Rep. Rashida Tlaib, facing censure motion, calls Hamas actions ‘war crimes’  —  U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, said Wednesday evening her critics are purposefully distorting her position to make it seem she is sympathetic to Hamas and its attacks on Israel, which she called “war crimes.”

Cenk Uygur running for president as Democrat  —  The News  —  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.

Donald Trump Criticizes Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu, Calls Hezbollah ‘Very Smart’  —  The former president admitted he could have been dishing classified information at a campaign event with a claim about the Israeli leader.  —  LOADING  —  Former President Donald Trump …

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.

Saudi, Iranian Leaders Hold Rare Call to Discuss Israel-Hamas War  —  Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince and de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman discussed the war between Israel and Hamas in a call with Iran's president, the first such conversation between the two leaders who normalized relations earlier this year.

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 …

It's Not Me, It's You: Cornel West's Messy Breakup  —  The presidential candidate's last-minute decision to ghost the Green Party is just the latest rift within the perennially squabbling American left.  —  Cornel West thinks the Greens can't take him where he wants to go.

North Carolina's cautionary tale for purple states  —  Republicans have made themselves so powerful, it doesn't matter if Dems win elections. … North Carolina Republicans are having a very good year, and now that they've locked down both the legislature and the judiciary …

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 …

The New Republican Establishment  —  An alternative Trumpist governing elite gets closer to ruling the party.  —  In the final account, the rise and fall of Kevin McCarthy might read like the familiar tale of a Republican congressional leader toppled by a small but uncompromising right-wing faction.

Ramaswamy Says GOP ‘Selective Moral Outrage’ on Israel Driven By Money, Lobbying Groups  —  Vivek Ramaswamy criticized Republicans for their “selective moral outrage” at the mass terrorist attacks in Israel, and argued that politicians calling for a stronger military response against Hamas and Iran are driven by donor money.

Texas Republicans are fighting about whether it's OK to associate with white supremacists  —  Last week, Jonathan Stickland — president of the far-right Defend Texas Liberty PAC and a former state representative — met with notorious white supremacist Nick Fuentes and other right-wing extremists.

Biden's choice: Let Iranian oil flow or watch prices rise  —  “Without oil, they have no money,” Sen. Lindsey Graham said of the Iranians.  “Without money, terrorism loses its biggest benefactor.”  —  Hamas' attack on Israel is bringing pressure on President Joe Biden to clamp …