Meet Fabian Nelson, Mississippi’s First Openly L.G.B.T.Q. Legislator Mr. Nelson, 38, won a Democratic primary runoff on Tuesday in a blue district. He talked to The New York Times about the significance of being the first — but why he never focused on it on the trail.

Bill Richardson Reveled in Role of Freelance Envoy to Dictators The former New Mexico governor and energy secretary filled a specialized diplomatic niche, talking to strongmen when presidents and other officials could — or would — not.

On the Economy, Biden Struggles to Convince Voters of His Success Wages are up, inflation has slowed and the White House has a new slogan. Still, President Biden’s poor marks on the economy are making Democratic worried.

For Politicians, Vacations Can Be a Lot of Work Taking a break from the campaign trail is risky. History is littered with cautionary tales of candidates who got it wrong.

In Florida, a Hurricane Can’t Bring DeSantis and Biden Together President Biden said he would meet with Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida during a visit to tour the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia. An aide to the governor said he had no such plans.

Biden Won’t Meet DeSantis in Florida During Tour of Hurricane Damage Though the president said earlier on Friday that he would see the governor on Saturday, Mr. DeSantis’s office said there were no plans for a meeting.

Plea Deal May Be Near for a Bali Bombing Defendant at Guantánamo The case of a Guantánamo detainee charged by a military commission over terrorist attacks in Indonesia two decades ago is no longer joined to that of two other defendants.

Record Number of Families Cross Southern Border Illegally in August The roughly 91,000 migrants who were arrested after crossing together as families exceeded a record set in May 2019, the height of the border crisis during the Trump administration.

U.S. Knew About Migrant Killings by Saudi Forces Earlier Than Previously Disclosed The State Department says diplomats in Riyadh learned of the atrocities from research groups last summer, contradicting an earlier statement that the United States was not aware until December.

Peter Meijer, Republican Who Backed Impeachment, Eyes Michigan Senate Race Mr. Meijer, who lost his House primary last year, has formed an exploratory committee to run for an open Senate seat.

On Abortion, Trump Says He Has Advice for Republicans The former president suggested that Republicans needed to talk about exceptions to abortion bans but was otherwise vague about how his party should discuss the issue.

Why Biden Can’t Expedite Work Permits for Migrants Congress is unwilling to change entrenched immigration laws. Other options face lawsuits or backlogs that could lead to even longer waits.

Yale’s President Announces He Will Step Down Peter Salovey has increased the university’s endowment and its diversity. But the school faces the end of affirmative action and a push to end legacy admissions.

The U.S. and China Are Talking Again. Where It Will Lead Is Unclear. Gina Raimondo, the U.S. commerce secretary, and her Chinese counterparts agreed to continue economic talks, but such dialogues have a disheartening record.

McCarthy Tries to Leverage Biden Impeachment to Avoid a Shutdown But some conservatives are dismissive, saying the House could continue investigating the president and his family even if funding for the government lapses at the end of September.

McConnell Freezes Up a Second Time While Addressing Reporters The episode, which took place in the Republican leader’s home state of Kentucky, intensified questions about his future in the Senate.

Labor Department Proposes Vast Expansion of Overtime Eligibility The Biden administration seeks a threshold of about $55,000 in annual pay under which salaried workers must get overtime, up from $35,500.

The Evolution of A.O.C. The congresswoman from New York says she’s different from when she first took office. But she’s not ready to call herself an insider.

Republican Women, Fearing Backlash on Abortion, Pivot to Birth Control A group of politically vulnerable G.O.P. women has backed legislation that purports to expand birth control access but would have little effect. Critics say the bill is meant to distract from their anti-abortion stances.

The Object of Ukraine’s Desire: F-16’s From the West. But It’s Tricky. Ukraine’s sense of urgency in obtaining the fighter jet reflects concerns about the war against Russia, but also the political calendar in the West. But training pilots and support crew is a lengthy process.