Hand count in audit affirms Biden beat Trump, as Maricopa County said in November  —  Jen Fifield Robert AnglenArizona Republic  —  A monthslong hand recount of Maricopa County's 2020 vote confirmed that President Joe Biden won and the election was not “stolen” from former President Donald Trump …

SELECT COMMITTEE SUBPOENAS INDIVIDUALS TIED TO THE FORMER PRESIDENT IN THE DAYS SURROUNDING JANUARY 6TH  —  Washington—Chairman Bennie G. Thompson today announced that he has issued a round of subpoenas for documents and testimony to four individuals with close ties to the former President …

Our constitutional crisis is already here  —  “Is there no virtue among us?  If there be not, we are in a wretched situation.”  —  The United States is heading into its greatest political and constitutional crisis since the Civil War, with a reasonable chance over the next three to four years …

It's Too Early to Consign Joe Biden to the Ash Heap of History  —  But not too early for Democrats to start panicking.  —  Is Joe Biden's Presidency actually “dead,” “failed,” and all but “over,” as you have surely heard by now?  The Republicans and their conservative allies in the commentariat …

Ancient Footprints Suggest Humans Arrived In Americas During Ice Age  —  Human footprints found in New Mexico are about 23,000 years old, a study reported, suggesting that people may have arrived long before the Ice Age's glaciers melted.  —  Ancient human footprints preserved in the ground across …

Trump's election challenges distracted from covid response, White House adviser told colleagues  —  Emails obtained by House panel detail priorities as virus surged last year  —  White House officials prioritized former president Donald Trump's attempt to challenge the election …

J.D. Vance Defends Texas Abortion Ban, Calls Rape ‘Inconvenient’  —  J.D. Vance, who is trailing several GOP candidates in the Senate primary, told Spectrum News 1 that “in Texas they're trying to make it easier for babies to be born.”  —  In a local news interview published Wednesday …

Biden's Approach To Immigration Is Causing A Huge Internal Rift And Leading To A Lot Of Confusion  —  Unlike his predecessor, President Joe Biden doesn't obsess publicly over the southern border and the immigrants seeking to cross it.  But on rare occasions, he is blunt about what he wants to happen there.

Adam Kinzinger: Republicans Are ‘Frigging Crazy’  —  In each edition of my newsletter, I'll bring readers inside The Atlantic, and discuss the issues that concern us the most.  Was this email forwarded to you?  Sign up here to get future issues of Notes from the Editor in Chief.

CIA station chief in Vienna recalled amid criticisms of management and handling of ‘Havana Syndrome’ cases  —  The CIA has removed its top officer in Vienna following criticism of his management, including what some considered an insufficient response to a growing number of mysterious health incidents …

Taliban official: Strict punishment, executions will return  —  KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — One of the founders of the Taliban and the chief enforcer of its harsh interpretation of Islamic law when they last ruled Afghanistan said the hard-line movement will once again carry out executions …

House passes $1B for Israel's Iron Dome after progressive dustup  —  The House on Thursday overwhelmingly passed a bill to replenish Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system, just two days after it was pulled from a government funding package over objections from progressive lawmakers.

El Farolito can't open taqueria in North Beach under chain ban, city says  —  But if the owners make “sufficient changes” on the concept, they could potentially still move ahead  —  El Farolito, the iconic San Francisco-born string of taquerias, cannot open a new location in North Beach under …

Ron Klain hasn't retweeted Jennifer Rubin since Politico reported on lovefest between Biden WH, WaPo columnist  —  Before last week, the WH chief of staff retweeted Rubin ‘more than three dozen times since mid-May’  —  Biden's media coverage under scrutiny amid crises

COVID-19: California considering school vaccine mandate for children over 12, top health official says  —  California is exploring the possibility of a statewide mandate requiring children ages 12 and older get vaccinated in order to attend schools, the state's top public health official said Wednesday.

Jan. 6 Video Suggests ‘Russia Insider’ Entered Capitol  —  Russia Insider founder Charles Bausman breached the walls of the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, according to research conducted by a Europe-based open-source intelligence (OSINT) group into video captured during the insurrection.

Leaked Documents Show Coast Guard's Plan To Grill Service Members Over Religious Vaccine Exemption  — Guidance reportedly crafted by military attorneys urged Coast Guard chaplains to grill service members on their religious beliefs and practices, draft documents obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation show.

US arrests finance chief of Russian natural gas group Novatek  —  Mark Gyetvay indicted on tax charges connected to $93m in offshore accounts  —  The US has arrested one of the most influential executives in Russia's natural gas industry over alleged tax misconduct linked to tens of millions of dollars held in offshore accounts.

WATCH: Ukraine's leader takes U.N. to task as ‘retired superhero’  —  UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Leaders who are “playing” at unity and stuffing pressing problems into an overflowing bag of woe.  A world that's in the same boat, but first-class passengers get the lifeboats.

Tough-on-Crime Republican DA Charged With Ambushing, Raping Woman  —  Jeffrey Lynn Thomas, Somerset County, Pennsylvania's top cop, is now facing a slew of charges for the alleged attack.  —  A Republican district attorney in Pennsylvania who styled himself as a tough-on-crime prosecutor …