How Not to Build a Coalition  —  The Left's Theory of the Case Falls Apart  —  It's fair to say that the left of the Democratic party has been in ascendance for some time.  You could see it in how candidates positioned themselves during the Democratic primaries.

Trump held secret meetings in days before Capitol attack, ex-press secretary tells panel  —  Stephanie Grisham gave more significant details than expected about what Trump was doing before 6 January, sources say  —  The former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham told …

CIA says ‘Havana Syndrome’ not result of sustained campaign by hostile power  —  In a new intelligence assessment, the CIA has ruled out that the mysterious symptoms known as Havana Syndrome are the result of a sustained global campaign by a hostile power aimed at hundreds of U.S. diplomats and spies …

POLITICO Playbook: Biden breaks up with Bernie  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  DON'T CALL ME BERNIE — There's a lot to unpack from President JOE BIDEN's marathon press conference in the East Room, but let's start with this statement deep into the 1-hour-and-51-minute event:

FBI agents descended on Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar's house, but won't say what they're investigating  —  An FBI spokesperson said the agency was present on two streets around Cuellar's house in Laredo “conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity.”  —  Copy link

Biden approval hits new low at one-year mark: AP-NORC poll  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden ends his first year in the White House with a clear majority of Americans for the first time disapproving of his handling of the presidency in the face of an unrelenting pandemic and roaring inflation …

US jobless claims rise to 286,000, highest since October  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose to the highest level in three months as the fast-spreading omicron variant continued to disrupt the job market.  —  Jobless claims rose …

DeSantis administration puts Florida health director on leave for encouraging vaccinations for his staff  —  Starting January 19, Americans will be able to have at-home COVID-19 tests shipped to their homes, for free.  —  STAFF VIDEO, USA TODAY  —  Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration …

The Six Main Strands of the Trump Coup Attempt  —  Donald Trump's actions to overturn the 2020 election were dedicated, intentional, and sustained over time.  The insistent notion that Trump and his allies are “too stupid to coup” should not be reassuring.  Like the velociraptors in Jurassic Park …

Tennessee-based adoption agency refuses to help couple because they're Jewish  —  A Knoxville couple is suing the Tennessee Department of Children's Services, saying a state-sponsored Christian-based adoption agency refused to help them because they are Jewish.

First look: Biden inaugural to blanket airwaves today  —  President Biden's Presidential Inaugural Committee will mark his first anniversary in office by blanketing today's airwaves — from breakfast to evening news to prime time — with a video promoting a recovering, resilient America.

In Rebuke to Trump, Supreme Court Allows Release of Jan. 6 Files  —  The House committee investigating the riot received hundreds of pages of documents from the former president's White House within hours of the ruling.  —  WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused a request …

New Filings Reveal Another Billionaire Behind the Big Lie  —  Dick Uihlein has been a reliable GOP donor for years.  But in 2020, he gave millions to groups associated with overturning the election. … It's usually the images of a violent mob attacking the U.S. Capitol that are associated …

Remarks by President Biden in Press Conference  —  THE PRESIDENT: Hello, folks.  Thanks for being here.  —  Well, good afternoon, everyone.  Tomorrow will mark one year since I took office.  It's been a year of challenges, but it's also been a year of enormous progress.

The Message in the Polls: Trump's Done  —  Our media are obsessed with Donald Trump, but Trump's obsessed with Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida.  For months now, Trump's been playing the aging silent film star Norma Desmond in “Sunset Boulevard” to DeSantis' younger, prettier Betty Schaefer.

Trump Deal Faced Widespread Investor Doubt Before Raising $1 Billion  —  More than a dozen big Wall Street money managers said no to Trump Media, but the Pentwater and Sabby hedge funds are among those that have committed millions.  —  Last month, Donald J. Trump's fledgling social media company announced …

Robert Costa, a Noted Political Reporter, Is Joining CBS News  —  The longtime Washington Post political reporter will take an on-air role covering campaigns and elections.  —  Robert Costa, the high-profile political reporter, is leaving his longtime home at The Washington Post to become …

Hinson Takes Credit for Infrastructure Funds She Labeled as ‘Socialist,’ Voted Against  —  US Rep. Ashley Hinson compared the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to socialism, but that didn't stop her from taking credit for funds from the legislation that she voted against.

What's Happening on the Left Is No Excuse for What's Happening on the Right  —  Mr. Rauch is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.  Mr. Wehner is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center.  —  American democracy has often confronted hostile forces from outside the United States …

Experts see ‘red flags’ at nonprofit raising big money for Capitol riot defendants  —  In right-wing media, Cynthia Hughes has become one of the most prominent public faces representing families of the people held in jail, awaiting trial for allegedly attacking the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Pandemic Pessimism Grows Amid Omicron Surge  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — With the highly transmissible omicron variant of COVID-19 infecting hundreds of thousands of Americans daily, optimism about the trajectory of the pandemic in the U.S. has fallen sharply, and worry about contracting the virus has risen to its highest level in a year.