CDC director pushed out, flood of top resignations follow  —  The ouster comes at a tumultuous time for the embattled health agency.  Other top officials also submitted their resignations Wednesday.  —  The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and several top officials …

What to know about the Minneapolis Annunciation Catholic Church shooting  —  Hours after Wednesday's shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic church and school left two children dead and 17 other people wounded, Minnesota officials identified the now-deceased gunman as 23-year-old Robin Westman, who has been identified as transgender.

Federal agents arrest firefighters working on WA wildfire  —  Two people fighting the Bear Gulch fire on the Olympic Peninsula were arrested by federal law enforcement Wednesday, in a confrontation described by firefighters and depicted in photos and video.  —  Why the two firefighters were arrested is unclear.

Why Aren't Markets Freaking Out?  —  For those of us who follow economic policy in general and the Federal Reserve in particular, the past week has been shocking and terrifying.  Donald Trump's ongoing attempts to bully the Fed into large interest rate cuts have escalated into an attempt to fire Lisa Cook …

In Trump's Second Term, a Bolder President Charges Ahead Unchecked  —  Trump is frequently riffing on authoritarianism and ignoring caution from advisers  —  Some aides to Donald Trump warned the president that building a ballroom at the White House would force them to tear down part …

Transcript: Trump Erupts in Rage as Dem Gov's Harsh Takedown Hits Home  —  The following is a lightly edited transcript of the August 28 episode of the  —  Daily Blast podcast.  Listen to it here.  —  Greg Sargent: This is The Daily Blast from The New Republic, produced and presented by the DSR network.

Trump Tariffs Cause Chaos on Ebay as Every Hobby Becomes Logistical Minefield  —  The Trump administration is throwing various hobbies enjoyed by Americans into chaos and is harming small businesses domestically and abroad with its ever-changing tariff structure that is turning the United States into a hermit kingdom.

Trump administration plans to limit how long foreign students can study in the US … “For too long, past Administrations have allowed foreign students and other visa holders to remain in the U.S. virtually indefinitely, posing safety risks, costing untold amounts of taxpayer dollars …

Tulsi Gabbard Blindsided CIA Over Revoking Clearance of Undercover Officer  —  The naming of an agency Russian hand on a list of officials has alarmed people inside the spy agency  —  Tulsi Gabbard, director of national intelligence, surprised Central Intelligence Agency officials last week …

The authoritarian checklist  —  There is so much happening that occasionally pausing to take stock is necessary.  So where are we?  In deep trouble.  America may not be fully authoritarian, but by no means can we consider it to be a functioning democracy.

“The Most Transparent Administration In History” Refuses to Say Who's Behind Their Batshit Social Media  —  Government trolls spread cruel memes and “textbook propaganda” on behalf of Trump.  —  The way the U.S. government communicates online has shifted dramatically since Donald Trump returned to power on January 20.

MAGA's Newest Meltdown With Trump  —  Move over, Epstein files—the president's call for 600,000 Chinese student visas has his base irked.  —  ∙ Paid  —  Trump supporters flip out over Chinese student visas  —  MAGA world is in revolt over Donald Trump's promise to grant visas …

Medicare Will Require Prior Approval for Certain Procedures  —  A pilot program in six states will use a tactic employed by private insurers that has been heavily criticized for delaying and denying medical care.  —  Like millions of older adults, Frances L. Ayres faced a choice …

FDA approves COVID-19 vaccines only for ‘high risk’ people  —  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday approved the updated version of Pfizer's and Moderna's COVID-19 vaccines for this upcoming respiratory viral season, but limited the approval to seniors and people at a high risk …

Trump Ally Pelted With Rocks in Campaign Stunt Disaster  —  ROCK AND HARD PLACE  —  Argentina's president was whisked away by bodyguards as things turned nasty on the campaign trail.  —  Argentina's Trump-loving president was whisked away from a rally by his security goons when protesters started lobbing rocks and bottles at him.

Air Force to provide funeral honors to Ashli Babbitt  —  The U.S. Air Force will provide Jan. 6 rioter Ashli Babbitt with military funeral honors, reversing a Biden-era decision that denied her family's request, according to a legal group that has represented her family.

2 Weeks After Trump Talks, Russia Bombards Kyiv, Killing at Least 18 … Emergency responders at a residential building that was hit by a Russian strike in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, on Thursday.  —  Visuals by Finbarr O'Reilly  —  An hourslong barrage of Russian missiles and drones killed …

Ron DeSantis Wasted $250 Million on Alligator Alcatraz as It Faces Closure  —  The state of Florida is committed to $245 million toward the construction of “Alligator Alcatraz,” the Everglades immigration detention facility which is due to close in days.  —  An email obtained …

Warnings From Weimar  —  Why Bargaining With Authoritarians Fails  —  On March 23, 1933, inside a dimly lit chamber filled with the stale scent of cigar smoke, Ludwig Kaas tried to convince himself he was making the right decision.  A Catholic priest and the leader of Germany's establishment Center Party, he stood at a crossroads.

Donald Trump Is a Threat to Capitalism  —  Perhaps we should have seen this coming.  —  In his first term, Donald Trump was not shy about using the bully pulpit of the presidency to attack any institution that interfered with his uniquely distorted economic philosophy.

OpenAI Says It's Scanning Users' ChatGPT Conversations and Reporting Content to the Police  —  As the loved ones of the people impacted by these dangerous bots rally for change to prevent such harm from happening to anyone else, the companies that run these AIs have been slow to implement safeguards …

Vance, in exclusive interview, says he's ready to be president while hailing Trump's health  —  Francesca Chambers Swapna Venugopal RamaswamyUSA TODAY  —  WASHINGTON − The first time Vice President JD Vance walked into the Oval Office, he noticed the drapes ("dark and gloomy") …

Republican support for unions plunged this year  —  Support for labor unions among Republicans declined this year, finds a Gallup survey out Thursday morning. … - The latest numbers mark a return to form. … - Unions got 90% approval from Democrats and 69% among independents.