With Feds Circling, Trump Asks Allies: Who's ‘Wearing a Wire’?  —  Donald Trump is worried he may have a rat — or multiple rats — in his midst.  He's wondering if his phones are tapped, or even if one of his buddies could be “wearing a wire.”  —  As the federal and state investigations …

FBI delivers subpoenas to several Pa. Republican lawmakers: sources say  —  1,070 … - Meadows' former aide Cassidy Hutchinson testified to the House Select Committee that Perry was among a small group of people who talked with Meadows about a potential appearance by Trump at the Capitol following …

Historians privately warn Biden that America's democracy is teetering  —  When Biden met with historians last week at the White House, they compared the threat facing America to the pre-Civil War era and to pro-fascist movements before WWII  —  President Biden paused last week …

Far-Right Extremists Are Violently Threatening the Trump Search-Warrant Judge  —  “Let's find out if he has children... where they go to school, where they live... EVERYTHING,” one person wrote on a message board where the judge's address was posted.  —  David Gilbert

U.S. gas prices fall below $4 for the first time in months  —  Gas prices fall below $4 but housing, food prices continue to climb  —  The average price of gasoline in the U.S. fell below $4 per gallon Thursday for the first time in months, offering some respite to drivers.

Trump and James sat across from each other for hours as he said ‘same answer’ again and again.  —  The New York State attorney general, Letitia James, sat across from Donald J. Trump as he repeatedly declined to answer questions, invoking his right against self-incrimination during a deposition on Wednesday …

Yellen directs IRS not to use new funding to increase chances of audits of Americans making less than $400,000  —  Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Wednesday directed the Internal Revenue Service not to use any of the new funding allocated in the Democrats' new health care and climate bill …

Yearning for a Banana Republic  —  Emboldened by fever dreams of persecution, Republicans want nothing more than to anoint a strong man to punish their enemies.  —  What an amazingly stupid time this is.  —  Here's an easy thought experiment.  Imagine a Third World banana republic.

Why Wait?  Here's Liz Cheney's Concession Speech in Advance  —  Liz Cheney is facing an awkward challenge.  A few days from now, she will deliver the most consequential speech of her career to date.  The polls indicate it will almost certainly be a concession speech.

Hispanic Voters Are Normie Voters  —  Time for Woke Democrats to Wake Up  —  Democrats are having a great deal of trouble holding on to Hispanic voters.  In 2020, running against Donald Trump for a second time, in the midst of a COVID/economic crisis and after the George Floyd summer of …

An unusual deal gave Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin $8.5 million in stock.  He paid $0 in tax on it.  —  In January 2020, Glenn Youngkin, now the Republican governor of Virginia, got some welcome news.  A complex corporate transaction had gone through at the Carlyle Group …

Joe Arpaio loses 3rd comeback bid in town mayoral race  —  Joe Arpaio, the 90-year-old former Arizona sheriff who was a once powerful figure in Republican politics but was ousted nearly six years ago amid frustration over his headline-grabbing tactics and legal troubles …

Europe's Energy Crisis May Get a Lot Worse  —  I don't think many Americans appreciate just how tense and tenuous, how very touch and go the energy situation in Europe is right now.  —  For months, as news of the Ukraine war receded a bit, it was possible to follow the energy story unfolding across …

How Not To Talk To The Public About Monkeypox  —  A case study in hiding the ball, public health official-style  —  Happy Wednesday!  You may have seen some FBI-related news this week — if you're interested in the Mar-a-Lago raid, including some inferences about the status of the investigations …

Scoop: Miami mayor eyes White House  —  Miami Mayor Francis Suarez's political operation is making subtle but significant moves toward a potential White House run, Axios has learned. … - Suarez is nonetheless considered a rising political star who's overseen the ascendance of one of America's fastest-growing and most dynamic cities.

Lincoln Project co-founder speculates if Jared Kushner was the mole who sold out Trump to the feds  —  Lincoln Project co-founder Rick Wilson appeared on MSNBC Wednesday afternoon to talk about the group's new 60 second ad that they are running in Bedminster, New Jersey, where Donald Trump typically summers.

How did Ukraine strike deep inside Russian-occupied Crimea?  —  How did Ukraine blow up Russia's Saki Air Base in southwest Crimea on Tuesday?  Was it with supersonic ballistic missiles, perhaps made in the United States?  Or did it send a SEAL Team 6-style special ops, dropped deep behind enemy lines, to set explosions?

California sets precedent by breaking down Black employee data by lineage  —  California has become the first in the nation to require state agencies to include a separate category for descendants of enslaved people in its collection of employee data.

Bored to Death by Trump  —  Sooner or later, every last thing in American life becomes about the former president.  It's incredibly tedious.  —  I  —  am inordinately bored of Donald Trump.  —  I'm bored of the man himself.  I'm bored of his opponents.  I'm bored of his supporters.

Biden gets some closure  —  Welcome to POLITICO's West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration.  With help from Allie Bice.  —  President JOE BIDEN arrived in South Carolina on Wednesday afternoon for a family vacation on Kiawah Island.