Trump insists vandals damaged Reflecting Pool, blasts DOJ for dropped charge  —  The president acknowledged “there may have been some contractor difficulty” but said he disagreed with U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro for dropping a criminal charge against a former Olympian.  —  Summary

Trump says he will ‘push hard’ for payout fund, keep Blanche as acting AG  —  The president blamed two GOP senators for resisting Todd Blanche, his pick to run the Justice Department, suggesting he would resurrect his controversial “anti-weaponization” fund in response.  —  Summary

GOP Staffers Say the Party Has a Groyper Problem … The grownups are worried.  In group chats and at happy hours, some GOP veterans fret about the rising generation of young staffers in their party.  The recurring complaint: The pipeline that feeds young conservative talent into government jobs is defective — if not broken.

Capital One says it closed Trump Organization's accounts after anti-money laundering probe  —  Capital One Financial (COF.N) hit back on Friday against a lawsuit over its decision to close the Trump Organization's bank accounts years ago, stating that it did so after a review by anti-money laundering experts.

U.S. general warns Pentagon he lacks sufficient forces to protect Israel  —  A shortage of Navy destroyers, used to defend against Iranian ballistic missile attacks, will force the head of U.S. European Command to prioritize the U.S. homeland instead, officials said.  —  Summary

Scope of Hacks on U.S. Water Supply Widens as Evidence Points to Iran  —  Michigan and Minnesota are among at least seven states coping with cyberattacks aimed at disrupting water systems nationwide.  —  The scope of cyberattacks on U.S. water systems has grown to include at least seven states …

MAGA Exiles Declare War on Trump: ‘He Betrayed Us All’  —  MIDTERM MAYHEM?  —  “There's going to be a third party, and I'm going to do everything I can to bring that about,” Tucker Carlson vowed.  —  More trouble is brewing for Republicans in the midterm elections as a crew …

Justice Dept. Subpoenas Times Freelancer in Effort to Identify Sources  —  A previously undisclosed subpoena, involving reporting on a failed SEAL Team 6 mission in North Korea, reflects the government's expanding campaign to investigate leaks of secrets.  —  A freelance reporter has been fighting …

‘Platner on steroids’: Max Miller abuse claims have Republicans silently sweating  —  Public scrutiny of domestic abuse allegations against Rep. Max Miller is quickly mounting.  His Republican colleagues have been slow to respond.  —  New reporting on government documents claiming …

The sleeper referendum that could reshape the national judiciary  —  A ballot referendum in Kansas that's generated little national attention could set off a nationwide arms race to politicize state courts.  —  Kansans on Tuesday will decide whether to amend the state constitution to allow voters …

Florida's MAGA Attorney Threatens to Defund Catholic Schools Over Vaccine Mandate  —  Make A One-Time Gift to Support My Work  —  Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier sent a letter Friday to the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops demanding that the state's Catholic schools grant religious exemptions …

Kamala Harris signals support for abolishing Electoral College and expanding Supreme Court  —  Former Vice President Kamala Harris is suggesting that the United States “revisit” the Electoral College and add four more justices to the Supreme Court.  —  “I know this is going to be controversial coming …

DNI to begin transition from Pulte to Clayton on Monday  —  Bill Pulte will officially kick off the transition process away from serving as acting director of national intelligence on Monday, ultimately ceding the reins of the intelligence hub to the newly confirmed Manhattan attorney Jay Clayton, he announced on social media Saturday.

Visuals Suggest U.S. Dropped 2,000-Pound Bomb on Home in Iran, Killing 3  —  The weapon, one of the largest in the U.S.'s arsenal, struck a house in a heavily populated area, according to a Times analysis.  —  The United States struck a family home on Iran's Qeshm Island overnight on Thursday …

Trump's Polling Numbers Hit a New Low.  Don't Expect Him to Change Course.  —  Barely a third of Americans approve of Mr. Trump's handling of the job, putting him at historic depths for a second-term president at this stage of his tenure.  —  After a spate of bad polls earlier this summer …

Meet the Americans Who Can't Afford Hair Cuts or Toilet Paper  —  Trinity Goodman in her apartment in Oklahoma City.Tamara Reynolds for The New York Times  —  After a 1,000-mile road trip across a swath of America, I can't get one person out of my mind: Trinity Goodman, a cheerful …

Heat wave bringing record-breaking temps, heightened wildfire risk to parts of Western US  —  A heat wave gripped large swaths of the Western U.S. on Saturday as temperatures hovered near record highs, heightening wildfire risks in areas that already are dry or burning and prompting warnings for people to stay inside.

Troy Jackson launches his first general election ad in Maine Senate race, criticizing Susan Collins  —  The seven-figure ad campaign highlights the Democrat's background as a labor organizer and attacks incumbent Maine GOP Sen. Susan Collins.  It's slated to begin running next week.