Scoop: Gina Haspel threatened to resign over plan to install Kash Patel as CIA deputy  —  CIA Director Gina Haspel threatened to resign in early December after President Trump cooked up a hasty plan to install loyalist Kash Patel, a former aide to Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), as her deputy …

Atlanta Prosecutor Appears to Move Closer to Trump Inquiry  —  The Fulton County district attorney is weighing an inquiry into possible election interference and is said to be considering hiring an outside counsel.  —  ATLANTA — Prosecutors in Georgia appear increasingly likely to open …

John Weaver, former McCain aide, acknowledges “inappropriate” messages  —  John Weaver, a veteran Republican operative who co-founded the Lincoln Project, declared in a statement to Axios on Friday that he sent “inappropriate,” sexually charged messages to multiple men.

Kudlow Criticizes Trump for Handling of Riot, Treatment of Pence  —  President's top economic adviser faulted his boss for recent actions, praised administration policy legacy on taxes and trade  —  WASHINGTON—President Trump's top economic adviser criticized his boss's handling of the riot …

Alex Azar resigns as Health and Human Services Secretary, citing Capitol mob  —  Alex Azar, the Health and Human Services Secretary, resigned earlier this week, citing the violent Capitol riot inflamed by President Donald Trump in his resignation letter obtained by NBC News.

A former president Trump won't ‘need to know.’ Cut off his intelligence.  —  Susan M. Gordon was the principal deputy director of national intelligence from 2017 to 2019.  —  Every former president in the modern era has benefited from a unique national security perk after leaving the White House …

Biden fills out State Department team with Obama veterans  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden is filling out his State Department team with a group of former career diplomats and veterans of the Obama administration, signaling his desire to return to a more traditional foreign policy …

“After Me, Baby, You're Gonna Be Ruined for Anyone Else”: Donald Trump Refused to Take ‘No’ From Women—And Then From America Itself  —  Donald Trump is leaving office with a reputation marred by two impeachments, multiple scandals, and a violent assault on the U.S. Capitol.

Capitol Police intelligence report warned three days before attack that ‘Congress itself’ could be targeted  —  Three days before thousands of rioters converged on the U.S. Capitol, an internal Capitol Police intelligence report warned of a violent scenario in which “Congress itself” …

‘Destroy Trump’: Breitbart Staffers Seethe After Capitol Riot  —  “This is banana republic shit,” wrote one editor at the staunchly pro-Trump outlet, in response to colleagues downplaying or excusing the violence during last week's MAGA mob. … Editors and reporters at the staunchly pro …

James Murdoch blasts US media for unleashing ‘insidious forces’  —  Comments from Rupert's son are his strongest rebuke of industry practices since leaving the family business  —  James Murdoch has castigated the US media for the “toxic politics” threatening American democracy …

North Texan Jenna Ryan Tells CBS 11 She Deserves Pardon After Arrest For Alleged Role In Capitol Riot  —  CARROLLTON, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - North Texas realtor Jenna Ryan, who was seen in photos and video at the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot, arrived home Friday, Jan. 15 after turning herself in to authorities earlier in the day.

Covid-19 Vaccine Leaders Waited Months to Approve Distribution Plans  —  Holdup left states with little time to develop mass-vaccination plan; U.S. says it needed time for interagency clearance  —  Operation Warp Speed leaders waited more than two months to approve a plan to distribute …

Trump weighing a pardon for Steve Bannon  —  President Donald Trump is considering granting a pardon to Steve Bannon, his former White House chief strategist and top campaign aide, who was charged with swindling donors to a private crowdsourcing effort to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border …

Trump administration carries out 13th and final execution  —  TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — The Trump administration early Saturday carried out its 13th federal execution since July, an unprecedented run that concluded just five days before the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden — an opponent of the federal death penalty.

Trump Is on the Verge of Losing Everything  —  President Trump's second impeachment, like the other repudiations he has suffered, feels provisional.  He is never quite banished.  He is impeached, but Senate Republicans refuse to convict or even allow evidence into his trial.

The Bobbsey Twins, The CIA, and Me  —  In first and second grade, I was OBSESSED with Bobbsey Twins books.  It was not enough to read every book in the series.  I wanted to BE a Bobbsey Twin.  (It wasn't just the Bobbsey Twins.  I did the same with Little House on the Prairie).

Leading QC says Scottish ministers can seek ‘McMafia’ order into Donald Trump's finances  —  One of Scotland's leading QCs has directly contradicted First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's claims that the Scottish Government is not responsible for the decision on whether to seek an Unexplained Wealth Order …

Online far-right movements fracture in wake of Capitol riot  —  Online far-right movements are splintering in the wake of last week's Capitol riot, as some radical anti-government movements show signs of disillusionment with the relatively hands-off approach of some QAnon conspiracy theorists amid warnings of future violence.

Manhattan DA expands criminal investigation into Trump Organization finances to include family compound in Westchester County  —  (CNN)The Manhattan district attorney's office has expanded its criminal investigation into the Trump Organization's finances to include the family's compound in Westchester County …

Mexico clears general, publishes US evidence against him  —  MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has accused the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration of fabricating drug trafficking charges against the country's former defense secretary …

In Tampa Bay area, 2,000 Republicans switch parties in days after Capitol riot  —  More than half the Republican switchers changed to no party affiliation, while about 300 became Democrats.  The rest went to minor parties.  —  Since the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol …

‘Hell, Yes,’ Republicans Are Headed for a Bitter Internal Showdown  —  G.O.P. leadership would like to blunt President Trump's influence over the party.  Mr. Trump and his allies want to punish those who have crossed him.  A series of clashes looms.  —  As President Trump prepares …

Biden to deploy FEMA, National Guard to set up Covid vaccine clinics across the U.S.  — President-elect Joe Biden plans to use FEMA and the National Guard to build coronavirus vaccine clinics across the United States, according to new details of his Covid-19 vaccination plan.

Inside Twitter's Decision to Cut Off Trump  —  Jack Dorsey, the chief executive, had reservations about locking the president's account.  But the calls for violence that his tweets provoked were too overwhelming.  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Jack Dorsey, Twitter's chief executive …

‘I cannot wait to leave this job’ — Acting Defense Secretary Miller has zero f-ks left … Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller has apparently dropped his proverbial pack after expending the last f-k he has left.  —  “I mean, I cannot wait to leave this job, believe me,” …

The Good, the Bad, and the Odd in Biden's Stimulus Plan  —  Joe Biden won't take office for another five days, but he's already told Congress to start warming up the money printer.  —  On Thursday night, the president-elect unveiled his $1.9 trillion COVID-19 rescue package.

A hidden reason that Joe Biden is trying to go big  —  The sheer scale of the economic rescue package that Joe Biden has unveiled has surprised a lot of observers who were expecting the president-elect to offer something more in line with his centrist, incrementalist past.

Leaked Parler Data Points to Users at Police Stations, U.S. Military Bases  —  Location data gleaned from thousands of videos posted on the social network Parler and extracted in the days before Amazon restricted access to app this week, reveal its users included police officers around the U.S …

Outgoing CDC Director Warns Of Pandemic's Peak: 'We're About To Be In The Worst Of It'  —  Toggle more options  —  Next week marks one year since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the first coronavirus case in the United States.  —  Dr. Robert Redfield …