Melania Trump's disappointing break with tradition  —  Kate Andersen Brower is a CNN contributor and the author of “First Women: The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies,” “Team Of Five: The Presidents Club in the Age of Trump,” “First in Line: Presidents, Vice Presidents and the Pursuit of Power …

FBI vetting Guard troops in DC amid fears of insider attack  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. defense officials say they are worried about an insider attack or other threat from service members involved in securing President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration, prompting the FBI to vet …

Fox Agreed to Pay for Telling Lies.  But It Insisted on One Unusual Condition.  —  Why did the network insist its hyping of a conspiracy theory stay secret until after the election?  —  On Oct. 12, 2020, Fox News agreed to pay millions of dollars to the family of a murdered Democratic …

Off the rails: Inside the disintegration of Trump's relationship with Bill Barr  —  Beginning on election night 2020 and continuing through his final days in office, Donald Trump unraveled and dragged America with him, to the point that his followers sacked the U.S. Capitol with two weeks left in his term.

Trump to issue around 100 pardons and commutations Tuesday, sources say  —  (CNN)President Donald Trump is preparing to issue around 100 pardons and commutations on his final full day in office Tuesday, according to three people familiar with the matter, a major batch of clemency actions …

Serving as California's senator has been an honor.  But this is not a goodbye  —  The first time I came to work in the United States Senate was not as a United States senator but as an intern.  —  A college sophomore, I believed the Senate was a place to turn activism into action.

Michigan Republicans seek to replace GOP canvasser who certified election  —  Lansing — The Michigan Republican Party wants to replace the GOP member of the Board of State Canvassers who cast the pivotal vote to certify election results in favor of Democratic President-elect Joe Biden.

Giuliani will not be part of Trump's defense in the Senate impeachment trial.  —  President Trump's personal lawyer, Rudolph W. Giuliani, will not be taking part in the president's defense in the Senate trial for his second impeachment, a person close to Mr. Trump said on Monday.

FBI investigating whether woman stole laptop from Pelosi's office to sell it to Russia  —  The FBI is investigating evidence that a woman who entered the Capitol on Jan. 6 stole a laptop or hard drive from Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office and intended to sell it to Russians.

Texas realtor on Capitol riot: 'I'm glad I was there' … Jenna Ryan says it all began with an invitation from a “very cute guy” on Facebook: Would she join him on a private plane to the Jan. 6 Trump rally in Washington, D.C.?  —  The decision was easy.  Ryan, a Dallas-area real estate agent …

Attorney Roberta Kaplan is about to make Trump's life extremely difficult  —  On the other side of Donald Trump's turbulent presidency, the lawyers are waiting.  —  Leaving aside his Senate impeachment trial, mounting government investigations include a civil probe by New York Attorney General Letitia James …

The Coming Republican Amnesia  —  As Donald Trump lurches through the disastrous final days of his presidency, Republicans are just beginning to survey the wreckage of his reign.  Their party has been gutted, their leader is reviled, and after four years of excusing every presidential affront to …

Biden's Covid-19 Plan Is Maddeningly Obvious  —  It is infuriating that the Trump administration left so many of these things undone.  —  I wish I could tell you that the incoming Biden administration had a genius plan for combating Covid-19, thick with ideas no one else had thought of and strategies no one else had tried.

FBI moves on alleged members of extremist groups Oath Keepers, Three Percenters  —  A heavy-metal guitarist and the alleged leader of a Colorado paramilitary training group have been charged with allegedly taking part in the riot at the Capitol last week, as the FBI ratchets up its investigation …

Regnery Publishing picks up Senator Hawley's book after it was dropped by Simon & Schuster.  —  Regnery Publishing, a conservative publishing house, said Monday that it had picked up a book by Senator Josh Hawley, Republican of Missouri, after Simon & Schuster ended its contract to publish it in the wake of assault on the Capitol.

Another new coronavirus variant found across California, including L.A. County  —  As the total number of coronavirus infections in California approaches 3 million, health officials said Sunday that a new strain — different from a highly contagious variant first identified in the United Kingdom …

Fox News launches new opinion show with Bartiromo, Gowdy and Pavlich among the hosts  —  Fox News has lined up six rotating hosts for its new 7 p.m. opinion program aimed at feeding the appetite of conservative viewers in the hour.  —  The new show called “Fox News Primetime” launches tonight with …

Parler CEO ‘confident’ platform will return by month's end after weekend of positive developments  —  EXCLUSIVE — Parler chief executive officer John Matze is “confident” that his social media platform will be back online in the near future after his team was able to launch a static website …

Four Years in the Front Row  —  The country's best female political reporters go on the record about what it was really like covering Trump's America.  —  Savannah Guthrie was in downward dog when it hit her: QAnon.  The  —  anchor was 48 hours away from her famous election townhall-turned-grilling …

The Trump letter his lawyers said should never see ‘light of day’  —  The president's draft was scrapped by White House legal counsel.  —  James Comey calls threat of riots on Inauguration Day ‘very concerning’  —  The former FBI chief says President Donald Trump is to blame for attacks …

Army reservist with security-level clearance among the latest charged in connection with Capitol riot  —  (CNN)An Army reservist who federal investigators say has secret-level security clearance and a long record of posting his extremist views online was among the latest wave of rioters charged …

‘A place to fund hope’: How Proud Boys and other fringe groups found refuge on a Christian fundraising website  —  Henry “Enrique” Tarrio had already publicized his plans to participate in the Jan. 6 “Stop the Steal” rally.  The 36-year-old Miami resident and national chairman of the Proud Boys posted …

“Cowboys for Trump” founder, who vowed to return with guns to Capitol for inauguration, arrested by FBI  —  Santa Fe, New Mexico — A New Mexico county official and founder of the group Cowboys for Trump, who vowed to return to Washington after last week's riot at the U.S. Capitol to place …

In Minnesota, a G.O.P. Lawmaker's Death Brings Home the Reality of Covid  —  Minnesota Republicans celebrated election victories with a gala party.  A state senator's death from Covid-19 underlined the consequences of the G.O.P.'s rejection of health experts' guidance.

Moving trucks arrive at President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club on Palm Beach  —  Police expect Trump to arrive in South Florida on Inauguration Day  —  PALM BEACH, Fla. — Several large moving trucks arrived at President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club on Palm Beach Monday morning …

The Trump Movement's Break With Reality Will Outlive His Presidency  —  In December, I wrote that Trump supporters I spoke to were increasingly “comfortable with the idea of a bloody uprising against their fellow citizens.”  Whipped up by President Trump's ceaseless torrent of lies about the election …

Hungary mulls sanctions against social media giants  —  BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungarian Justice Minister Judit Varga on Monday raised the prospect of sanctioning social media firms over what she called “systematic abuses” of free speech.  —  The minister said she would meet …

Why Rage Over the 2020 Election Could Last Well Past Trump  —  The vast majority of Americans do not approve of the riot at the Capitol.  But experts warn that the widespread belief there was election fraud, while false, could have dangerous, lasting effects.

CNN Pushes to Close Down Newsmax TV  —  CNN “Reliable Sources” host Brian Stelter (Dennis Van Tine/AP)  —  CNN is making no mistake about it: It wants to censor and close Newsmax from broadcasting as a cable news channel.  —  Apparently jolted by the fact Newsmax has skyrocketed to become …