R.N.C. Signals a Pullout From Presidential Debates  —  The Republican National Committee says it will require candidates to pledge to not participate in debates run by the Commission on Presidential Debates.  What would replace them, if anything, was unclear.

How pollsters say Democrats should talk about voting rights  —  Good morning.  The New York Times' Thomas Friedman had some fun dreaming up implausible bipartisan 2024 tickets (President Biden and Rep. Liz Cheney?  Vice President Kamala Harris and Sen. Mitt Romney?) in his latest column, but we know Early readers can do better.

Oath Keepers Leader Arrested in Jan. 6 Investigation  —  The F.B.I. arrested Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the far-right militia, in a major step forward in the investigation into the attack on the Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump.  —  The lawyer, Jonathan Moseley …

The Doom Loop Of “Relevance”  —  Rich Lowry and I disagree about Liz Cheney and Ron DeSantis  —  “Trump and I, we've had a hell of a journey.  I hate it to end this way, oh my God I hate it. ...  All I can say is count me out.  Enough is enough.”  —  Lindsey Graham, Now: (January 12, 2022)

The Capitol Riot Really Was an Insurrection  —  A response to Jeffrey Scott Shapiro on the legal definition in the U.S. Code.  —  Jeffrey Scott Shapiro is correct that insurrection under 18 U.S.C. 2383 is a crime with specific elements ("Stop Calling Jan. 6 an 'Insurrection,'" op-ed, Jan. 6).

Is Omicron Peaking?  —  In parts of the Northeast, it seems to be.  —  The number of new Covid-19 cases in New York City rose more than twentyfold in December.  In the past few days, it has flattened.  —  In both New Jersey and Maryland, the number of new cases has fallen slightly this week.

Republicans who falsified Michigan electoral college vote under scrutiny from Congress, Attorney General  —  1,204  —  Falsified documents claiming Michigan's electors voted for former President Donald Trump were given by state election officials to a congressional panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 riot.

Michigan woman arrested near Capitol had loaded shotgun, and she wanted to talk about Jan. 6, police say  — U.S. Capitol Police said they arrested a Michigan woman on multiple gun charges after she drove to Washington and told officers she wanted to talk about the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Trump is eyeing the White House and wants a more compliant Senate for when he gets there  —  As Donald Trump charts out his midterm elections strategy, his focus has turned to the contest for the Senate, not just in hopes of getting it back under GOP control but of having more compliant lawmakers there should he become president again.

‘Under Trump it was so much better’: The reality Democrats may be missing is that people are hurting right now  —  Reno, Nevada (CNN)Outside a Costco, Laura Godinez lifts meat, toothpaste, coffee, bottled water and bulk supplies of DayQuil from her cart — just the staples …

Glenn Beck has Covid again after refusing vaccine: 'It's going into my lungs'  —  Right-wing talk radio personality Glenn Beck on Wednesday said he has contracted Covid-19 for the second time and complained about the disease's effect on his lungs.  —  “It's starting to go into my lungs today and a little disturbing.

The latest Kamala Harris interview went as well as expected  —  How often do clips from an interview with a major politician genuinely make you laugh out loud?  —  Not in a spiteful performative sense, I mean, but in sincere amusement at the haplessness on display?

The past seven years have been the hottest in recorded history, new data shows … In the middle of a historically sweltering summer, a NASA researcher stood before Congress and declared the unvarnished, undeniable scientific truth: “The greenhouse effect has been detected,” James Hansen said.

Loudoun Rapist Sentenced, Put On Sex Offender Registry For Life  —  LOUDOUN COUNTY, Virginia — The 14-year-old boy who raped a ninth-grader in a girls' bathroom while he wore a skirt and blouse was sentenced on Wednesday to residential treatment, as it emerged that he also allegedly attacked a third girl …

How the Right's Rules of Rhetoric Create Racial Provocateurs  —  Anti-anti-racism can look a lot like ... racism … One of our nation's most important religious, cultural, and political projects is creating and sustaining a robust and just public policy aimed at repairing the harm inflicted …

Army offers up to $50k in enlistment incentives  —  The U.S. Army is offering its largest bonus ever for new recruits with up to $50,000 available to qualified individuals who sign on for a six-year active-duty enlistment.  —  The total incentive package for a new recruit is based …

U.S. Diplomats in Geneva, Paris Struck With Suspected ‘Havana Syndrome’  —  Mysterious neurological ailment has afflicted as many as 200 U.S. officials in diplomatic posts world-wide  —  WASHINGTON—Officials serving at U.S. diplomatic missions in Geneva and Paris are suspected …

A Look Inside Rikers: ‘Fight Night’ and Gang Rule, Captured on Video  —  Videos obtained by The New York Times reveal scenes of violence as the Department of Correction struggles to restore order in the jail system.  —  The men had gotten along on Rikers Island, had even been friendly …

Energy Department to announce Clean Energy Corps, hire 1,000 staffers to work on climate change  —  Good morning and welcome to The Climate 202!  Yesterday was a busy day for climate policy, but we've got you covered.  —  Biden's Energy Department to announce Clean Energy Corps, will hire 1,000 staffers to work on climate change