The media and the Steele dossier  —  A series by Erik Wemple on the media's handling of the Steele dossier  —  Just because the famous collection of memos by former MI6 agent Christopher Steele didn't pan out didn't mean that there wasn't plenty of fishy Russia business during the 2016 presidential campaign.

New Jersey's Education Rebellion Was a Long Time Coming But Democrats didn't heed the signs.  —  On Wednesday night, 24 hours later than expected, news organizations announced that Phil Murphy had been reelected governor of New Jersey.  The narrow victory was a dumbfounding rebuke of the state's Democrats …

The Surprising Strategy Behind Youngkin's Stunner  —  Sometimes you want to hear from the strategists rather than the candidate.  —  With all due respect to Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin — who, for a first-timer from the world of high finance, proved to be remarkably disciplined on the stump …

Job creation roars back in October as payrolls rise by 531,000  — Nonfarm payrolls increased by 531,000 in October, beating the estimate of 450,000.  — The unemployment rate fell to 4.6%, a new pandemic low and better than expectations.  — Wages rose 0.4% for the month and were up 4.9% from a year ago.

The rise and fall of the Jack Daniel's committee: How D.C.'s police union lodge made thousands selling whiskey online  —  In March 2017, the leaders of Washington's Fraternal Order of Police Lodge — an umbrella group for police unions in the capital — told their members about an exciting new idea.

Democrats Deny Political Reality at Their Own Peril  —  The editorial board is a group of opinion journalists whose views are informed by expertise, research, debate and certain longstanding values.  It is separate from the newsroom.  —  Tuesday's election result trend lines …

No million-dollar checks: Democratic governors may sit out Florida  —  TALLAHASSEE — The Democratic Governors Association has no plans to give significant financial help to Florida Democrats as they seek to unseat Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2022, a major setback that will make it harder for challengers to take on the popular Republican.

January 6 committee acts on multiple fronts in a race against time  —  (CNN)The House probe into the Capitol insurrection is making its most significant strides yet in gaining understanding of Donald Trump's behind-the-scenes maneuvering before and during his coup attempt against American democracy.

Deposition video shows Trump allies under oath discussing debunked election fraud claims  —  Washington (CNN)Allies of former President Donald Trump testified under oath that they had done little to verify debunked claims of fraud in the 2020 election before spreading them on the national stage …

Pfizer's Novel COVID-19 Oral Antiviral Treatment Candidate Reduced Risk of Hospitalization or Death by 89% in Interim Analysis of Phase 2/3 EPIC-HR Study  — PAXLOVID™ (PF-07321332; ritonavir) was found to reduce the risk of hospitalization or death by 89% compared to placebo in non-hospitalized high-risk adults with COVID-19

Inside the World's Most Blatant Covid-19 Coverup: Secret Burials, a Dead President  —  Tanzania denied the existence of the pandemic for months, even as thousands likely died.  The country is a clue to its hidden global toll.  —  DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania—Tucked away in a northern suburb …

Two diplomats to lead State Dept. ‘Havana syndrome’ response  —  Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday will announce the appointment of two veteran diplomats to oversee the State Department's efforts on “Havana syndrome” and the deployment of “new technology” to help understand the cause …

Tucker Carlson Pumped Full of Fentanyl, Emerges With New Understanding of the Opioid Crisis  —  “I just thought that was the most interesting fucking thing that had ever happened to me,” he said after emergency back surgery.  —  TM  —  Something happened to Tucker Carlson Monday morning …

‘A Black Mouth Moving’ That ‘Justifies and Legitimates’ White Supremacy: MSNBC Guest Says Winsome Sears Win Doesn't Make GOP Racially Progressive  —  When she was elected lieutenant governor on Tuesday, Republican Winsome Sears became the first woman and first Black candidate elected to statewide office in Virginia.

Sinema's raking in cash from MLMs.  They want to kill her party's labor bill.  —  They've been derided as spruced up pyramid schemes: Companies that incentivize their own customers to become salespeople for products.  Now, these so-called multilevel marketing businesses are flexing their political muscle.

Ten Months Later  —  The Washington Post finally reveals sketchy details on “pipe bombs.”  Was it just another stunt to fuel panic and outrage about January 6?  —  Several storylines related to the events of January 6 have crumbled under closer scrutiny over the past 10 months: the …

Timeline of the coup: How Trump tried to weaponize the Justice Department to overturn the 2020 election  —  CNN Illustration by Alberto Mier  —  Programming note: A new CNN documentary, “Trumping Democracy: An American Coup,” about former President Donald Trump's attempts to subvert the 2020 election …

Federal Government Cuts Ties With Troubled Vaccine Maker  —  Emergent BioSolutions ruined millions of doses of Covid-19 vaccines.  Now its $600 million deal is canceled.  —  WASHINGTON — The federal government has canceled its contract with a troubled Covid-19 vaccine manufacturer …

Man cursed, lunged for Rittenhouse's gun before teen shot him -witness  —  A critical witness in the murder trial of U.S. teenager Kyle Rittenhouse said on Thursday that one of the three men shot during protests in Wisconsin last year cursed and lunged for the defendant's military-style rifle before he fired.

California Tries to Close the Gap in Math, but Sets Off a Backlash  —  Proposed guidelines in the state would de-emphasize calculus, reject the idea that some children are naturally gifted and build a connection to social justice.  Critics say math shouldn't be political.

Corporations calling for voting rights bill donated to Republicans who blocked it, watchdog says  —  Several corporations that publicly declared their support for legislation strengthening the Voting Rights Act have donated thousands of dollars this year to Republicans who recently blocked the bill in the Senate, a new analysis found.

“Family Values” and the GOP Class of 2022  —  How are Herschel Walker, Eric Greitens, Sean Parnell, and Max Miller going to run the Glenn Youngkin playbook?  —  Republican Glenn Youngkin won in Virginia primarily by positioning himself as a solid parental advocate, a model that many GOP strategists …

China says it will hold supporters of Taiwan's independence criminally responsible for life  —  China will make people who support Taiwan independence criminally liable for life, a spokeswoman for China's Taiwan Affairs Office said on Friday.  —  This is the first time that China has spelt …