Hours After Gag Order, Trump Launches Fresh Vitriol Against New York Judge  —  Donald Trump on Wednesday launched fresh vitriol against the judge and prosecuting attorney in his New York business fraud trial, carefully skirting a gag order imposed on him just a day prior.

GOP Senator Drops NSFW Claims About Matt Gaetz In Wild CNN Interview  —  Gaetz, in response, said the Oklahoma Republican is “coping with the death of” former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's political career.  —  LOADING  —  Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) accused Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) …

Bidens' dog, Commander, involved in more White House biting incidents than previously reported  —  President Joe Biden and first lady Dr. Jill Biden's 2-year-old German shepherd, Commander, has been involved in more biting incidents than previously reported at the White House, multiple sources familiar with the matter told CNN.

From a Capitol Hill Basement, Bannon Stokes the Republican Party Meltdown  —  The former Trump adviser has helped create the spectacle of G.O.P. dysfunction, using it to build his own following and those of the right-wing House rebels who took down Kevin McCarthy.

What Can Patrick McHenry, the Interim Speaker, Do?  —  Representative Patrick T. McHenry of North Carolina, who took the gavel, may oversee the election of a new speaker.  But he does not have the power to run the chamber.  —  Moments after the House voted to boot Representative Kevin McCarthy …

Trump Announces $45.5 Million Fund-Raising Haul, Tripling DeSantis  —  The Trump campaign's total, which cannot be independently verified until later this month, was built in part by an outpouring of money after his mug shot in Georgia was released.  —  Donald J. Trump's campaign announced …

Menendez mess triggers Democratic free-for-all in New Jersey  —  In a state where politics is defined by its nasty underside, next cycle is shaping up to be particularly volatile.  —  The indictment of Sen. Bob Menendez has unleashed a season of wild maneuvering in New Jersey politics …

Even some RNC members are fed up with ‘embarrassing,’ Trump-less debates  —  Top RNC officials aren't actively trying to court Trump to participate in future debates, as they did previously.  —  With Donald Trump boycotting and viewership falling off, some Republican National Committee members …

Officiant fires gun to welcome bride, shoots grandson — and wedding goes on  —  Michael Gardner wanted to start his nephew's wedding with a bang.  —  His plan involved shooting a blank from a revolver into the air to signal to the roughly 200 people gathered on Saturday that the outdoor ceremony …

GOP candidate says he smeared ‘fecal matter’ on daycare center because of Obama: report  —  A Republican candidate for New Jersey Assembly has admitted to being convicted in a criminal incident where he smeared “fecal matter” on the door of a daycare facility he was feuding with in 2009 …

Playbook: Scalise vs. Jordan vs. 218  —  Presented by With help from Eli Okun and Garrett Ross  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  OVERNIGHT FROM THE WSJ — “Rising Interest Rates Mean Deficits Finally Matter,” by WSJ's Greg Ip: “[T]he scale and upward trajectory of U.S. borrowing and absence …

Biden administration waives 26 federal laws to allow border wall construction in South Texas  —  It marks the administration's first use of a sweeping executive power employed often during the Trump presidency.  —  McALLEN, Texas — The Biden administration announced on Wednesday …

Russia Withdraws Black Sea Fleet Vessels From Crimea Base After Ukrainian Attacks  —  Pullout represents painful setback for the Kremlin, which seized Crimea in 2014  —  Russia has withdrawn the bulk of its Black Sea Fleet from its main base in occupied Crimea, a potent acknowledgment …

Imagine If Democrats Had Done It  —  The Republican party is sustained by two fundamental asymmetries.  And there's no cure for either of them.  —  ∙ Paid  —  We did an emergency live show last night about the McCarthy ouster.  You can find it here.  (There won't be a Thursday night show this week.)

‘The Drew Barrymore Show’ Writers Decline to Return (Exclusive)  —  The daytime talk show is coming back Oct. 16, but the show's three WGA writers — Chelsea White, Cristina Kinon and Liz Koe — have turned down an offer to return with it.  —  The Drew Barrymore Show is once again readying its return …

House contemplates its next speaker after Kevin McCarthy's removal: Live updates … 7m ago / 12:21 PM UTC  —  Steve Scalise to run for speaker after McCarthy's ouster  —  By Scott Wong, Ali Vitali and Rebecca Kaplan  —  Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who became a national figure …

‘Fixin’ to ride the lightning': Soldier who was handcuffed, hit, pepper-sprayed during traffic stop appeals case after jury mostly sides with police  —  A U.S. Army soldier who sued police after being pepper-sprayed, beaten and threatened with firearms during a traffic stop in a rural southern Virginia town …

Giuliani to lose 2nd attorney in Georgia, leaving him without local legal team  —  Several of Giuliani's former lawyers have sued him for failure to pay his bills.  —  A second lawyer for Rudy Giuliani is seeking to depart his legal team in Georgia, sources familiar with the matter tell ABC News …