Wednesday's Headlines: In every state, pessimism about Trump, Clinton and election's impact

Clinton accuses Trump of concealing 'scams' as he scrutinizes her appearance; Chicago's homicides this year have already topped its 2015 total; Japan is so crazy about mascots that 'fluffy toilet character' is a real job; A 7th-grader's sext was meant to impress a boy. He shared it. It nearly destroyed her.;   The morning's most important stories, selected by Post editors   Top Stories In every state, pessimism about Trump, Clinton and election’s impact The presidential campaign has intensified long-standing political divisions, but there is one area of broad agreement among voters in both red states and blue states — a pervasive pessimism that no matter the outcome, the election will do little to unify the country, according to a Washington Post-SurveyMonkey survey of all 50 states. By Dan Balz and Emily Guskin  •  Read more » Clinton accuses Trump of concealing 'scams' as he scrutinizes her appearance In intensified and highly personal attacks, the Democrat prodded the business mogul to explain his past donation to Florida's attorney general, and the Republican said in an interview, "I just don't think she has a presidential look." By John Wagner and Jose A. DelReal  •  Read more »   Chicago's homicides this year have already topped its 2015 total Even as the number of homicides has spiked in cities across the country, Chicago stands out for having more than New York and Los Angeles combined. Authorities blame repeat offenders and the proliferation of guns on the city's streets. By Mark Berman and Mark Guarino  •  Read more »   Japan is so crazy about mascots that 'fluffy toilet character' is a real job In Japan, it's hard to go anywhere without encountering someone in a fluffy costume designed to make you feel warm and fuzzy, even at a prison. At a school for training mascots, students learn how to start a viable career playing a cute and convincing duck or squirrel — or a lovable character with a toilet-seat lid for a face. By Anna Fifield  •  Read more »   A 7th-grader's sext was meant to impress a boy. He shared it. It nearly destroyed her. For every "sexting scandal" that is reported, an unknown multitude of parents and teens — mostly girls — are just beginning to grasp what it means to live in a world where nothing digital ever truly disappears. By Jessica Contrera  •  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   Opinions   Donald Trump wants you to trust him, blindly By Dana Milbank  •  Read more »   Peter Thiel: Trump has taught us this year's most important political lesson By Peter Thiel  •  Read more »   Kaepernick's symbolism misses the point By Barton Swaim  •  Read more »   Donald Trump's immigration hypocrisy By Editorial Board  •  Read more »   Clinton should stop pretending she's not elite By David Ignatius  •  Read more »   Another group that loses if Trump wins? Animals. By Kathleen Parker  •  Read more » ADVERTISEMENT   More News   New book reveals Bill Clinton's rogue diplomacy against the Iraq War Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair asked the former president to help corral support for a resolution aimed at slowing or stopping the Iraq War. The effort came after Hillary Clinton's vote authorizing George W. Bush's use of force and without the express approval of the White House. By Abby Phillip  •  Read more » Republicans seek to censure Obama administration on $400 million payment to Iran The move comes as new details emerge about the money transfer, which some GOP leaders have called "ransom" because it occurred on the day four American prisoners were released. By Karoun Demirjian  •  Read more » Minnesota man admits he abducted and killed Jacob Wetterling, ending a 27-year-old mystery Danny Heinrich was one of the first people interviewed after the 11-year-old boy's disappearance but long maintained his innocence. As part of a plea deal on child pornography charges, he won't be charged in Jacob's death. By Cleve R. Wootson Jr.  •  Read more » California may soon eliminate the statute of limitations for rape charges The debate over how much time accusers should have to report rape recently turned high-profile in California, where several of Bill Cosby's accusers say he drugged and sexually assaulted them years and even decades ago. By Danielle Paquette  •  Read more » Fox News suffers twin blows with Gretchen Carlson settlement, exit of Greta Van Susteren It took years for Roger Ailes to build Fox News Channel into the dominant player in cable news, but it's taken just two months for its future to become uncertain. By Paul Farhi  •  Read more » Trump won't talk about being a birther — or many of his other controversial comments In a persistent pattern for the unapologetic GOP nominee, Donald Trump has tried to ignore previous questionable statements, rather than recant them or apologize. By Jenna Johnson  •  Read more » 'He didn't say that': Trump appears to contradict Mexican president on not paying for wall More drama a week after the high-profile meeting. By Aaron Blake  •  Read more » Trump, reversing position, says he will release full medical record "I'd love to give full reports," Trump said. By Jose A. DelReal  •  Read more » People thought this iconic Oregon rock formation fell on its own. Then a video emerged. Made of delicate sandstone, the "Duckbill" was under constant attack from Mother Nature. But authorities say its demise was man-made and are searching for suspects who pushed the rock. By Cleve R. Wootson Jr.  •  Read more » Mural depicting Gov. Paul LePage in KKK regalia sparks paint fight in Maine’s biggest city "I do not want it up there," Portland Mayor Ethan Strimling said of the painting that depicted the controversial governor as a Klansman. By Sarah Larimer  •  Read more » Europe studies claims of American 'invaders.' They are clawed and delicious. Sweden wants to declare American lobsters "crustaceans non grata." It could mean a ban on the clawed cousins from across the pond. By Brian Murphy  •  Read more »         Share Today's Headlines:       Twitter      Facebook Trouble reading? Click here to view in your browser. You received this email because you are signed up for Headlines. 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