Republicans' Jan. 6 Responsibility  —  The GOP has a duty to condemn the riot and those who refuse to acknowledge it.  —  We're in an acrimonious period of partisan tribalism and have been for some time.  Both parties are guilty of overwrought denunciations of their political opponents.

Mike Pence's team helping Jan. 6 committee  —  People in and around former Vice President Mike Pence's office have been particularly cooperative as the Jan. 6 select committee focuses on what former President Trump was doing during the more than three hours the Capitol was under attack, sources familiar with the testimony tell Axios.

Seattle police improperly faked radio chatter about Proud Boys as CHOP formed in 2020, investigation finds  —  At a crucial moment during 2020's racial justice protests, Seattle police exchanged a detailed series of fake radio transmissions about a nonexistent group of menacing right-wing extremists.

Scoop: Bipartisan Senate group in talks about election reform measure  —  A new bipartisan Senate group is in early discussions about crafting an election reform measure, as the Democrats' sweeping voting rights proposals continue to run into steep procedural hurdles.

‘Shut the whole system down’: S.F. teachers plan sickout as schools struggle amid omicron surge  —  A group of San Francisco teachers has organized a “sickout” Thursday, saying they will skip school because they feel the district failed to adequately protect them during the pandemic.

Postal Service asks for temporary waiver from Biden vaccine requirement  —  In a letter to OSHA, the Postal Service says its ability to deliver the mail would be hurt because employees would either leave over the mandate or be disciplined for disobeying it.  —  The U.S. Postal Service …

Russian troops arrive in protest-roiled Kazakhstan, where security forces have killed dozens of protesters  —  MOSCOW — Kazakhstan's sweeping anti-government protests turned deadly early Thursday, as overnight clashes saw “dozens” of demonstrators “eliminated,” authorities said, and Russian troops arrived to help the government.

Accused Capitol Rioter Edward Jacob Lang Blasts Trump and Begs For His Help in Jailhouse Call  —  Calling in to a right-wing show, Edward Jacob Lang told Trump that “We are rotting in jail because we stood up for what you told us to stand up for!”  —  On the eve of the first anniversary …

F.B.I. Arrests Man Accused of Stealing Unpublished Book Manuscripts  —  Filippo Bernardini, an Italian citizen who worked in publishing, was charged with wire fraud and identity theft for a scheme that prosecutors said affected hundreds of people over five or more years.

Djokovic stuck in airport, Serbian president demands Australian entry  —  Novak Djokovic was left stranded at a Melbourne airport overnight, caught in a internatonal political maelstrom over whether Australia would honour the World No. 1's medical exemption from vaccine requirements or send him home due to a visa blunder.

For C.D.C.'s Walensky, a Steep Learning Curve on Messaging  —  Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has stumbled in explaining her policy decisions.  —  WASHINGTON — Two days before Christmas, with the Omicron variant driving a near-vertical rise …

Eric Swalwell goes maskless in Florida after slamming Republicans  —  Rep Eric Swalwell of California was apparently able to go ahead with his holiday travel plans and ditch his mask on Tuesday when he was spotted hanging out at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel.

Who Are the Real Insurrectionists?  —  Stone-cold sober elites are systematically waging a far more dangerous and insidious revolution in the shadows than anything threatened by the American Right.  —  Recently, Democrats have been despondent over Joe Biden's sinking polls.