Playbook: Trump's media backout  —  With help from Eli Okun, Garrett Ross and Bethany Irvine  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  A ONE-TWO PUNCH — With 18 days left until Election Day, VP KAMALA HARRIS will be hitting the road with the two most popular members of her party: BARACK and MICHELLE OBAMA.

Trump delivers profanity, below-the-belt digs at Catholic charity banquet  —  The only person off limits for Trump's roast was himself.  —  NEW YORK — Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump used his remarks at a Catholic charity banquet here on Thursday to skewer prominent Democrats, often in off-color terms.

Trump Is Speaking Like Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini  —  To support The Atlantic's journalism, please consider subscribing today.  —  Rhetoric has a history.  The words democracy and tyranny were debated in ancient Greece; the phrase separation of powers became important in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Biden tells Netanyahu it's time to end Gaza war after Sinwar's elimination … - Israeli and U.S. officials say Sinwar's death on Wednesday creates an opportunity to resume talks on a deal to release the 101 hostages still held by Hamas and establish a ceasefire in Gaza.

Trump's Meandering Speeches Motivate His Critics and Worry His Allies  —  Some advisers and allies of former President Donald J. Trump are concerned about his scattershot style on the campaign trail as he continues to veer off script.  —  In the final weeks of the 2020 election …

Majority of Americans Feel Worse Off Than Four Years Ago  —  Economic Confidence Index remains negative at -26  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — More than half of Americans (52%) say they and their family are worse off today than they were four years ago, while 39% say they are better off and 8% volunteer that they are about the same.

JD Vance Campaign Event With Christian Right Leaders May Have Violated Tax and Election Laws, Experts Say  —  Ziklag and the Courage Tour, the far-right groups that hosted the Republican vice-presidential nominee, are charities that can't legally intervene in political campaigns.  —  Co-published with Documented

Harris's pandering to black men won't work  —  Confronted with a series of polls indicating a historic cratering of support among black men, Vice President Kamala Harris unveiled a new “Opportunity Agenda for Black Men,” hoping to entice one of the Democratic Party's most critical voting blocs to show up to the polls in November.

Former GOP adviser: White House race is Harris's to lose  —  Mark McKinnon, a longtime GOP political adviser, says he thinks Vice President Harris will win the election, now just 18 days away.  —  “I'm going to make a bold prediction here because I just don't give a sh- if I'm wrong …

Trump has vowed to gut climate rules.  Oil lobbyists have a plan ready.  —  As companies fall short on methane emission reductions, a top trade group has crafted a road map for dismantling key Biden administration rules.  —  An influential oil and gas industry group whose members …

The DC bureaucrat who could deliver billions to Elon Musk  —  The SpaceX billionaire is forging new ties with a federal telecom official who could help funnel billions of dollars to his company if Trump is elected.  —  Elon Musk has forged a relationship with a Republican figure who could open …

Julian Zelizer on Trump's increasingly dire rhetoric  —  “He doesn't even really use code words or anything.  He's just all in.”  —  ∙ Paid … In the closing days of the 2024 campaign, Donald Trump is talking a lot about “the enemy within.”  He's threatened to deploy the US military against his domestic political foes.

When the Top General in the U.S. Says You're ‘Fascist to the Core’  —  Toward the end of his tenure, Gen. Mark Milley, who was the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2019 to 2023, told Bob Woodward of The Washington Post that Donald Trump was a fundamental threat to the safety and integrity of the United States.

Tim Walz Defends Queer And Trans Youth At Length In Interview With Glennon Doyle  —  Erin In The Morning is a reader-supported publication.  To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a subscriber.  —  On Thursday, Governor Tim Walz sat down for an interview with author Glennon Doyle …

Jan. 6 rioter who attacked multiple officers sentenced to 17 months in prison  —  The widow of an MPD officer delivered an emotional victim impact statement.  —  Demonstrators swarm the U.S. Capitol building during a protest in Washington, D.C., Jan. 6, 2021.

Turns out we'll see a big Jack Smith document dump before the election  —  U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan has agreed to release a dossier of evidence amassed by special counsel Jack Smith, ruling Thursday that the high public interest in the document outweighs Trump's demand that she keep it hidden until after the election.

Harris Blankets Airwaves, Trump Bets on Pennsylvania in Final Stretch  —  The Democratic nominee is trying to defend the Blue Wall and remain competitive in the Sun Belt, while Trump battles for electoral vote-rich Pennsylvania. … Despite an election defined by surprises …