Putin's partial military mobilization condemned by U.S., Europe … Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement of a “partial mobilization” of troops was condemned by United States and European officials as a dangerous escalation as the invasion in Ukraine falters.

Special master to Trump's lawyers: 'You can't have your cake and eat it'  —  NEW YORK — The senior federal judge tasked with reviewing the materials seized by the FBI from Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate sharply questioned the former president's attorneys Tuesday during their first hearing in his courtroom.

The Performative Sadism of Ron DeSantis  —  The Florida governor and MAGA heir is betting his political future on hurting vulnerable people to own the libs. … The GOP—under Donald Trump and perhaps soon under his would-be successor, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis—is rapidly becoming …

Man admits to killing teen after political dispute in Foster Co., court docs allege  —  MCHENRY, N.D. (Valley News Live) - A community is mourning the loss of an 18-year-old man from Grace City, North Dakota, as investigators look into what led up to a deadly crash.

Scoop: McConnell-aligned super PAC pulls out of Arizona  —  The Mitch McConnell-aligned Senate Leadership Fund is canceling $9.6 million in television ads for the Arizona Senate race, confident that other outside conservative groups will make up much of the difference for Republican nominee Blake Masters.

Biden aims to rally world leaders behind Ukraine in U.N. remarks  —  WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will use his remarks at the United Nations General Assembly Wednesday to rally the world in support of Ukraine as part of a broader call for countries to protect the established international order.

Mar-a-Lago probe gives Trump plenty of headaches ... and political benefits, too  —  A new Morning Consult/POLITICO poll illustrates the political benefits and larger downsides that the federal investigation continues to present for the former president.  —  The FBI's seizing of classified documents …

‘Unchecked’ book excerpt: Inside McConnell's decision not to convict Trump  —  “Let's just ignore him,” the GOP Senate leader said at one point, underscoring his hands-off approach on whether to stand up to pro-Trump lawmakers after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol

Revealed: the ‘shocking’ levels of toxic lead in Chicago tap water  —  Tests performed for thousands of Chicago residents found lead, a neurotoxin, in amounts far exceeding the federal standards  —  Erin McCormick, Aliya Uteuova and Taylor Moore with photographs by Jamie Kelter Davis

Trump to Face Sexual Battery Suit Under New ‘Survivors’ Law  —  Donald Trump has faced a defamation suit from journalist E. Jean Carroll over her allegations that Trump raped her.  Now she's escalating the suit.  —  E. Jean Carroll, the journalist who claims she was raped by Donald Trump decades ago …

Health Panel Recommends Anxiety Screening for All Adults Under 65  —  The guidance comes as Americans are coping with illness, isolation and loss from the pandemic, as well as other stressors like inflation and rising crime.  —  A panel of medical experts on Tuesday recommended …

Liz Cheney's role in electoral count bill fuels GOP distrust  —  The House is set to vote Wednesday on a bill to reform how Congress certifies presidential elections, but the involvement of the Jan. 6 committee — and in particular Vice Chair Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) — has drawn GOP opposition.

Going Nuclear  —  On thinking the unthinkable  —  The control room of a Russian nuclear missile base, outside of Moscow (Photo by robert wallis/Corbis via Getty Images)  —  Supreme leaders achieve their positions and then hold them by controlling events to their advantage.

Trump vs. DeSantis in 2024?  USA TODAY/Suffolk poll shows Florida Republicans prefer their governor  —  In a hypothetical 2024 presidential primary in the Sunshine State, DeSantis leads Trump 48%-40%.  That's a reversal from a poll of Florida in January, when Trump led DeSantis 47%-40%.

Al Gore sees the world at ‘tipping point’ for climate action  —  LONDON, Sept 21 (Reuters) - (This Sept. 20 story has been refiled to correct typo in second bullet point)  —  The world is at a “positive tipping point” in the fight against climate change as surging oil and gas costs spur governments …

The Jews of the Jews … On September 11, the New York Times published a 6,900-word exposé of New York State's Hasidic yeshivas under the title “In Hasidic Enclaves, Failing Private Schools Flush with Public Money.”  According to the Times, the state's 100-plus Hasidic boys' schools fail …

A Doocy on the border  —  Welcome to POLITICO's West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration.  With help from Allie Bice.  —  There's a tall Fox News reporter in his mid-30s with slicked back hair and an air of combative indignation …

Senate set to approve treaty fighting climate super-pollutants  —  Good morning and welcome to The Climate 202!  Below, we have more updates on the damage and power outages in Puerto Rico from Hurricane Fiona.  But first:  —  Senate will likely approve Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol this week

Dozens of Trump's phony electors, many under investigation, still hold powerful GOP jobs in key states  —  They were part of an effort across battleground states to upend the 2020 presidential election results, signing documents asserting they were their states' rightful electors and Donald Trump — not Joe Biden — was the victor.