Exclusive: Proud Boys leader was ‘prolific’ informer for law enforcement  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Enrique Tarrio, the leader of the Proud Boys extremist group, has a past as an informer for federal and local law enforcement, repeatedly working undercover for investigators after he was arrested in 2012 …

A top MAGA gathering finds life complicated after Trump  —  One of the premier MAGA gatherings in the nation is struggling to recreate the magic this year.  —  For decades, the Conservative Political Action Conference has been a staple of Republican politics.

San Francisco Board of Education Votes to Rename 44 Schools  —  The San Francisco School Board voted to rename 44 public schools Tuesday, a debate and decision that's being followed across the country.  —  Those 44 schools' namesakes are thought, by many, to have dishonorable legacies.

POLITICO Playbook: McConnell retreats as Trump dominates the GOP civil war  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  There are two big arguments dominating American politics right now.  Democrats are currently in disarray trying to figure out the future.  The questions they have are about how bold …

The GOP's answer to its post-Trump blues: More Trump  —  For a moment, it looked like Donald Trump might be losing his iron grip on the GOP.  In the wake of the deadly Capitol riot, 10 House Republicans joined Democrats in their vote to impeach him.  Several other Republicans openly suggested at least censuring the president.

Militiaman Who Plotted to Kidnap Gretchen Whitmer Pleads Guilty, Turns on His Pals  —  Ty Garbin, 25, has agreed to co-operate with agencies investigating the wild plot to overthrow the Michigan government and execute the governor for treason.  —  One of the Michigan militiamen accused …

Duration  —  Details  — Throughout 2020, Domestic Violent Extremists (DVEs) targeted individuals with opposing views engaged in First Amendment-protected, non-violent protest activity.  DVEs motivated by a range of issues, including anger over COVID-19 restrictions, the 2020 election results …

Social Media Influencer Charged with Election Interference Stemming from Voter Disinformation Campaign  —  Defendant Unlawfully Used Social Media to Deprive Individuals of Their Right to Vote  —  A Florida man was arrested this morning on charges of conspiring with others in advance …

The GameStop Fiasco Proves We're in a ‘Meme Stock’ Bubble  —  What the new dynamic between Redditors and Wall Street reveals about the stock market in 2021  —  Money Talks is a column that explores what happens when business, the economy, and culture collide.

Vaccinated People Are Going to Hug Each Other  —  When Americans began receiving coronavirus vaccines last month, people started fantasizing about the first thing they'd do when the pandemic ends: go back to work, visit family, hug friends.  But the public discussion soon shifted.

January 5 Meeting at Trump International Hotel Could Hold the Key to the January 6 Insurrection  —  The night before the insurrection, a large group of Trump family and advisers held an urgent meeting with January 6 organizers at the president's private residence in DC.  —  19 hr ago

Biden administration replaces top immigration court official  —  The Biden administration on Wednesday made its first move to set the nation's immigration courts in a new direction, announcing plans to replace the official who has overseen the system for nearly four years.

Anti-Trump Republican Adam Kinzinger accepts his fate, whatever it is  —  One thing to understand about Adam Kinzinger is that he knows how this will end.  —  “The only hope you have is to accept the fact that you're already dead,” the Republican congressman from Illinois says.

Millions earmarked for public health emergencies were used to pay for unrelated projects, says inspector general  —  Staff referred to agency as the ‘bank of BARDA’ and said research and development funds were regularly tapped for unrelated projects, from salaries to the removal of office furniture, the report finds

Senate GOP braces for more retirements after Portman stunner  —  Republicans need to flip just one seat next year to win back the Senate majority.  But retirements are already complicating their path back to power.  —  Two of the three toughest GOP defensive states on the 2022 Senate map …

White House plots “full-court press” for $1.9 trillion relief plan  —  The Biden White House is deploying top officials to get a wide ideological spectrum of lawmakers, governors and mayors on board with the president's $1.9 trillion COVID relief proposal, according to people familiar with the matter.

