POLITICO Playbook: Biden embraces the left, while McCarthy may purge a member on the right  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  BREAKING OVERNIGHT: House Minority Leader KEVIN MCCARTHY and his top lieutenants are leaning toward removing Rep. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-Ga.) from the House Education …

EXCLUSIVE: Attorney Lin Wood under investigation over whether he voted illegally in November, officials say  —  ATLANTA — He has been one of the most vocal, visible and controversial critics of the integrity of Georgia's election.  —  Attorney Lin Wood filed lawsuits and held rallies …

The Down Side to Life in a Supertall Tower: Leaks, Creaks, Breaks  —  432 Park, one of the wealthiest addresses in the world, faces some significant design problems, and other luxury high-rises may share its fate.  —  The nearly 1,400-foot tower at 432 Park Avenue, briefly …

Capitol riot suspect asks court's permission to vacation in Mexico - and gets it  —  A woman accused of participating in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol asked a federal judge for permission to leave the country on vacation later this month - and got it.  —  In a Monday court filing …

In Rare Public Statement, Congressional Aides Call for Trump's Conviction  —  More than 370 Democratic aides issued an unusual public appeal, notable because congressional staff members rarely publicly express their own views.  —  WASHINGTON — More than 370 Democratic congressional aides …

Manhattan district attorney considering prosecuting Stephen Bannon following his pardon by Trump in federal fraud case  —  NEW YORK — The Manhattan District Attorney's Office is weighing whether to bring a state court case against Stephen K. Bannon, who was indicted on federal fraud charges …

The GOP Might Still Be Trump's Party.  But That Doesn't Mean There's Room For Him.  —  Throughout his presidency, Donald Trump crossed lines that no other president has come close to.  And if there was ever any doubt, the final months of his presidency put that to rest.

Top House Republican demands Psaki apologize over ‘disgraceful’ Space Force quip  —  The House Armed Services Committee's top Republican is calling on White House press secretary Jen Psaki to “immediately apologize” for her response to a Space Force question in Tuesday's briefing.

Schumer, McConnell reach deal on Senate organizing resolution  —  Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) have reached a deal on the organizing resolution for running a 50-50 Senate.  —  “We will pass the resolution through the Senate today …

Lawmakers aim to dissolve ‘draconian’ law that placed heavy financial burden on Postal Service  —  A bipartisan group of lawmakers in the House and Senate introduced legislation that would provide the Postal Service much-needed financial relief by doing away with a mandate that required …

Eric Trump hits out at Scottish plan to debate his father's golf courses  —  Donald Trump's son Eric has lashed out at Scottish politicians ahead of a parliamentary debate on whether to launch an investigation into the financing of his father's resorts.  —  The debate in the Scottish parliament …

‘Their goal is to destroy everyone’: Uighur camp detainees allege systematic rape  —  Women in China's “re-education” camps for Uighurs have been systematically raped, sexually abused, and tortured, according to detailed accounts obtained by the BBC.  You may find some of the details in this story distressing.

FBI raids homes of 2 men who held rally on eve of Capitol attack  —  Washington (CNN)The FBI recently raided the homes of two men who sponsored an invective-laced rally near the US Capitol a day before the deadly insurrection, the first known search warrants involving people who organized and spoke at rallies preceding the attack.

Trump aides made a late request to Team Biden to extend their parental leave.  They said no.  —  After four years in the Trump administration, Vanessa Ambrosini was looking forward to three months of parental leave when she and her husband welcomed a baby a week before Christmas.

As GameStop stock crumbles, newbie traders reckon with heavy losses  —  The Reddit forum that helped kick off the frenzy has given way to anxiety, financial bloodshed and infighting  —  As GameStop's stock plunged 60 percent Tuesday, the online horde that had raced to invest in the …

Scoop: Schiff lobbying Newsom to be California's next AG  —  Rep. Adam Schiff is quietly lobbying Gov. Gavin Newsom and his allies to appoint him California's next attorney general, according to people familiar with the matter.  —  Why it matters: If Newsom selects Schiff …

The AstraZeneca vaccine is shown to drastically cut transmission of the virus.  —  The University of Oxford research is the first to document a vaccine substantially reducing the virus's spread.  British officials said the results underscored how mass inoculations were key to ending the pandemic.

In First White House Interview, Joe & Jill Biden Talk Marriage, Family, Prayer — and the Challenges Ahead  —  The new president and first lady open up about their initial days after returning to Washington, D.C., and starting the nation's next chapter: “We have problems, but we also have enormous opportunities”

Confront military's white supremacy and nationalism head-on, or it will get worse: Veteran  —  I'm one of millions of veterans who have watched this catastrophe in horror, as a fraction of cowards in our ranks act on a violent, racist ideology.  —  Military veterans account for 7% …

The Challenge of Going It Alone  —  The last time we had a Senate divided at 50/50 was back in 2001.  It only stayed that way until May of 2001 when Vermont Republican Sen. Jim Jeffords switched parties, giving Democrats 51 seats.  —  But, the make-up of the Senate was much less polarized than it is today.

Ron DeSantis's Florida is the unsung success story of coronavirus  —  Beginning Jan. 20, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo acquired a new problem.  He cannot very well blame President Biden for his performance on the coronavirus, so he now lacks a federal scapegoat toward which to deflect blame for his own shortcomings.

The Terrifying Warning Lurking in the Earth's Ancient Rock Record  —  Photo Illustrations by Brendan Pattengale |  Images above: Glaciers from the Vatnajökull ice cap, in Iceland … We live on a wild planet, a wobbly, erupting, ocean-sloshed orb that careens around a giant thermonuclear explosion in the void.

The Clarifying Power of AOC's Storytelling  —  Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez went live on Instagram last night to describe in vivid, harrowing detail her experience during the Capitol insurrection.  Facing the camera, speaking passionately and clearly, she spent several minutes recounting …

Former Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne describes bluffing his way into Trump's White House  —  Bizarre details emerge: scarfing White House meatballs like popcorn with Donald Trump.  —  (@PatrickByrne on Twitter) Former Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne posted this selfie online of him at the White House.

US extends nuclear arms treaty with Russia  —  (CNN)The United States has extended a key nuclear arms control treaty with Russia for five years, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Wednesday.  —  “Extending the New START Treaty makes the United States, U.S. allies and partners, and the world safer.

Trump allied lobbying firm is closing down after Biden win, D.C. protests  — The lobbying shop's closure comes on the heels of former President Donald Trump's loss to Joe Biden.  — Bennett, in emails to CNBC, did not say that Trump losing was the reason he was closing down the firm.

They Supported ‘Defund the Police.’ Then the Mayoral Campaign Began.  —  Most of the leading mayoral candidates have been wary of embracing the “defund the police” movement, which has lost some mainstream political momentum.  —  Nearly eight months ago, Scott M. Stringer stood in Brooklyn before an angry …

Slain FBI Agents Worked in ‘A Dark Place’  —  Child sex cases took them to ‘places most people could never imagine even exist’  —  Daniel Alfin and Laura Schwartzenberger worked in very dark places.  Serving a warrant in the dark on a suspected child abuser was just one of them.