House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan with any additional information about her investigation of former President Donald Trump …

She was told her twin sons wouldn't survive.  Texas law made her give birth anyway.  —  Miranda Michel, 26, couldn't leave the state for an abortion.  But she also couldn't bear the idea of carrying a nonviable pregnancy to term.  —  Editor's note: This story includes images some people may find distressing.

Hamas Seeds Violent Videos on Sites With Little Moderation  —  The strategy mirrors efforts by extremist groups like the Islamic State and Al Qaeda in years past.  —  A video of a Hamas gunman firing his assault rifle at a car full of Israeli civilians was viewed more than one million times on X …

Republican lawmakers to introduce resolution to expel Rep. George Santos from Congress  —  The movement came a day after Santos, also a Republican, was charged with fraud and identity theft.  —  A group of House Republicans from New York are introducing a resolution to expel Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., from Congress.

I apologize, Kentucky  —  Bluegrass Freedom Action, a political action committee supporting Republican Daniel Cameron, is airing this ad touting former President Donald Trump's endorsement in the race for Kentucky governor.  (Screenshot)  —  I owe Kentucky an apology and should have made it before now.

Carlee Russell Found Guilty of Staging Her Own Kidnapping  —  A judge recommended the 26-year-old serve one year in jail and pay nearly $18,000 in restitution.  —  The 26-year-old nursing student whose bogus abduction plot made national headlines earlier this year was found guilty …

Iran's president, Saudi crown prince speak for first time since diplomatic ties restored  —  Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on Wednesday, in the first telephone call between the two leaders since …

Biden administration announces new aid for Ukraine  —  The Biden administration announced its latest round of military aid for Ukraine on Wednesday, valued at up to $200 million.  —  The assistance, provided via presidential drawdown authority, includes AIM-9M missiles for air defense …