The Wall Street Journal reports: Israeli President Reuven Rivlin tapped Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form the next government, setting off weeks of political jockeying as the incumbent tries to maintain his hold on power. Mr. Rivlin’s announcement came as talks between Mr. Netanyahu and rival Benny Gantz to form a broad unity government after last week’s inconclusive election have …

Reuters reports: Sen. Lindsey Graham on Wednesday dared House Democrats to vote on formally opening an impeachment inquiry after the White House released a partial transcript of President Trump’s call with Ukraine’s president. The memorandum of the call released Wednesday confirmed reports that Trump asked for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to “look into” former Vice President Joe Biden and his …

Fox News (LOL) reports: Hillary Clinton on Wednesday said President Trump “has betrayed our country” following the White House’s release of a transcript of the call he had with Ukraine’s president in July, that showed he sought a review of the Biden family’s business dealings. The former secretary of state tweeted that her words were “not a political statement — …

Politico reports: YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki said today that content by politicians would stay up on the video-sharing website even if it violates the company’s standards, echoing a position staked out by Facebook this week. “When you have a political officer that is making information this is really important for their constituents to see, or for other global leaders to …

The Hill reports: President Trump on Wednesday claimed the release of the transcript of a call between him and the Ukrainian president validated his assertions that it showed no wrongdoing, even as Democrats seized on its contents to bolster their calls for impeachment. Trump reacted to the transcript shortly after it was released while attending a meeting on Venezuela at …

The Hill reports: Conservative attorney George Conway predicted Wednesday that Republicans in the Senate particularly would break with the president and vote for impeachment if Democrats decide to formally support Trump’s impeachment. Conway, husband of White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, tweeted Wednesday that Republican senators would hide their decision to vote against the president until the last possible minute on …

Talking Points Memo reports: A whistleblower’s complaint about President Trump’s conduct towards Ukraine prompted the Justice Department’s inspector general to send a criminal referral to the Justice Department, a DOJ spokesperson revealed on Wednesday. The referral suggested that Trump’s comments to Ukraine President Zelensky potentially violated campaign finance law, the Justice Department said. The Justice Department “reviewed the official record …

The New York Times reports: President Trump urged the president of Ukraine to contact Attorney General William P. Barr about opening a potential corruption investigation connected to former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., according to a transcript of a July phone call at the center of accusations that Mr. Trump pressured a foreign leader to find dirt on a …

CNN reports: President Donald Trump was incredulous Tuesday as he sat in Trump Tower and watched House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announce she was launching a formal impeachment inquiry against him, sources familiar with the moment say. Sitting in the same building where he launched his long shot presidential campaign four years ago, Trump said he couldn’t believe it, he later …

“Let me underscore emphatically that nothing that the president said on that call or what we think he said on that call constitutes a crime, and even if he had said, ‘You’re not going to get the money,’ it would not be a crime. “I was watching Nancy Pelosi today as she struggled to keep her dentures in her mouth, …

From Charisma News founder Stephen Strang: Technology is changing our lives in many ways. Many of these changes are helpful to our jobs, our medical care and even our spiritual growth. But is there something else going on that ties into God’s plan for the end of time—and maybe even the Antichrist? End-times expert Mark Biltz says yes. In his …

NBC News reports: A new Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday morning shows former Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, of Massachusetts, essentially tied in the 2020 Democratic race for president. Democratic voters polled by Quinnipiac University gave Warren 27 percent of the vote and Biden 25 percent. The numbers are within the margin of error of plus …

CNBC reports: Kevin Burns has resigned as Juul’s CEO and will be replaced by former Altria executive K.C. Crosthwaite, the e-cigarette company announced Wednesday. Altria invested $12.8 billion for a 35% stake in Juul late last year, placing a huge bet on the embattled vaping company. Tobacco giant Altria’s shares are down nearly 18% this year. The company on Wednesday …

Contemptor reports: Fox News appears to be doing damage control for the White House even before any new information on the Trump/Ukraine scandal is released. On Wednesday morning, Fox & Friends spoke to Republican Congressman Doug Collins, who went on the attack against Democrats. “According to Fox News, in the transcript that we’re gonna see later today, there are a …

USA Today reports: The world’s oceans and mountains are in peril, and so are we, according to a major new report from United Nations climate scientists released early Wednesday. The “Special Report on Oceans and the Cryosphere” offers a bleak picture. It warns that the world’s oceans have reached or are nearing critical tipping points: Oceans have gotten warmer, more …

The Independent reports: Rudy Giuliani hurled abuse at a fellow Fox News guest, calling him a “serial liar” and a “moron” as the president’s opponents pledged to seek Donald Trump’s removal from office. With the threat of impeachment hanging in the air, Mr Giuliani’s outburst on Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle came as he looked to defend Donald Trump and …

The Washington Post reports: President Trump’s attempt to pressure the leader of Ukraine followed a months-long fight inside the administration that sidelined national security officials and empowered political loyalists — including the president’s personal lawyer, Rudolph W. Giuliani — to exploit the U.S. relationship with Kiev, current and former U.S. officials said. The sequence, which began early this year, involved …

The Hill reports: Rep. Justin Amash (I-Mich.) on Tuesday responded to President Trump shortly after House Democrats formally launched an impeachment inquiry against him, telling Trump that “it’s not about the transcript of a call.” Amash previously called for impeaching Trump on the grounds that the president obstructed justice in his attempts to impede former special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation …

Playbill reports: Judy Garland fans and eager moviegoers can get a taste of Judy a few days before the film’s September 27 release; listen to the track “Get Happy,” featuring star Renée Zellweger and Grammy and Oscar-winning artist Sam Smith. Judy follows Garland’s later years, specifically her final string of performances at London’s Talk of the Town. The previously announced …

The New York Times reports: The White House has determined that it will most likely have to allow the whistle-blower who filed an explosive complaint about President Trump to meet with congressional investigators, two people briefed on the matter said Tuesday. The meeting could give Democrats a stream of evidence as they consider whether to impeach the president. Such a …