Top Republicans stand up for Rounds after Trump's attack: He ‘told the truth’  —  (CNN)Senior Republicans are closing ranks behind Sen. Mike Rounds after he endured a scathing attack from former President Donald Trump for acknowledging the reality that President Joe Biden won the 2020 election.

Justice Dept. forms new domestic terrorism unit to address growing threat  —  The Justice Department is forming a new domestic terrorism unit to help combat a threat that has intensified dramatically in recent years, a top national security official said Tuesday.

Hillary Clinton's 2024 Election Comeback  —  Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have become unpopular.  It may be time for a change candidate.  —  A perfect storm in the Democratic Party is making a once-unfathomable scenario plausible: a political comeback for Hillary Clinton in 2024.

Gov. Northam says he's ‘99% sure’ of identity of man in blackface  —  Who was the mystery man in blackface?  —  Gov. Ralph Northam told The Washington Post that he is “99% sure” of the identity of the man who donned blackface in a photograph included on his medical school yearbook page ― …

A new plan to ‘Trump-proof’ the 2024 election quietly comes together  —  If Republicans succeed in blocking Democratic efforts to protect voting rights this week, as expected, the push to defend democracy will be anything but dead.  That's because another important proposal to prevent …

This Is Very Serious  —  A new publication from Josh Barro  —  A lot of writers write about people they disagree with.  I think part of what makes me different — and has made me different through my career — is that I try to write for people I disagree with.

Novak Djokovic Tested Positive: A Timeline of What Happened Next  —  If a tennis star knew he was positive for the coronavirus, why did he keep making public appearances without a mask?  —  In an interview room at Tullamarine Airport in Melbourne, an Australian immigration officer sat down across from the tennis star Novak Djokovic.

Jan. 6 panel subpoenas Trump Jr. advisers, Trump speechwriter  —  The select panel investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection is homing in on Donald Trump Jr.  —  The committee issued subpoenas for two close advisers, Andrew Surabian and Arthur Schwartz, to former President Donald Trump's eldest son on Tuesday …

Kanye West's Associates Can't Agree on Whether He's Meeting Vladimir Putin  —  One says the rapper/entrepreneur is plotting concerts, musical collaborations, and business opportunities with some Trump-connected billionaires; another calls the whole story “entirely fabricated”

NPR hosts' departures fuel questions over race.  The full story is complex  —  In the wake of a trio of departures, news stories and private messages shared among NPR staffers reflected the concern that Black and Latina stars are leaving the network in droves.

Axios-Ipsos poll: America retrenches on COVID  —  Social distancing and self-quarantining have spiked in recent weeks as Omicron puts the nation in a crouch like last spring before vaccines became widely available, according to the latest installment of the Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index.

New FOIA Document Asserts NSBA Letter Was Drafted at Request of Education Secretary  —  In newly obtained emails between National School Board Association board members Marnie Maldonado and Kristi Swett dated October 5-6, 2021, Ms. Swett —an officer of the NSBA board currently serving …

The Biden sit-down that split PBS  —  Welcome to POLITICO's West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration.  With Allie Bice.  —  Networks and news outlets are used to jockeying with each other for coveted presidential interviews.

How Should Republicans Talk About Jan. 6?  —  The answer seems to be: Minimize it when we need votes, but denounce it when we want praise.  —  Last year I lost a congressional primary race on a platform that explicitly criticized former President Trump's behavior after the 2020 election …

FAA's Statement On Mysterious Air Traffic Halt Leaves More Questions Than Answers … The Federal Aviation Administration has finally put out an official statement regarding a still very mysterious ground stop order that it issued to all aircraft in the western U.S. and Hawaii yesterday around 2:30 PM PST.

The Trailer: San Francisco's school board recalls are tearing Democrats apart  —  In this edition: The school board battle in San Francisco, a special election in Florida and the continuing Democratic retirement party.  —  The only newsletter that promises never to use a “devil went down to Georgia pun”: This is The Trailer.

Americans Reading Fewer Books Than in Past  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans say they read an average of 12.6 books during the past year, a smaller number than Gallup has measured in any prior survey dating back to 1990.  U.S. adults are reading roughly two or three fewer books per year than they did between 2001 and 2016.

Hot mic catches Fauci calling GOP senator ‘a moron’  —  White House chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci was caught on a hot mic Tuesday calling Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) “a moron” during his testimony before the Senate Health Committee on the omicron variant of the coronavirus.

Ted Cruz's teen daughter comes out as bisexual  —  She described herself as bi on TikTok and said she “basically disagrees” with the far-right Senator on everything - from politics to her clothes.  —  Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz  —  Sen. Ted Cruz's (R-TX) daughter, Caroline …

A marketing firm that works with Jewish groups, Big Duck, has nixed a potential client because of its Israel ties  —  (JTA) — A marketing firm that has worked extensively with Jewish nonprofits has declined to work with one because of growing concerns among its staff members about groups with “significant programming in Israel.”

'Voter's Remorse'?  Trump Would Win Rematch With Biden  —  President Joe Biden would lose an election rematch to former President Donald Trump, who would win among independents and almost evenly split Hispanic voters.  —  A new Heartland Institute and Rasmussen Reports national telephone …

BREAKING: Biden Administration Making Lists of Religious Vaccine Objectors  —  A tiny administrative agency in the District of Columbia announced a new policy Tuesday that will likely serve as a model for a whole-of-government push to assemble lists of Americans who object on religious grounds to a COVID-19 vaccine.

Biden Administration Approves 5 More Guantánamo Releases  —  Nearly half of the last 39 detainees have now been approved for transfer, and the challenge for U.S. officials is to find countries to receive them.  —  WASHINGTON — A U.S. government review panel has approved the release …

Conservative Activist Dies of COVID Complications After Attending Anti-Vax ‘Symposium’  —  Kelly Canon had celebrated her vaccine exemption a few weeks before she fell ill with the virus and wound up on a ventilator.  —  A well-known conservative activist in Arlington, Texas …

Adams Economic Czar Likely Pick Had Secret Sideline Securing City Real Estate Deals  —  Carlo Scissura, the mayor's reported choice as Economic Development Corporation CEO, promised “friend” he'd influence officials on school site sales — without registering as a lobbyist.