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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

John Kerry took private jet to Iceland for environmental award, called it ‘only choice for somebody like me’  —  John Kerry questioned in 2019 over private jet use  —  President Biden's recently appointed climate czar, John Kerry, took a private jet to Iceland in 2019 to receive …

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 …

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”

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 …

Trump's Banker at Deutsche Bank Was Ousted for a Real Estate Deal  —  New regulatory records show the bank found that Rosemary Vrablic had engaged in undisclosed investment activity involving a client.  —  Former President Donald J. Trump's longtime banker at Deutsche Bank was pushed …

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.

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.

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 …

‘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.

Biden commits to $1,400 checks, but open to eligibility limits  —  President Biden said during a call with House Democrats on Wednesday that he is committed to boosting stimulus checks to $2,000 by giving most Americans another $1,400 in direct payments in a new round of coronavirus relief.

Trump's pathetic defense reminds us why conviction is needed  —  Joyce White Vance, a former federal prosecutor, persuasively makes the case that “Republicans have never delivered on holding [former President Donald] Trump accountable. ...  And if Senate Republicans do fail to hold him accountable …

CBS grapples with racism claims at WCBS-TV Channel 2 in New York  —  ViacomCBS is confronting a widening crisis over allegations of mistreatment in its TV stations group.  —  In the wake of a Los Angeles Times investigation, which detailed allegations of racism and misogyny at CBS' Philadelphia TV station …

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 …

Matt Gaetz Volunteers to Give Up House Seat to Defend President Trump in Senate Trial  —  Congressman Matt Gaetz said he would give up his seat in the House if asked to defend President Donald Trump in the upcoming impeachment trial.  —  “The President so far has gotten a low-energy defense,” Gaetz said in an interview with War Room.

Justice Department Drops Yale University Admissions Lawsuit  —  Trump administration filed suit in October, alleging the school discriminated against white, Asian-American applicants  —  The Justice Department on Wednesday withdrew a lawsuit that alleged Yale University violated federal civil-rights law …

Supreme Court sides with Germany and Hungary in Holocaust survivors case  —  The Supreme Court on Wednesday unanimously sided with Germany and Hungary after Holocaust survivors sought to sue the countries in U.S. courts.  —  In both cases, Republic of Hungary v. Simon and Federal Republic …

Cheney's Republican Party Is No More  —  Republicans are no longer interested in the drawn-out foreign wars and nation-building Cheney's political patrimony would foist upon us.  We are more interested in rebuilding our nation and economy.  —  There's a mistaken assumption regarding job security …