Authorities Arrest Analyst Who Contributed to Steele Dossier  —  Igor Danchenko, a Russia analyst who worked with Christopher Steele, the author of a dossier of rumors and unproven assertions about Donald J. Trump, was taken into custody as part of the Durham investigation.

POLITICO Playbook PM: How Youngkin's top advisers would have attacked Youngkin  —  GLENN YOUNGKIN's victory in Virginia has Republicans promising to emphasize the issue of critical race theory and Democrats scrambling to understand how seriously to take it.  —  CNN's Manu Raju …

Manhattan DA convenes new grand jury in Trump Org. case to weigh potential charges  —  NEW YORK — The Manhattan District Attorney has convened a second long-term grand jury to hear evidence about the Trump Organization's financial practices, and potentially to vote on criminal charges, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Jan. 6 Defendant Who Said She's ‘Definitely Not Going To Jail’ Sentenced To Prison  —  Jenna Ryan, a Texas real estate agent who flew to D.C. on a private plane and livestreamed in the Capitol, got 60 days in prison.  —  Jenna Ryan, a Donald Trump enthusiast who tweeted that she's …

The scandal involving Ron DeSantis and the silenced professors just got worse  —  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has remained uncharacteristically quiet about the growing scandal at the University of Florida, which has barred numerous professors from testifying as expert witnesses in lawsuits challenging the Republican governor's policies.

Pollster: ‘I blew it.’ Maybe it's time to get rid of election polls.  —  I blew it.  The final Monmouth University Poll margin did not provide an accurate picture of the state of the governor's race.  So, if you are a Republican who believes the polls cost Ciattarelli an upset victory …

‘I was literally screaming in pain’: Young women say they met Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy for sex and it turned violent and humiliating … In the summer of 2020, Madison sent Barstool Sports' founder, Dave Portnoy, a direct message on Instagram complimenting his famous “one bite” pizza reviews.

Manchin will get last word, even as House races to pass megabill  —  House Democrats are fighting to coalesce around their party's $1.75 trillion social spending plan — all for Sen. Joe Manchin to change it anyway.  —  As Speaker Nancy Pelosi furiously worked to unite her caucus around …

Spending $153, Edward Durr ousts NJ Senate leader Sweeney  —  TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey's longtime state Senate president, Democrat Steve Sweeney, has lost reelection, falling to a Republican newcomer who spent less than $200 on the race and leaving his party reeling.

Here's Why Rapid COVID Tests Are So Expensive and Hard to Find  —  Months-long silences.  Mysterious rejections.  Here's what's behind the shortages of a critical tool for ending the pandemic.  —  Coronavirus  —  The U.S. Response to COVID-19 … A few weeks ago, a ProPublica reporter decided to test his kids for COVID-19.

How These Ultrawealthy Politicians Avoided Paying Taxes  —  IRS records reveal how Gov. Jim Justice, Gov. Jared Polis, former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and other wealthy political figures slashed their taxes using strategies unavailable to most of their constituents.  —  Co-published with Mountain State Spotlight

Giuliani investigators home in on 2019 plan to advance Ukraine interests in US  —  Prosecutors believe Giuliani and two others may have violated law over agreement that would have seen them win lucrative contracts  —  The high-profile federal criminal investigation of Rudy Giuliani …

Reward Offers for Information to Bring DarkSide Ransomware Variant Co-Conspirators to Justice  —  The U.S. Department of State announces a reward offer of up to $10,000,000 for information leading to the identification or location of any individual(s) who hold(s) a key leadership position …

“Anti-CRT” school board candidates are winning  —  A new PAC focused on electing conservative candidates to public school boards — by raising fears about how racism is taught — won three-fourths of its 58 races across seven states on Tuesday.  —  Why it matters: Those wins for the 1776 Project PAC …

More than 100 million American workers will need to be fully vaccinated by January 4  —  (CNN)The Biden administration announced Thursday that its vaccine rules applying to private businesses with 100 or more employees, certain health care workers and federal contractors will take effect January 4.

DOJ error highlights Jan. 6 mystery: Where was Kamala Harris during the attack?  —  When pro-Trump rioters attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, lawmakers and Vice President Mike Pence fled for safety.  Until recently, the Justice Department contended that Vice President-elect Kamala Harris was among them.

Adam Kinzinger isn't ruling out a 2024 presidential bid as he considers his future after the House  —  (CNN)Rep. Adam Kinzinger is actively weighing whether to seek his political fortunes in the Senate, the Illinois governor's mansion or even the White House, despite serious questions …

“A racist assumption”: Mixed-race family stopped at Denver airport after Southwest employee suspected human trafficking  —  Mary MacCarthy says she wants an apology from Southwest Airlines  —  A woman and her 10-year-old daughter were stopped by police at Denver International Airport …

Allegations of racism and misogyny within the Phoenix Suns: Inside Robert Sarver's 17-year tenure as owner  —  ON THE EVENING of Oct. 30, 2016, at Talking Stick Resort Arena in downtown Phoenix, Earl Watson, in just his third game as the Suns' head coach, faced a tall task: beat the powerhouse Golden State Warriors.

Big Donors Financed Biden's 2020 Run.  Now They Get a Chilly Reception.  —  Some of the top Democratic contributors have become increasingly frustrated with a lack of communication from the White House — and impatient with inaction on voting rights.  —  As Joseph R. Biden Jr. hopped …