The stampede away from the GOP begins  —  Opinion by  —  Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) threw down the gauntlet on Wednesday, refusing to accede to her party's transformation into a cult.  Calling out the liars in her midst, she is now House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy's worst nightmare.

Rep. Greene aggressively confronts Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, causing New York congresswoman to raise security concerns  —  Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene aggressively confronted Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Wednesday and falsely accused her of supporting “terrorists,” …

Colonial Pipeline Paid Hackers Nearly $5 Million in Ransom  — Payment came shortly after attack got underway last week  — FBI discourages organizations from paying ransom to hackers  —  Colonial Pipeline Co. paid nearly $5 million to Eastern European hackers on Friday …

Rebekah Jones, the COVID Whistleblower Who Wasn't  —  The former dashboard manager alleges a vast data conspiracy in Florida; not a word of it is true.  —  This is a story about Rebekah Jones, a former dashboard manager at the Florida Department of Health (FDOH), who has single-handedly managed …

Body-cam footage shows Capitol rioter celebrating as D.C. cop is beaten and Tasered: ‘I got one!’  —  Surrounded by rioters who had dragged him down the U.S. Capitol steps, beaten him and Tasered him, D.C. police officer Michael Fanone screamed in pain.  —  “I got one!” one of the rioters yelled triumphantly.

President of Key Teachers' Union Shares Plea: ‘Schools Must Be Open’ in Fall  —  About half the nation's schools are not fully open despite rising vaccination levels, and teachers' unions are getting much of the blame.  Randi Weingarten hopes to carve a path forward.

Congressman Paul Gosar's Stunning Defense Of The January 6 Rioters  —  Good morning!  It's time to get up!  —  During Wednesday's House Oversight Committee hearing, titled “The Capitol Insurrection: Unexplained Delays and Unanswered Questions,” there were a few key moments that haven't gotten nearly enough attention.

Is Brett Kavanaugh Out for Revenge?  —  The suburban gentry of Chevy Chase, Maryland, had some difficulty making sense of Brett Kavanaugh's descent into villainy that fall.  He had always seemed so nice and nonthreatening to his neighbors, so normal—the khaki-clad carpool dad who coached …

124 retired generals and admirals question Biden's mental health  —  “We must always have an unquestionable chain of command.”  —  Story at a glance  — A group of retired U.S. military admirals and generals signed a letter released Tuesday questioning President Biden's fitness for office …

Mysterious Ailments Are Said to Be More Widespread Among U.S. Personnel  —  The Biden administration has begun more aggressively investigating episodes that left spies, diplomats, soldiers and others with brain injuries.  —  WASHINGTON — Mysterious episodes that caused brain injuries in spies …

U.S. Jobless Claims Fall to Another Pandemic Low  —  Claims now at lowest level since mid-March 2020, when pandemic shut down the economy  —  Jobless claims declined to a new pandemic low last week, in a sign hiring is primed to strengthen as workers return to the labor market.

Playing American Race Politics in the Middle East  —  New York Congressman Jamaal Bowman and others are grafting a domestic psychodrama onto a foreign region—and endangering American Jews in the process

Trump-Biden Was Worst Presidential Polling Miss in 40 Years, Panel Says  —  Surveys overstated Democrats' support up and down the ballot, as some voters were less inclined to participate in polls  —  Public opinion surveys ahead of the 2020 presidential election were the most inaccurate in 40 years …

Ex-WH counsel McGahn to testify behind closed doors about Trump efforts to obstruct Russia investigation  —  Washington (CNN)Former Trump White House counsel Don McGahn will testify before the House Judiciary Committee behind closed doors about then-President Donald Trump's attempts to obstruct …

Even if You Think Discussing Aliens Is Ridiculous, Just Hear Me Out  —  The most curious subplot in the news right now is the admission, at the most senior levels of the United States government, that the military services have collected visuals, data and testimonials recording flying objects …

Judge Delays Trial in George Floyd Case  —  Trial of three former Minneapolis police officers charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and manslaughter is delayed until March  —  A Hennepin County district judge delayed until March the trial of three former Minneapolis police officers charged …

The High-Pressure Business of Selling Woke Corporate Armor  —  In 2017, Nandini Jammi helped launch a company called Sleeping Giants to pressure corporate advertisers into boycotting conservative media.  With little more than a Twitter account, a Facebook group and a gift for incendiary rhetoric …

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to pardon anyone charged for defying COVID rules  —  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will pardon anyone in the Sunshine State charged for not wearing masks or socially distancing — breaking the news live on air to a gym-owning couple who were facing jail time for defying coronavirus safety recommendations.

Getting vaccinated is a personal choice  —  I did not enter the vaccine maelstrom voluntarily.  Two months ago, a Milwaukee reporter asked me if I had received the COVID-19 vaccine.  This was when demand for the vaccine outstripped supply.  Although it's a personal and private decision, I answered the question honestly.