Woodward/Costa book: Worried Trump could ‘go rogue,’ Milley took secret action to protect nuclear weapons  —  The story below contains explicit language  —  Washington (CNN)Two days after the January 6 attack on the US Capitol, President Donald Trump's top military adviser …

Norm Macdonald Dies: Influential Comedian & Former ‘SNL’ Weekend Update Anchor Was 61  —  Norm Macdonald, whose laconic delivery of sharp and incisive observations made him one of Saturday Night Live's most influential and beloved cast members, died today after a nine-year private battle with cancer.

Facebook Knows Instagram Is Toxic for Teen Girls, Company Documents Show  —  Its own in-depth research shows a significant teen mental-health issue that Facebook plays down in public  —  About a year ago, teenager Anastasia Vlasova started seeing a therapist.

GOP could be left red-faced after California recall  —  It's recall day in California, and by just about all accounts — including their own — Republicans are headed for defeat.  —  Top GOP contender Larry Elder's campaign is already bogusly blaming his loss (which hasn't actually happened yet) on voter fraud.

Democrats cut deal with Manchin to get party behind long-shot voting overhaul bill  —  (CNN)Senate Democrats are proposing new legislation to overhaul voting laws after months of discussions to get all 50 of their members behind a single bill, allowing their caucus to speak with one voice …

Why Did the Staff at the Met Wear Masks, While the Celebrities Went Without?  —  The photographs from last night's event at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City show a host of celebrities — including New York Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Carolyn Maloney …

New York Will Soon Lose 1 House Seat.  The G.O.P. Might Lose 5.  —  A new bipartisan commission is drawing up district lines, but New York Democratic leaders are laying the groundwork to take over the redistricting process.  —  Seven years ago, New Yorkers voted decisively to empower …

Republican derails Afghanistan hearing by asking who can ‘press the button’ to silence Biden  —  Idaho Republican Sen. Jim Risch grilled Secretary of State Antony Blinken about who in the White House has the authority to “press the button” to silence President Joe Biden in a strange exchange during …

Ron DeSantis reaches a new low of cynicism and recklessness  —  Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, a Republican, has descended to a jaw-dropping level of cynicism.  At a news conference on Monday, he announced that if local governments in Florida impose vaccine mandates on their employees, he would fine them $5,000 for every worker.

Biden Underwater On Job Approval And Handling Of Key Issues, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; More Than 6 In 10 Americans Believe U.S. Troops Will Return To Afghanistan  — mail_outline  —  Americans' views have dimmed on the way President Joe Biden is handling his job as president …

Ex-U.S. Intelligence Officers Admit to Hacking Crimes in Work for Emiratis  —  They were among a trend of Americans working for foreign governments trying to build their cyberoperation abilities.  —  WASHINGTON — Three former American intelligence officers hired by the United Arab Emirates …

Covid Hospitalization Crisis Reaches Fever Pitch in Southern I.C.U.s  —  Share of I.C.U. beds occupied in each hospital  —  Circle size is proportional to I.C.U. capacity.  —  Wash.  —  Maine  —  Mont.  —  N.D.  —  Ore.  —  Vt.  —  Minn.  —  N.H.  —  Idaho  —  Wis.  —  S.D.

Joe Biden's suggestion of summit with Xi Jinping falls on deaf ears  —  US president proposed face-to-face meeting in call last week but Chinese leader did not respond  —  Joe Biden suggested he hold a face-to-face summit with Chinese president Xi Jinping during a 90-minute call last week …

Words matter.  So these journalists refuse to call GOP election meddling an ‘audit.’  —  There's a simple but powerful idea behind the Philadelphia Inquirer's recent decision not to use the word “audit” when referring to an effort by the state GOP to investigate the 2020 election:  —  Words matter.

N.J. top cop notes 22 COVID-related deaths among police in a week as unions continue anti-mandate push  —  There was a spate of virus-related deaths among police officers last week as law enforcement unions in some corners of the state fight to head off vaccine mandates …

Memo shows how Homeland Security restricted flow of ‘election-related’ intelligence ahead of 1/6  —  Ex-FBI official warns of potential for more violence at right-wing rally  —  (CNN)A few months before rioters stormed the US Capitol, the Department of Homeland Security restricted the flow …

Op-Ed: The GOP is now a zombie of the party that triumphed in the 2003 recall  —  In October 2003, I was working at the CBS affiliate in Bakersfield running the assignment desk and helping produce our political coverage.  It was an exciting time to be in both news and politics.

Josh Hawley to block Biden's nominees until Cabinet members resign over Afghanistan  —  Sen. Josh Hawley pledged on Tuesday to hold up confirmation votes for all Pentagon or State Department nominees until key members of President Biden's Cabinet resign over the Afghanistan pullout.

Tucker Carlson Admits He Sometimes Lies On His Show  —  “I mean, I lie if I'm really cornered or something,” Carlson told conservative talk show host Dave Rubin.  —  Tucker Carlson is apparently telling the truth when he says he sometimes lies on his show.

What The Right Needs Now Is The Courage To Fight Even If It Costs Us  —  All of a sudden, the conservative project is not a conservative one, so much as a counter-revolutionary one.  —  This is the text of the Bradley Prize acceptance speech the author gave on Sept. 13.

China's ambassador Zheng Zeguang banned from UK Parliament  —  China's ambassador to the UK has been told he cannot come to Parliament while sanctions remain in place against a number of MPs and peers.  —  Zheng Zeguang was due to attend a Commons reception on Wednesday, hosted by the all-party group on China.