AP Exclusive: GOP to stay neutral should Trump run again  —  NEW YORK (AP) — The head of the Republican National Committee on Wednesday declined to encourage former President Donald Trump to run for the White House in 2024, saying the GOP would stay “neutral” in its next presidential primary.

Philadelphia let ‘college kids’ distribute vaccines.  The result was a ‘disaster,’ volunteers say.  —  Philadelphia is home to some of the most venerated medical institutions in the country.  Yet when it came time to set up the city's first and largest coronavirus mass vaccination site …

I Left My Career in Prestige Media Because of the Shitty Men in Charge and They Are Still In Charge and Still Fucking Up  —  I had the plum job.  The top of the masthead of one of the most prestigious and respected publications with more than a 150-year-old history.

Bankrupt Blockbuster Remnant Joins Reddit-Inspired Retail Rally  —  The latest nostalgia stock to jump on the Reddit rally is BB Liquidating Inc., the final remnant of bankrupt video-rental company Blockbuster.  —  The penny stock surged 774% Tuesday to just under 5 cents a share …

The Democrats' Civil War Over the Filibuster Has Barely Begun  —  Joe Manchin said Monday that he will not, under any circumstances, “vote to get rid of the filibuster.”  Kyrsten Sinema echoed her West Virginia colleague.  Mitch McConnell took the Democratic senators at their word.

U.S. B-52 Bomber Flies Over Persian Gulf, in Show of Force Against Iran  —  With sixth sortie since November by heavy bomber, U.S. aims to brush back Tehran while Biden settles Iran policy  —  Al-Udeid Air Base, QATAR—The Pentagon sent a B-52 bomber across the Persian Gulf region on Tuesday …

Is it cold in here?  —  A few days ago, I got a call from an unknown number.  —  “Hello?”  —  “Is this Lauren?” a man said.  —  “Yes,” I said.  “Who is this?”  —  “How are your chills?” he purred.  —  End call.  —  Those of you who have found your way here likely know the origin of this story, but if not, here's a primer.

Tucker Carlson suddenly gives a welcome ear to election conspiracy theories when they come from his major sponsor  —  A month after Carlson confronted Sidney Powell, he goes to the mattresses for Mike Lindell, the CEO of his largest advertiser  —  On Tuesday night, pillow salesman Mike Lindell headed …

President Biden's First White House Sign Language Interpreter Has Ties to the Far Right  —  President Joe Biden's White House communications staff have emphasized the importance of truth, transparency and trust in the opening days of his presidency as they resume regular press briefings …

How we're holding Republicans responsible for cleaning up the Trump mess  —  Republicans leaders are suddenly preaching the importance of unity and healing.  The first step toward recovery is repentance and accepting responsibility for their role.  —  Now that President Biden …

What Jeffrey Epstein Did to Earn $158 Million From Leon Black  —  Mr. Epstein specialized in aggressively pitching ways to minimize paying taxes.  And not just to Mr. Black, the private equity chief executive who was his main benefactor in his later years.  —  He styled himself as a math whiz and …

Senate Democrats reintroduce DC statehood bill  —  A group of Senate Democrats led by Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) reintroduced legislation to give Washington, D.C., statehood on Wednesday, marking the first major efforts to push toward statehood since the Capitol riots earlier this month.

CEOs steer clear of Fox News' Maria Bartiromo, sources say  — CEOs stay clear of Fox News' Maria Bartiromo  — Ad agency Hero Group sues Omnicom's DDB  — How much Snapchat creators make from Spotlight  —  If this email was forwarded to you, sign up here for your daily insider's guide to advertising and media.

Biden's U.N. ambassador nominee to face criticism for past praise of China  —  The No. 1 foreign policy issue facing the Biden administration — especially its national security nominees — is China.  That will be apparent when GOP senators grill President Biden's nominee for ambassador …