Trump calls for jailing Democratic leaders as troops prepare for Chicago deployment  — Trump threatens to jail Johnson, Pritzker  — Former FBI chief due in court to face criminal charges  — National Guard troops gather outside Chicago despite local opposition

Trump's off-script comments cause shutdown headaches for GOP … Within hours, Trump walked it back: “I am happy to work with the Democrats on their Failed Healthcare Policies, or anything else, but first they must allow our Government to re-open,” he wrote on Truth Social hours after his initial comments.

Central witness undermines case against James Comey, prosecutors concluded: Sources  —  Ex-FBI Director James Comey is set to be arraigned on federal charges Wednesday.  —  FBI Director James Comey speaks during a news conference, March 24, 2016 in Washington.

Starving children screaming for food as US aid cuts unleash devastation and death across Myanmar  —  U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has repeatedly said “no one has died” because of his government's decision to gut its foreign aid program.  But in Myanmar, families tell The Associated Press …

Federal Agents Storm South Shore Building, Detaining Families and Children  —  Families were woken by flashbangs and helicopters as hundreds of federal agents raided their homes.  Days later, neighbors are still searching for the missing.  —  Residents of a South Shore apartment building …

Bob Ross artwork to be sold to help public television after funding cuts  —  Thirty of the late painter's works will be auctioned starting next month.  The net proceeds will benefit stations threatened by reductions in federal funding.  —  Dozens of Bob Ross paintings will be auctioned …

Grand Jury Declines to Indict Two Chicago-Area ICE Protesters  —  A federal grand jury declined to indict two people charged with assaulting law enforcement agents outside a suburban Chicago ICE facility, an attorney for one of the defendants said.  —  Federal prosecutors on Wednesday morning filed …

Trump Labor Department Says His Immigration Raids Are Causing a Food Crisis  —  In a filing in the Federal Register, the Labor Department argues there are “immediate dangers to the American food supply” due to a lack of migrant agricultural workers.  —  Dayen Labor Department food crisis

Post Traumatic Disorder … Last Thursday, at least a half-dozen staffers on The Washington Post's opinion desk were quietly sent an email from the section's new editor, Adam O'Neal.  The note, which surprised some of its recipients, informed them that their positions had been “impacted as part of our organizational change.”

Inside Stephen Miller's Secret Plan to Normalize Trump's Dictator Rule  —  Stephen Miller has a theory about this political moment.  As President Trump expands his lawbreaking and dictatorial rule, the powerful MAGA disinformation apparatus—at Miller's direction—is supercharging public attention …

What Civil Society Can Do to Beat Trumpism  —  President Trump is trying to seize power that he is not entitled to under the law or the Constitution.  —  But Mr. Trump will fail in remaking American politics if people and institutions coordinate against him, which is why his administration …

Scoop: Jay Jones cancels Virginia fundraiser amid “two bullets” backlash  —  Jay Jones, the Democratic nominee for attorney general in Virginia, has canceled a Thursday night fundraiser at the home of novelist David Baldacci, according to a person with the matter.

More than 40 Trump administration picks tied directly to oil, gas and coal, analysis shows  —  Report looks at White House nominees and appointees and agencies dictating energy, environment and climate policy  —  Donald Trump has placed dozens of people with ties to the fossil fuel sector …

These Activists Want to Dismantle Public Schools.  Now They Run the Education Department.  —  ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power.  Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they're published.  —  Education Secretary Linda McMahon has been clear …

Man With 200 Explosives And Leftist Manifesto Arrested Outside Supreme Court Event At Church: Police  —  Two days after a Biden judge gave light sentence to attempted Kavanaugh assassin, church event historically attended by conservative justices targeted  —  Washington, D.C. …

The Civil-Military Crisis Is Here  —  The leaders of the U.S. military may soon face a terrible decision.  —  To capture a democratic nation, authoritarians must control three sources of power: the intelligence agencies, the justice system, and the military.

Republicans could draw 19 more House seats after an upcoming Supreme Court ruling … While a ruling in time for next year's midterms is unlikely, the organizations behind the report said that it's not out of the question.  Taken together, the groups identified 27 total seats that Republicans …

Trump Wants to Overhaul Drug Sales.  A Company Tied to His Son Stands to Benefit.  —  Family members of President Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick are poised to benefit from efforts to remake the industry  —  WASHINGTON—The country's top drugmakers are set to meet in early December …

HarperCollins UK apologizes to Melania Trump over book's Epstein claim  —  Book publisher HarperCollins UK apologized to First Lady Melania Trump on Tuesday and recalled a book that repeated unverified claims that child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein was involved in introducing her to Donald Trump.

Delays spread to major airports across the country, as the seventh day of government shutdown impacts travelers  —  There will not be enough air traffic controllers in the tower at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport Tuesday night, the Federal Aviation Administration is warning.

Pope Leo tells US bishops to address Trump's immigration crackdown  —  Pope Leo told U.S. bishops visiting him at the Vatican on Wednesday that they should firmly address how immigrants are being treated by President Donald Trump's hardline policies, attendees said, in the latest push by the pontiff on the issue.

U.S. security guarantee for Qatar sparks jealousy and confusion … - That single Trump administration decision sets in motion a geopolitical cluster. … - “The Trump administration may well have intended it one way, and the region could interpret it in another. … - Now Qatar “has something that the others don't.”

Ted Cruz Wants to Make It Easier to Sue the Government for Censorship  —  Senator says he hopes the reaction to Jimmy Kimmel's suspension might help his new bill find bipartisan support  —  WASHINGTON—Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) is calling for changes to the legal system to better protect consumers …