Trump exits news briefing for ‘emergency phone call’  —  President Trump abruptly exited his news conference Wednesday at the White House, saying he had an “emergency” phone call as reporters continued to press him with questions on the Breonna Taylor case.  —  “I have to leave …

Trump refuses to commit to peaceful transfer of power if he loses  —  President Trump repeatedly refused to say on Wednesday whether he would commit to a peaceful transition of power if he loses the election to Joe Biden, saying at a press briefing: “We're going to have to see what happens.”

GOP's Hunter Biden Probe Digs Up Dirt on Rick Perry's Ties to Ukrainian Gas Deals  —  THREE AMIGOS  —  Instead of surfacing dirt on Hunter Biden's allegedly sketchy business ties in Ukraine, a just finished GOP-led Senate probe ended up producing new revelations about former Energy Secretary …

Mitch McConnell's campaign flagged by FEC for alleged accounting errors  —  The Federal Election Commission is asking Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's reelection campaign to answer a number of questions about suspected accounting errors.  —  The letter, sent to the McConnell Senate Committee …

Democrats worry Feinstein can't handle Supreme Court battle  —  As the Senate prepares for yet another brutal Supreme Court nomination fight, one particularly sensitive issue is creating apprehension among Democrats: what to do with 87-year-old Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee.

A ‘distressed’ Birx questions how long she can remain on White House task force, sources say  —  (CNN)Once a fixture at the administration's coronavirus briefings, Dr. Deborah Birx has confided to aides and friends that she has become so unhappy with what she sees as her diminished role …

I've Never Been More Worried About American Democracy Than I Am Right Now  —  With less than six weeks to go before Election Day, and with over 250 COVID-related election lawsuits filed across 45 states, the litigation strategy of the Trump campaign and their allies has become clear …

Release Detail  —  September 23, 2020 - Biden Keeps Above 50 Percent Mark With Steady Lead Over Trump, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; 63% Don't Expect To Know Winner Of 2020 Race On Election Night  —  In the race for the White House, former Vice President Joe Biden leads President …

The Strongman Cometh  —  A play in three acts.  —  People seem confused and confounded and disappointed by President Donald Trump tonight.  You know how he is.  He tweets.  He talks.  It's so unhelpful.  So irresponsible.  —  Allow me to present a play, in three acts.  —  PODCAST

Judge orders Eric Trump to meet with N.Y. attorney general's investigators by Oct. 7  —  NEW YORK — A state judge on Wednesday ordered Eric Trump to be deposed no later than Oct. 7 in the New York attorney general's examination of the Trump Organization's financial practices …

Israel's Netanyahu brings his dirty laundry to Washington.  Literally.  —  Most politicians go to great lengths to conceal their dirty laundry.  —  And then there's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.  —  Over the years, the Israeli leader has developed a reputation among the staff …

Adam Schiff's warning: This is ‘how you see democracies come to an end’  —  House Democrats released an ambitious new package of legislative reforms on Wednesday.  It's a blueprint for how Democrats intend to prevent any future presidents — including ones from their own party — from corrupting the place as horribly as Trump has done.

Parson, his wife both test positive for COVID-19; governor postpones travel, debate  —  JEFFERSON CITY — Gov. Mike Parson postponed an event in St. Louis Wednesday and a debate on Friday after First Lady Teresa Parson tested positive for COVID-19.  —  Later Wednesday, in a brief statement …

Cost Of Racism: U.S. Economy Lost $16 Trillion Because Of Discrimination, Bank Says  —  Nationwide protests have cast a spotlight on racism and inequality in the U.S. Now a major bank has put a price tag to how much the economy has lost as a result of discrimination against African Americans: $16 trillion.

LMPD: 2 officers shot in downtown Louisville protest Wednesday night  —  Two Louisville Metro Police officers were shot in downtown Louisville Wednesday night, just eight hours after an indictment was returned in the Breonna Taylor case.  —  Interim LMPD chief Robert Schroeder confirmed …

Trump Turns Attack on MSNBC Journalist Into Rally Fodder  —  At multiple campaign stops, the president has gotten laughs by inaccurately recounting Ali Velshi's being hit by a rubber bullet while covering a protest.  —  Claims of “fake news” have long been a staple of President Trump's rally speeches.

U.S. no longer recognizes Lukashenko as legitimate president of Belarus  —  The U.S. no longer recognizes Aleksandr Lukashenko as the legitimate president of Belarus, the State Department said in a statement on Wednesday.  —  Why it matters: Lukashenko has clung to power with the support …

Revealed: pro-Trump activists plotted violence ahead of Portland rallies  —  Patriots Coalition members suggested political assassinations and said ‘laws will be broken, people will get hurt’, leaked chats show  —  Leaked chat logs show Portland-area pro-Trump activists planning and training for violence …

Exclusive: Former South Florida Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Under Federal Investigation  —  MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Former Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is under federal investigation by the Justice Department for allegedly spending campaign money on personal trips and vacations for her and her family, CBS Miami has learned.

Is Freedom White?  —  In a political season of dog whistles, we must be attentive to how talk of American freedom has long been connected to the presumed right of whites to dominate everyone else.  —  “Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever!”

Trump looks for ways to win over voters on health care after failing to deliver on promises  —  President Trump is pushing advisers to deliver health-care “wins” in the final weeks of the campaign, leading to a frenzied rollout of proposals as polls show the president's handling …

In North Carolina, Black Voters' Mail-In Ballots Much More Likely to Be Rejected Than Those From Any Other Race  —  Congress works for you.  Learn how to be a better boss with the User's Guide to Democracy, a series of personalized emails about what your representatives actually do.