Pressed on his election lies, former President Trump cuts NPR interview short  —  Some Republican leaders are trying to move on from former President Donald Trump's failed attempt to overturn the 2020 election that he lost.  —  “While there were some irregularities, there were none …

Matt Gaetz's ex-girlfriend testifies to grand jury in sex trafficking probe  —  ORLANDO, Fla. — Rep. Matt Gaetz's ex-girlfriend testified Wednesday before a federal grand jury investigating him for sex crimes, a major development that suggests the Department of Justice may be moving closer to indicting him.

Political Instability Not U.S. Adversaries, Seen As Bigger Threat, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Nearly 6 In 10 Think Nation's Democracy Is In Danger Of Collapse  — mail_outline  —  In a sharply divided country, Americans agree on this: the bigger danger to the United States comes from within.

Trump Rips ‘Gutless’ Politicians — Like DeSantis — Who Won't Say If They've Had Vaccine Booster: ‘Say It’  —  Former President Donald Trump said that politicians who don't disclose their booster shot status when asked in interviews are “gutless.”  —  He made the remarks on One America News in an interview aired on Tuesday night.

Mike Lindell says he has ‘enough evidence’ to put ‘300 million’ Americans in jail for election fraud  —  MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell argued this week that “300 million” Americans belong in jail for election fraud.  —  Lindell's remarks on Real America's Voice were first reported by Right Wing Watch.

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice says he's ‘extremely unwell’ after testing positive for coronavirus  —  West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R) announced late Tuesday that he's “extremely unwell” after testing positive for coronavirus, forcing him to postpone his State of the State address.

“He's the Shadow Front-Runner”: In 2024, Mike Pence Is Gearing Up to Go Rogue  —  The former veep is loosening up in public appearances and earning brownie points with donors.  Allies see a man who's ready to launch a presidential bid—even if it means running against Donald Trump.

Revealed: The Billionaires Funding the Coup's Brain Trust  —  Conservative mega-donors including the DeVoses and Bradleys are pumping big money into the Claremont Institute think tank that fueled Trump's election-fraud fantasies  —  The Claremont Institute, once a little-known …

Rep. Trey Hollingsworth won't run for reelection in Indiana's 9th district.  Here's why.  —  U.S. Rep. Trey HollingsworthSpecial to IndyStar  —  At the entryway to your congressional office on my very first day as your representative, I had a plaque installed that reads …

Scientists believed Covid leaked from Wuhan lab - but feared debate could hurt ‘international harmony’  —  Emails to Dr Anthony Fauci show ‘likely’ explanation identified at start of coronavirus pandemic, but there were worries about saying so  —  Leading British and US scientists thought …

Redistricting: Ohio Supreme Court strikes down state House and Senate maps  —  Jessie Balmert Laura A. BischoffThe Columbus Dispatch  —  The Ohio Supreme Court struck down GOP-drawn state House and Senate maps as unconstitutional gerrymandering in a 4-3 decision Wednesday …

Omicron will infect ‘just about everybody,’ Fauci says … The omicron coronavirus variant will infect “just about everybody” regardless of vaccination status, top U.S. infectious-disease expert Anthony S. Fauci said Tuesday.  —  But those who have been vaccinated will “very likely …

The Big Lie's Long Shadow  —  Mike Cuffe blends in.  Sitting in a chair that almost matches the color of his suit, which almost matches the gray Montana sky outside, the state senator looked a lot like the other legislators in a state administration committee meeting last February.

Republicans stung by a change they made on judicial picks  —  Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee warned for years that a change Republicans made during the Trump administration for judicial nominees would one day work against them — and Wednesday was that day.

Grid, a ‘Fuller Picture’ News Site, Goes Live  —  The latest media start-up, with millions in funding and a team of more than 20 journalists, aims to bring clarity to weighty issues.  —  Grid, a news site more than a year in the making, went live early Wednesday, with the goal of becoming …

‘Crime tourists’: An international spree targets D.C. area's wealthy Asian residents  —  A string of burglaries in the suburbs revealed a crime trend with worldwide reach  —  Detectives crept into the parking lot of a Days Inn in Alexandria one night in March and surreptitiously attached GPS trackers …

Cigarettes Are Making a Comeback  —  Cigarettes, once shunned, have made a comeback with a younger crowd who knows better.  —  On a recent not-so-wintry Thursday in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn, when the only snowflakes seen were over text, a gang of 20-somethings stood in a circle outside …

Prince Andrew to face civil sex assault case after US ruling  —  Prince Andrew has failed in his bid to get a civil case which alleges he sexually assaulted Virginia Giuffre dismissed by a US judge.  —  Ms Giuffre is suing the prince claiming he abused her when she was 17.

Judge orders man convicted of sexual assault to join the military or go to jail  —  “If you don't enroll in 30 days, you can report to the Franklin County Regional Jail.”  —  A Kentucky judge this month gave a man charged convicted of sexual assault a perplexing choice:

Rubio: Liberals Want Power to Intimidate and Destroy Political Opponents  —  Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) spoke on the Senate floor following calls from President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and others to change the rules of the Senate to make it easier to pass their radical, partisan agenda.

‘Back Alley’ Advice Is Making The Pandemic Worse  —  Hey, buddy, wanna know what kind of mask to wear?  And how many times you can wear it before you have to throw it away?  Do you know where to swab to make sure you find that omicron in your system?  Need the hookup on some cool new orifices?

Romney warns against getting rid of filibuster, citing possible Trump win in 2024  —  Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) on Tuesday issued a warning to Democrats about the potential consequences of getting rid of the filibuster and accused President Biden of going down “the same tragic road” of former President Trump.

POLITICO Playbook: Our exclusive new poll on voting rights  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  INFLATION WATCH — The Consumer Price Index for December 2021 will be released at 8:30 a.m. November's CPI came in at 6.8% for the previous 12 months, the biggest one-year increase since 1982.

Schools See Big Drop in Attendance as Students Stay Away, Citing Covid-19  —  Depressed attendance rates create challenges for teaching and learning; ‘there has never been anything like this’  —  Public-school attendance across the U.S. has dropped to unusually low levels …

A Simple Plan to Solve All of America's Problems  —  The U.S. doesn't have enough COVID tests—or houses, immigrants, physicians, or solar panels.  We need an abundance agenda.  —  About the author: Derek Thompson is a staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of the Work in Progress newsletter.

MAGA App Gettr Sick of Their Racist Users, Bans Right-Wing Pundit Over N-Word  —  BOOTED  —  The free speech MAGA-loving social media site Gettr, founded by former Trump advisor Jason Miller, banned former Blaze TV host Jon Miller over using the N-word on their platform.

Manhattan's DA ‘reimagines’ crimes but even social justice warriors will tire of being victimized  —  ‘Progressive path’ has destroyed proud city I served as a ‘street agent’ in FBI's New York City office  —  Newly-elected Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg ripped for soft-on-crime policies