New York attorney general seeks Trump's deposition as part of civil fraud investigation  —  New York Attorney General Letitia James is seeking a deposition from former president Donald Trump early next year as part of her investigation into potential fraud inside the Trump Organization, according to people familiar with the matter.

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.

Birds Aren't Real, or Are They?  Inside a Gen Z Conspiracy Theory.  —  Peter McIndoe, the 23-year-old creator of the viral Birds Aren't Real movement, is ready to reveal what the effort is really about.  —  In Pittsburgh, Memphis and Los Angeles, massive billboards recently popped up declaring, “Birds Aren't Real.”

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 …

Talks on Ukraine would pose challenge of their own for Biden  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said this week the U.S. would take a more direct role in diplomacy to address Vladimir Putin's concerns over Ukraine and Europe at large, part of a broader effort to dissuade the Russian leader …

The Democrats' Hispanic Voter Problem  —  It's Not As Bad As You Think—It's Worse  —  The Democrats are steadily losing ground with Hispanic voters.  The seriousness of this problem tends to be underestimated in Democratic circles for a couple of reasons: (1) they don't realize how big the shift is …

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 …

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.”

USCP Arrest Capitol Hill Staffer for Carrying a Gun  —  This morning at approximately 7:40 am, our officers in the Longworth Building spotted the image of a handgun in a bag on the x-ray screen.  —  The man was tracked down four minutes later and arrested.

Event Planner Working on Bob Dole's Funeral Is Let Go for Jan. 6 Ties  —  Tim Unes was helping to plan memorial events for Mr. Dole when it came to light that he had been subpoenaed by the committee investigating the Capitol riot.  —  WASHINGTON — The Elizabeth Dole Foundation has cut ties with Tim Unes …

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.

‘This call never happened’: Ex-D.C. Guard leaders push back as internal Army report on Jan. 6 emerges  —  Two former top D.C. National Guard officials claim that an internal Army report on its response to the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol is loaded with falsehoods.

Big Law Firms Promised to Punish Republicans Who Voted to Overthrow Democracy.  Now They're Donating to their Campaigns  —  But less than a year later, they're back to business as usual  —  WASHINGTON — In the aftermath of the Jan. 6 insurrection, some of the country's biggest law firms …

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.

It's a Biden Boom—and No One Has Noticed Yet  —  If the current high levels of economic, job, and income growth continue, the 2020 midterms could look different than most are predicting.  —  While many people are uncomfortable communicating bad news, Democrats have a problem these days talking …

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 two-day Summit for Democracy, kicking off Thursday.

House Republican announces positive COVID-19 test hours after managing floor debate  —  Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) announced Wednesday evening that he tested positive for COVID-19 and has “mild symptoms,” just hours after he spent a considerable amount of time on the House floor managing debate …

Search for January 6th suspect ends on Peavine Mountain  —  RENO, Nev. (KOLO) -Among the faces captured on video January 6th, battling capitol police, trashing the nation's capitol was a 34 year old Winnemucca man, Josiah Kenyon.  —  The FBI charged Kenyon with, among other crimes, assaulting a capitol police officer with a table leg.

Jobless claims hit a new 52-year low  —  New York (CNN Business)Weekly claims for unemployment benefits dropped to a new, multi-decade low last week, the Labor Department reported Thursday.  —  At 184,000 claims, adjusted for seasonal swings, it was the lowest level of initial claims since September 1969 …

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 …

Amtrak to Cut Service as Workforce Shrinks on Shot Refusals  — Fewer trains to operate on Amtrak's long-distance routes  — Reduction will start in January, could be resolved by March  —  (Adds service restoration timeline in sixth paragraph.)  —  Amtrak expects it won't have enough employees …

How to Lose $2 Billion in 10 Years: Unpaid Bills Pile Up for Former Hedge-Fund Star  —  Philip Falcone is in a decadelong battle with the many people he owes money.  They include ex-employees, a law firm and limo companies.  —  Philip Falcone was worth more than $2 billion a decade ago.

The Prosecution Is Fumbling Its Case Against Ghislaine Maxwell  —  Ghislaine Maxwell is on trial, but the case has always been about more than her.  In seeking to put the disgraced British heiress behind bars for a possible 80 years, prosecutors are aiming to redress serial failures …

Most think Smollett staged fake hate crime: poll  —  Most Americans believe that Jussie Smollett staged a fake hate crime against himself, according to a new Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll survey shared with The Hill.  —  The overwhelming majority, 74 percent, of those polled said that the former …

The Great (Fake) Child-Sex-Trafficking Epidemic  —  A poster in the window of Cahoots Corner Cafe—great potatoes, good coffee—advertised a family event at the Oakdale, California, rodeo grounds.  There would be food trucks, carnival games, live music, a raffle, and the opportunity to support the cause of “freeing child sex slaves.”