The stakes are sky high  —  Welcome to POLITICO's West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration.  —  ATLANTA — When President JOE BIDEN's team pushed to debate DONALD TRUMP in late June, it was an implicit admission of the anxiety they felt about the state of the race.

Supreme Court blocks EPA's interstate air pollution regulation  —  The Environmental Protection Agency's “good neighbor” rule is aimed at reducing air pollution that crosses state lines and contributes to smog.  —  WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Thursday blocked a Biden administration …

Supreme Court allows emergency abortion access in Idaho for now  —  The decision is a temporary win for the Biden administration.  —  The Supreme Court, June 26, 2024, in Washington, D.C.  —  The Supreme Court on Thursday issued a ruling that will allow emergency abortion access in Idaho …

The Supreme Court strips the SEC of a critical enforcement tool in fraud cases  —  The Supreme Court on Thursday stripped the Securities and Exchange Commission of a major tool in fighting securities fraud in a decision that also could have far-reaching effects on other regulatory agencies.

Exclusive: Michelle Obama's private frustration with the Bidens … - Michelle Obama also was initially reluctant to campaign for Biden after he became the Democratic nominee in 2020, people familiar with the situation told Axios.  — Biden's team says the relationship between the families is strong …

SCOTUS pushes Trump immunity decision to after debate … - Trump's two federal cases — one on his alleged efforts to undermine the results of the 2020 election and the other on his handling of classified documents after his time in the White House — hinge on the court's decision.

Right-wing group gets Anne Frank's Diary and other Holocaust books taken from Texas school  —  Pastor Luis Cabrera and his conservative group threatened to shut down school board meetings if a superintendent of a school district in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas did not heed their demands …

Supreme Court blocks Purdue Pharma opioid settlement  —  The justices ruled that a bankruptcy judge did not have the authority to let members of Sackler family evade facing future lawsuits.  —  WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Thursday blew up the massive bankruptcy reorganization …

Meadows quietly fights for his White House records  —  Newly disclosed court filings show that Meadows has been pressing the National Archives and special counsel Jack Smith since May to turn over massive troves of records.  —  Donald Trump's former chief of staff, Mark Meadows …

The Supreme Court rules that state officials can engage in a little corruption, as a treat  —  On a 6-3 party-line vote, the Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that state officials may accept “gratuities” from people who wish to reward them for their official actions, despite a federal anti-corruption statute …

25+ Years of Daily Show Clips Gone as Paramount Axes Comedy Central Site  —  First on LateNighter: One of the richest repositories of late-night videos is no longer.  —  ComedyCentral.com had been home to clips from every episode of The Daily Show since 1999, and the entire run of The Colbert Report …

US intel indicates war between Israel and Hezbollah inching closer  —  The State Department urged U.S. citizens Thursday to “strongly reconsider” travel to Lebanon.  —  A large-scale confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah is likely to break out in the next several weeks if Jerusalem …

Kari Lake skips out on Arizona Senate GOP primary debate as she looks ahead to November  —  The frontrunner for the Republican Senate nomination held a town hall instead Wednesday night, leaving her primary opponent, Mark Lamb, alone on the stage.  —  TUCSON, Ariz. — On the eve …