McConnell endorses Trump after years of acrimony between the two men  —  The Senate minority leader is the highest-ranking Republican to back Trump, and the move could help the former president with major donors  —  Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) endorsed Donald Trump …

Nikki Haley to Exit Republican Presidential Race  —  Former South Carolina governor expected to urge Trump to try to earn the support of those who backed her  —  Nikki Haley plans to suspend her Republican presidential primary bid in a speech Wednesday morning, people familiar with her plans told The Wall Street Journal.

Texas GOP leaders begin purge of Republicans who defied them  —  An attempt by Texas's top Republican officials to purge the party of the incumbents who defied them made significant ground in Tuesday's primary.  —  Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton …

The Next Governor of North Carolina Could Be a Holocaust Denier Who Hates Pretty Much Everybody  —  Mark Robinson, who easily won North Carolina's Republican gubernatorial primary on Tuesday, has the misfortune of having spent years on Facebook without thinking about his future political career.

Scoop: House GOP tries to shut down State of the Union heckling … - Johnson told members, “we should be professional, we should maintain a high standard of decorum,” said Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.).  — “He's reminding us to be respectful of the institution ... and to the president …

“Playbook of Fear” Fails to Sway Voters in Austin and Houston DA Races  —  A despondent teddy bear sits below a grainy picture of Travis County District Attorney José Garza, flanked with a warning that says “Garza is filling Austin's streets with pedophiles and killers.”

What fake images of Trump with Black voters tell us about AI disinformation  —  Happy Wednesday!  Who's ready for stomping-on-lantern-flies season?  Send squashed bugs and news tips to: will.oremus@washpost.com.  —  Below: The Treasury Department takes aim at commercial spyware.  First:

Why U.S. companies are watching and fearing a climate disclosure rule  —  The Securities and Exchange Commission is poised to force companies to disclose their role in warming the planet  —  Corporations will have to share key details about their role in driving climate change and the threat …

Voters make it clear: San Francisco can no longer be called a progressive city  —  For now, at least, San Francisco can no longer be called a progressive city.  —  Not after voters approved ballot measures Tuesday to loosen restrictions on the police and screen welfare recipients for drugs …

Russian missile strike hits near Zelensky motorcade in Odessa  —  KYIV — A Russian missile strike appeared to target Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, landing near his motorcade in the Black Sea port city of Odessa, where the president was meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

MTG Rages at U.K. Journo's Jewish Space Laser Question: ‘F*ck Off’  —  The MAGA congresswoman had just finished saying that Trump supporters like “the truth.”  —  Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) lashed out at a British reporter on Tuesday night who asked her about Jewish space lasers, telling the broadcaster to “fuck off.”

Who Is Mark Robinson, the Republican Nominee for North Carolina Governor?  —  Mr. Robinson formally entered politics in 2019, when he began his run for lieutenant governor.  He has since earned a reputation as a fiery outsider eager to dive into the culture war.

Protesters shut down Schiff's victory speech and call for cease-fire in Gaza  —  Protesters calling for a cease-fire in Gaza interrupted a speech by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) on Tuesday night — loudly shouting him down and forcing him to truncate his remarks, as he was attempting …