‘Nothing about this is normal’: RNC payments to Trump attorneys irk GOP officials  —  (CNN)A pair of payments the Republican National Committee made to a law firm representing former President Donald Trump is raising questions among former and current GOP officials about the party's priorities …

Weekly jobless claims post stunning decline to 199,000, the lowest level since 1969  —  The ranks of those submitting jobless claims tumbled to their lowest level in more than 52 years last week, the Labor Department reported Wednesday.  —  New filings totaled 199,000, a number not seen since Nov. 15 …

Jan. 6 Organizers Used Anonymous ‘Burner Phones’ to Communicate with White House and Trump Family, Sources Say  —  A key planner of the Jan. 6 rally near the White House insisted the burner phones be purchased with cash, a source says  —  Some of the organizers who planned the rally …

Darrell Brooks shared pro-Hitler memes, called for violence against white people  —  The ex-con charged over the deaths of six people at a Wisconsin Christmas parade shared social media posts calling for violence against white people — and suggesting “Hitler was right” for killing Jews.

Biden hits a new low in the NPR/Marist poll as inflation concerns rise  —  Americans' most pressing economic concern is inflation, and it's contributing to a decline in how they view President Biden, according to a new NPR/Marist poll.  —  Biden's approval is down to 42%, the lowest recorded in the survey since Biden took office.

Update on Implementation of COVID-⁠19 Vaccination Requirement for Federal Employees … In order to ensure the health and safety of the Federal workforce and the efficiency of the civil service, President Biden issued an Executive Order on September 9, 2021, requiring COVID-19 vaccination for Federal employees.

Five Trump-Russia ‘Collusion’ Corrections We Need From the Media Now — Just for Starters  —  Five years after the Hillary Clinton campaign-funded collection of Trump-Russia conspiracy theories known as the Steele dossier was published by BuzzFeed, news outlets that amplified its false allegations …

President Biden Announces OMB Director and Deputy Director Nominees  —  to lead the Office of Management and Budget — Shalanda Young as Director and Nani Coloretti as Deputy Director.

Supreme Court will hear dispute over GOP legislators' defense of North Carolina voter ID law  —  Justice Breyer: 'It's important not to have transparency'  —  (CNN)The Supreme Court said Wednesday that it will hear a case brought by Republican legislators in North Carolina who are seeking …

Republicans Hit Biden on Coronavirus  —  Republicans have fought mask requirements and vaccine mandates for months, but as coronavirus infections again rise, they are blaming the president for failing to end the health crisis.  —  WASHINGTON — Over eight hours last Thursday night and into Friday morning …

Florida Man Arrested on Charges Related to Jan. 6 Capitol Breach  —  Defendant Accused of Joining With Group of Oath Keepers to Unlawfully Enter U.S. Capitol  —  WASHINGTON — A Florida man, an affiliate of the Oath Keepers, was arrested today on charges related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 …

Chinese Official Accused of Sexual Assault Played Key Role in Setting Up Beijing 2022 Olympics  —  Zhang Gaoli, accused of assault in a post on tennis star Peng Shuai's social-media account, headed a steering committee to land the Games  —  A video call between the head …

White House creates new energy division to coordinate climate change policies  —  The White House has launched a new energy division of its Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and appointed Sally Benson, a well-known energy expert at Stanford University, to a high-level position to coordinate climate change policy.

Trumpist Election-Deniers Descend Into High School Drama  —  Lin Wood, Sebastian Gorka, Sidney Powell, and Michael Flynn are hurling accusations of money woes, betrayals, “fraud,” and ghosting.  —  In the aftermath of the contested 2020 vote, Trump's biggest election-fraud cheerleaders …

CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NBC ignore NYT bombshell report on Hunter Biden's business deal with Chinese company  —  Hunter Biden struck the deal while his father was vice president  —  Hunter Biden will be a top priority for Republicans: Comer  —  It wasn't long ago that a New York Times bombshell …

FBI acknowledges some agents may have Havana Syndrome symptoms  —  The FBI is promising to make sure employees who have symptoms consistent with Havana Syndrome get access to medical care after a former agent suffering almost daily headaches was rebuffed when he sought testing and treatment, according to documents obtained by NBC News.

Dimon Regrets Quip JPMorgan to Outlast China Communist Party  — Says he was trying to emphasize strength, longevity of bank  — JPMorgan has almost $20 billion of exposure in Chinese economy  —  JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon said he regrets making a quip …

Rittenhouse Photo Reveals Where Trump Keeps Bizarre Rushmore Sculpture  —  South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem gave the strange homage to the then-president in 2020.  —  SIOUX FALLS—The “Mount Trumpmore” statue that South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem gave to then-President Donald Trump—grafting him onto the iconic monument—was not mothballed.

Maria Butina's National Prayer Breakfast Host Was a Chick-fil-A Executive  —  Despite Focus on NRA's Russian Ties, Butina's Handler Had Family Connections Long Before  —  Maria Butina and Alexander Torshin at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, Feb. 2, 2017.

Are the Courts Getting Ready to Crack Down on Reporters?  —  A ruling blocking The New York Times from covering a far-right activist group has ominous implications for the First Amendment.  —  In 1994, the CBS program 48 Hours prepared to air explosive video about unsanitary conditions …

Pentagon creates new organization to investigate UFOs  —  The Pentagon has created a new organization that will lead the department's investigations into mysterious objects in the sky.  —  The Defense Department announced the formation of the Airborne Object Identification …

Jim Jordan reveals he had COVID-19 this summer  —  Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) revealed in a recent interview that he had COVID-19 over the summer, but refused to disclose if he has been vaccinated.  —  Jordan, while speaking with Spectrum News, said he had the virus in the early part of the summer …

The Democrats Are a Communist Party Now  —  The Communist Democrats don't want to defeat China.  They seek to replicate its totalitarian system.  —  Daniel Greenfield is a Shillman Journalism Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center specializing in investigative reporting on the Left and Islamic terrorism.

Do Not Fall for Joe Biden's Slick New Oil Trick  —  Joe Biden felt a need to escape the luxury of the White House for the holiday.  —  So just before burning a few tons of jet fuel and emitting fresh carbon emissions on the four-hour flight to Nantucket, President Climate Change ordered …

Sweden's first female prime minister quits hours later  —  COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Hours after being tapped as Sweden's prime minister, Magdalena Andersson resigned Wednesday after suffering a budget defeat in parliament and coalition partner the Greens left the two-party minority government.