Inside Trump's hunt for “disloyal” Republicans  —  Donald Trump and his associates are systematically reshaping the Republican Party, working to install hand-picked loyalists across federal and state governments and destroy those he feels have been disloyal, sources close to the former president tell Axios.

Fox Christmas tree arson suspect released without bail  —  The arsonist who allegedly torched the Fox News Christmas tree was freed after his arraignment Wednesday night because his charges were not eligible for bail under new liberal reform laws.  —  “I didn't do it!” suspect Craig Tamanaha …

Meadows Sues Pelosi in Bid to Block Jan. 6 Committee Subpoena  —  The suit came hours after the committee said it would prepare a criminal contempt of Congress referral against Mark Meadows, who was President Donald J. Trump's chief of staff on Jan. 6.  —  WASHINGTON — Mark Meadows …

Democrats Have No Idea How to Win the Culture Wars  —  Maybe Bill Clinton got a few things right after all.  —  For years, Democrats have rarely cited Clinton and the centrist New Democrat movement he led through the '90s except to renounce his “third way” approach to welfare, crime …

Biden's Democracy Summit Is Dumb … “This is a moment to try to refocus our fellow citizens on what makes us exceptional,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Politico's James Traub of the White House's 2-day Summit for Democracy, kicking off Thursday.  “It does speak to something …

Senate votes to nix Biden's vaccine mandate for businesses  —  The Senate on Wednesday voted to nix President Biden's vaccine mandate for larger businesses, handing Republicans a symbolic win.  —  Senators voted 52-48 on the resolution, which needed a simple majority to be approved.

Tucker Carlson's Jan. 6 ‘Agent Provocateur’ Is A Big Tucker Fan And An Amateur Cardinals Mascot  —  “If I'm wrong, so be it, bro,” Carlson's guest said after he'd told Fox News viewers that the St. Louis baseball booster was “clearly a law enforcement officer.”

Israel opposed the Iran nuclear deal, but former Israeli officials increasingly say U.S. pullout was a mistake  —  TEL AVIV — A growing number of former Israeli security officials are publicly faulting their government for opposing a nuclear deal negotiated in 2015 between Iran and world powers …

The Coronavirus Attacks Fat Tissue, Scientists Find  —  The research may help explain why people who are overweight and obese have been at higher risk of severe illness and death from Covid.  —  From the start of the pandemic, the coronavirus seemed to target people carrying extra pounds.

Mike Lindell Supports Fans' Push to ‘Bombard’ Supreme Court  —  OVERNIGHT SHIPPING  —  Increasingly restless supporters of MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell have a new plan of action: Send the Supreme Court physical copies of the pillow maven's dubious and unsigned 80-plus page court filing that seeks to overturn the 2020 election.

NEVER FORGET: All the Libs Who Fell for the Jussie Smollett Hate Crime Hoax  —  Democrats, celebs, and journalists jumped to condemn fabricated attack  —  Jussie Smollett, the C-list actor best known for his role as Terry Hall in The Mighty Ducks, is finally on trial in Chicago for allegedly staging …

Low-profile heiress who ‘played a strong role’ in financing Jan. 6 rally is thrust into spotlight  —  Eight days before the Jan. 6 rally in Washington, a little-known Trump donor living thousands of miles away in the Tuscan countryside quietly wired a total of $650,000 to three organizations that helped stage and promote the event.

Graham warns GOP about Trump's wrath on debt vote  —  Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) offered a forceful warning to Republican colleagues during a private lunch on Wednesday, saying former President Trump will come down hard on any GOP senators who vote for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's …

Evergrande has defaulted on its debt, Fitch Ratings says  —  Hong Kong (CNN Business)Evergrande, the embattled Chinese property developer, has defaulted on its debt, according to Fitch Ratings.  —  The credit ratings agency on Thursday downgraded the company and its subsidiaries to …

POLITICO Playbook: Why tongues are wagging inside the House GOP  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  THE RETURN OF RENEE — Former Rep. RENEE ELLMERS announced on Twitter Wednesday that she's running for Congress again in North Carolina's 4th district — and sent the House GOP gossip mill into overdrive.

What I told the students of Princeton  —  I was so honored tonight to be hosted by the Princeton Tory, the Witherspoon Institute and the Tikvah Fund.  The undergraduates I met tonight were clear sighted and brilliant and astonishingly well read.  There's so much on their shoulders.

De Blasio Fought for 2 Years to Keep Ethics Warning Secret.  Here's Why.  —  Mayor Bill de Blasio was warned that he created an “appearance of coercion and improper access” by directly contacting donors who had business before the city.  —  When Bill de Blasio was first elected mayor of New York …

A GOP senator suggested gargling mouthwash to kill the coronavirus.  Doctors and Listerine are skeptical.  —  Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) recommended mouthwash as a treatment for the coronavirus during a town hall meeting Wednesday, immediately drawing criticism for suggesting gargling would offer protection.

A new poll finds major warning signs for Biden and fellow Democrats  —  Americans don't feel the direct payments or expanded child tax credits doled out earlier this year helped them much, according to the latest NPR/Marist poll, and they don't see Democrats' signature legislation as addressing their top economic concern — inflation.

January 6 Police Beating Victim Speaks: ‘I Could Have Died’  —  The first of a two-part interview with Victoria White, a Trump supporter who was beaten by police inside the tunnel on the lower west terrace of the Capitol building on January 6.  —  The first time Victoria White visited the nation's capital was on January 6, 2021.