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 News to Light New Christmas Tree After Previous One Torched  —  Fox News Media announced on Wednesday that a new tree will be lit on Thursday evening after its original one was allegedly burned by an arsonist early Wednesday morning.  —  The event on Fox Square in New York will include network personalities, clergymen and others.

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 …

Old foes thwart Biden's foreign policy pivot  —  President Joe Biden wants to pivot U.S. foreign policy to the future but has not yet been able to shake the past.  —  Biden took office early this year promising a new era for the United States on the world stage, casting aside …

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.”

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.

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.

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 …

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.

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 …

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.

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 …

Biden promised to reverse Trump's health policies.  He's done that — mostly.  —  Good morning!  It's almost the end of the year and we're wondering...have you signed up for our sister newsletter The Climate 202 yet?  Subscribe here to add it to your 2022 reading list.

Jussie Smollett's final act: How a hate crime hoax became a pitch for jury nullification  —  In his testimony before a Chicago jury this week, actor Jussie Smollett talked about how he has had to carefully maintain his image as “a black Cary Grant.”  The “Empire” star, however …

U.S. Moves to Tighten Iran Sanctions Enforcement as Nuclear Talks Stall  —  Delegation to warn private firms and banks in U.A.E. that they ‘face extreme risk’ if sanctioned trade continues  —  The Biden administration is moving to tighten enforcement of sanctions against Iran …

Believe it or not, Fox News once knew shame  —  It wasn't so very long ago that Fox News had some standards for what was unacceptable.  —  In 2008, a Fox host named E.D. Hill suggested that a playful fist bump between Barack and Michelle Obama looked like a “terrorist fist jab.”

Sanna Marin: Finland's PM sorry for clubbing after Covid contact  —  Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin has apologised for going clubbing after coming into close contact with a Covid-19 case.  —  Sanna Marin went on a night out in Helsinki on Saturday, hours after her foreign minister had tested positive.

Biden to award three Medals of Honor for combat actions in Iraq, Afghanistan  —  The Biden administration is planning to award Medals of Honor to three U.S. soldiers who fought in Afghanistan and Iraq, according to people familiar with the matter, a group that includes the first Black service member …

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.

Inclusion Delusion: The Antisemitism of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Staff at Universities  —  Authors:  —  SUMMARY … Universities ostensibly employ diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) staff to create more tolerant and welcoming environments for students from all backgrounds.

More Evidence Muddles Durham's Case on Lawyer's Meeting With F.B.I.  —  One disclosure dovetails with the special counsel John Durham's indictment against Michael Sussmann, while several others clash with it.  —  WASHINGTON — When a special counsel accused a prominent cybersecurity lawyer …

Biden's ‘Summit for Democracy’ needs to be democratized  —  President Biden's “Summit for Democracy” begins tomorrow with the laudable aim to reenergize global commitment to democracy during a dangerous period of backsliding and rising authoritarianism.  Yet the process — organization …

Millions of dollars in GOP ads haven't changed public support for Build Back Better  —  Two new polls show broad support for President Joe Biden's $1.75 trillion social infrastructure package.  —  Republican-linked dark money groups have spent millions on false ads trying to convince voters …

Youngkin pledges to pull Virginia from carbon market by executive order  —  Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin is pledging to use executive action to pull Virginia out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a carbon market involving 10 other Mid-Atlantic and New England states.

Rachael Rollins Confirmed As Massachusetts' Historic Top Federal Prosecutor  —  Every Republican senator opposed her.  But the Boston district attorney will now be the state's first Black woman to serve as U.S. attorney.  —  Senate Democrats on Wednesday narrowly confirmed Rachael Rollins …

Feds: Would-Be Terrorist Trained for Jihad at Texas Gun Range  —  The man's name first surfaced when FBI agents went through the phone of a terrorist who was shot and killed after attacking a Corpus Christi Navy base in 2020.  —  When Navy sailors shot and killed a terrorist in the middle …