Exclusive: Former Republicans and Democrats to form new third U.S. political party  —  Dozens of former Republican and Democratic officials will announce on Wednesday a new national political third party to appeal to millions of voters they say are dismayed with what they see as America's dysfunctional two-party system.

Josh Hawley is writing book on masculinity.  Senator's ‘Manhood’ goes on sale next May.  —  Missouri U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley is writing a book called Manhood: The Masculine Virtues Americans Need, building off a speech he gave at a conservative conference claiming the political left is waging a war on masculinity.

US economy shrank 0.9% last quarter, its 2nd straight drop  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy shrank from April through June for a second straight quarter, contracting at a 0.9% annual pace and raising fears that the nation may be approaching a recession.

Trump tees off in front of Ivanka and Jared at Saudi-backed LIV Golf Pro-Am at his NJ course despite fury from 9/11 victims over ‘blood money’ tournament - just 40 miles from Ground Zero  — Trump is hosting the LIV series at his golf club in New Jersey this weekend to the disgust of 9/11 families

Joe Manchin and Chuck Schumer Have a Surprise for You  —  An 18-month odyssey culminates in a smaller-than-promised, bigger-than-expected agreement to lower health care costs, tax corporations, and protect the planet.  —  Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) is met by reporters outside the hearing room …

How local journalists proved a 10-year-old's abortion wasn't a hoax  —  Many doubted the story of a young rape victim who had to cross state lines for an abortion.  But journalists on the ground kept reporting.  —  It felt like half the country doubted the case existed.

Biden's soft power has not been enough to stop would-be rivals from grabbing the 2024 spotlight  —  The president has so far deployed a keep-frenemies-close approach to his ambitious Democratic colleagues.  Some close to the White House say what Biden needs is a traditional enforcer.

They Can't Let Him Back In  —  The people who really run the United States of America have made it clear that they can't, and won't, if they can help it, allow Donald Trump to be president again.  In fact, they made this clear in 2020, in a series of public statements.

Kim threatens to use nukes amid tensions with US, S. Korea  —  SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned he's ready to use his nuclear weapons in potential military conflicts with the United States and South Korea, state media said Thursday, as he unleashed fiery rhetoric …

CHIPS bill at risk as some House Republicans bail in order to punish Manchin over BBB  —  Probably not much risk.  But there's more suspense about the House passing CHIPS than there was 24 hours ago.  —  Ed wrote earlier about two questions hanging over Joe Manchin's heel turn last night on Build Back Better.

These 41 Senate Republicans Voted Against Veterans' Healthcare—Full List  —  A bill aimed at protecting veterans exposed to toxic materials during their service was shut down yesterday in the Senate, in a 55 to 42 vote that failed to meet the 60-vote threshold necessary to advance the legislation.

Jan. 6 committee deepens probe into Trump cabinet: Sources  —  Ex-Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin recently sat an interview, sources said.  —  The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol is working to secure testimony from a growing number of officials …

House Rating Changes: More Movement Toward Republicans  —  KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE  — We are making 10 House rating changes, 9 of which benefit Republicans.  — Our overall best guess at the net change in the House — a GOP gain somewhere in the 20s — remains unchanged.

This American teacher also sits in a Russian jail, worried nobody cares  —  Arrested last summer after arriving in Moscow with medical marijuana in his luggage, Marc Fogel has a case that parallels the ordeal of WNBA star Brittney Griner.  But his plight has mostly gone unnoticed.

What causes a recession?  —  The economic domino effect has begun, but there is still time to stop it  —  Everyone is wondering whether the economy is going into a recession — or if we are already in one.  —  But what causes a recession?  —  A recession is caused when a chain of events …

GOP Pa. governor nominee under fire for ties to white nationalist site  —  CEO of Gab praised Doug Mastriano for leading “an explicitly Christian movement” in antisemitic screeds posted online this week  —  Doug Mastriano, the Republican nominee for Pennsylvania governor …

Democrats are pressuring Merrick Garland to make an anti-Trump case he doesn't have  —  Eighteen months after they abetted then-President Donald Trump's crusade to reverse his 2020 election loss, lawyers John Eastman and Jeffrey Clark found themselves manhandled by FBI agents bearing court-authorized search warrants.

Thinking Sectorally  —  Our current model of collective bargaining leaves millions of workers out in the cold.  Sectoral bargaining could change all that—and, just maybe, rebuild our shrunken middle class. … The outlook for the labor movement in America is at once bleak and hopeful.

Mike Pence Sold His Soul for Nothing  —  He was honorable on January 6th, but not before or after.  —  Poor Mike Pence.  You remember Mike Pence—he's the guy who defeated a roomful of lickspittles to claim the obsequiousness grand prize at a 2017 cabinet meeting, praising the dear leader once every 12.5 seconds.

Trump has never been patriotic or defensible.  It shouldn't take a coup to figure that out.  —  Ever since he smeared immigrants and belittled John McCain, Trump has been showing us he's unfit.  He showed it again Tuesday.  The mystery is why most Republicans pretend not to notice.

Where Do Trump's Donations Go?  —  He can't spend his PACs' millions on 2024 and isn't using much in midterms.  —  1x  —  What will Donald Trump do with his campaign cash?  —  The former president controls four political-action committees—Save America; Make America Great Again, Again!

AJC poll: Most voters oppose restrictions on abortion, Georgia's new ban  —  Most Georgia voters oppose a new restrictive abortion law that took effect last week, and many say a candidate's support or opposition to the procedure will have an impact on who gets their vote, according to a new Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll.

Ukraine is gathering strength for an assault on Kherson  —  Russia might destroy the city rather than lose it  —  The shelling in Mykolaiv, in southern Ukraine, has been relentless.  In the five months since the start of the war, only 21 days have gone by without any Russian bombs, says the mayor, Oleksandr Senkevych.

States With Abortion Bans Are Among Least Supportive for Mothers and Children  —  They tend to have the weakest social services and the worst results in several categories of health and well-being.  —  In Mississippi, which brought the abortion case that ended Roe v. Wade before the Supreme Court …

Judge: Wisconsin probe found ‘absolutely no’ election fraud  —  MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin judge said Thursday that a Republican-ordered, taxpayer-funded investigation into the 2020 election found “absolutely no evidence of election fraud,” but did reveal contempt for the state's open records law …

What's in the “game changer” climate bill nobody saw coming  —  $369 billion new reasons to have renewed hope on climate change.  —  Democrats may be on the verge of passing historic climate legislation after all.  —  The $369 billion of climate spending in the Inflation Reduction Act …

Exclusive — Whistleblower: Same FBI Boss Who Shut Down Hunter Biden Dirt Also Pressured Agents to Juice Domestic Violent Extremism Stats  —  The same senior FBI agent who allegedly shut down investigative activity related to Hunter Biden also allegedly sought to pad the FBI's number of …

Tim Ryan's GOP-friendly campaign unsettles Republicans in Ohio  —  AKRON, Ohio — A once largely unimaginable scenario has been rattling around Ohio's political scene all summer.  —  Can Rep. Tim Ryan pull off an upset in the state's U.S. Senate race?  —  The Democrat is airing ads on Fox News …

To Win in November, Democrats Should Pass Medicare Reforms  —  After months of negotiations, Democrats are one step closer to realizing a key legislative goal: reforming Medicare to make healthcare more affordable.  This proposal would give Medicare the power to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies …