CNN insider says network ‘needs to step up and fire Brian Stelter’ for not exposing Jeff Zucker affair: report  —  The network employee said Stelter's 'been sitting on his moral high horse doing Jeff's biddling'  —  Zucker's actions an ‘embarrassment’ for CNN: Kurtz

Memos Show Roots of Trump's Focus on Jan. 6 and Alternate Electors  —  Just over two weeks after Election Day, lawyers working with the Trump campaign set out a rationale for creating alternate slates of electors as part of an effort to buy time to overturn the results.

Unmasking Of Rudy Giuliani On Fox's ‘The Masked Singer’ Prompts Judges Ken Jeong & Robin Thicke To Walk Off In Protest  —  EXCLUSIVE, SPOILER ALERT: Rudy Giuliani was last week unmasked as an exiting costumed contestant in the taping of the first episode of Fox's popular prime time show The Masked Singer.

Trump considered blanket pardons for Jan. 6 rioters before he left office  —  In the final days of his presidency, Donald Trump seriously considered issuing a blanket pardon for all participants in the Jan. 6 riot, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter.

L.A. Mayor Garcetti Says He Held His Breath For Maskless Photo With Magic Johnson  —  Los Angeles Mayor — and Biden Administration ambassadorial nominee — Eric Garcetti today defended his actions after maskless photos surfaced of him and Lakers great Magic Johnson, along …

Labor groups wary of potential Supreme Court pick backed by top House Democrat  —  Union leaders are increasingly wary of President Biden's potential selection of Judge J. Michelle Childs as a Supreme Court justice, citing her time working on behalf of employers against worker claims.

Olympic athletes are getting ready to boycott the opening ceremony in Beijing  —  When the Winter Olympics officially begins Friday in Beijing, U.S. diplomats and international fans won't be the only ones missing from the festivities.  Olympic athletes from multiple countries who want to show solidarity …

3 more women say Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy filmed them without asking during sex … In November 2021, three young women came forward about sexual encounters they had with Barstool Sports' founder, Dave Portnoy.  These women told Insider the experiences with Portnoy turned frightening …

Whoopi Goldberg ‘livid,’ threatening to quit ‘The View’ over her suspension: source  —  Whoopi Goldberg is “livid” after she was suspended from “The View” over her claim that the Holocaust was “not about race” — and is telling coworkers she is going to quit the show, according to a source.

The Pa. Supreme Court took over a redistricting case and will decide the state's new congressional map  —  The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Wednesday took control of a high-stakes redistricting lawsuit and will now decide how the state's congressional districts will be drawn for the next decade …

The Plan Was Simple: Infiltrate MAGA World and Tell Everyone What She Saw.  Then She Was Found Out.  —  Fight disinformation.  Get a daily recap of the facts that matter.  Sign up for the free Mother Jones newsletter.  —  “Looks like my cover is fully blown, actually, fuck,” Amanda Moore told me over Twitter direct message.

National Butterfly Center on Texas border closing indefinitely after attacks from right-wing conspiracy theorists  —  The National Butterfly Center on the Texas border is closing “for the immediate future” after conspiracy-fueled attacks against the center on social media escalated in recent days.

Four Defendants Arrested In Connection With The Overdose Death Of Michael K. Williams  —  Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Keechant Sewell, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department ("NYPD"), announced that IRVIN CARTAGENA …

He's Head of a Georgia Election Board—and Fixated on QAnon  —  Ben Johnson of Spalding County dabbles in election conspiracies even as he holds power over voting. … The Republican chair of a rural Georgia election board—which has the power to restrict or expand access to voting …

Metaverse mortgages are being issued to buy virtual land — and one of the first ever was just signed for a property in Decentraland  — TerraZero Technologies facilitated one of the first ever “metaverse mortgages” for a client buying virtual property in Decentraland.

How Schumer explains his Senate dilemma  —  (CNN)Last July, trying to get Sen. Joe Manchin to let Democrats move forward on their agenda, Chuck Schumer came up with a plan.  He had the West Virginia Democrat lay out what he could accept and how much he'd be willing to spend.  Manchin signed his name.

Exclusive: Hawley calls on Biden to drop support for Ukraine membership in NATO  —  Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) is calling on the Biden administration to drop longstanding U.S. support for Ukraine's eventual membership in NATO, arguing that a binding commitment to defend the country would undermine efforts to counter China.

Woodside freezes SB 9 projects, citing an exemption for mountain lion habitats  —  New housing law allows up to four residential units per lot  —  Mountain lions and housing policy aren't often uttered in the same sentence, but that was the case last week in Woodside.

Jan. 6 select committee subpoenas phone records of Arizona GOP chair  —  The Jan. 6 select committee has subpoenaed the phone records of Arizona GOP Chair Kelli Ward and her husband, Michael Ward, who both signed documents falsely claiming to be among their state's presidential electors in 2020.

FBI identifies 6 juveniles as persons of interest in bomb threats at Black colleges  —  FBI identifies six juvenile persons of interest in HBCU bomb threats  —  Six “tech savvy” juveniles have been identified as persons of interest by the FBI in threats to historically Black colleges …

Why I'm seeking accountability from Trump allies in court  —  Public servants who do their duty, tell the truth and uphold their oaths of office shouldn't be subjected to intimidation and retaliation.  —  In July 2019, my life took a dramatic and unexpected turn when I listened …

10 Worst Colleges for Free Speech: 2022  —  There's no shortage of colleges and universities that will go to great lengths to stifle free speech.  Some institutions are worse than others, which is why each year for over a decade, FIRE compiles a list of the worst-of-the-worst.

50% Turnover at Amazon in Alabama Since Last Union Election - 60 Starbucks Seeking to Unionize in 19 States - Leading SCOTUS Pick Worked at Anti-Union Firm  —  60 Starbucks Seeking to Unionize in 19 States  —  Early last December, Starbucks workers at a Buffalo store became the first in the nation to unionize.

Army to immediately start discharging vaccine refusers  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Army said Wednesday it will immediately begin discharging soldiers who have refused to get the mandatory COVID-19 vaccine, putting more than 3,300 service members at risk of being thrown out soon.

Reading Between the Lines  —  On Sept. 27, 2021, ImagineIF Library Trustee David Ingram sent out emails to other trustees, as well as the Flathead County commissioners, with a link to a video from a Virginia school board meeting.  —  The meeting was about two controversial queer-themed books …

Man who drew Union Station swastikas is twice-deported criminal  —  A man arrested last week for vandalizing Washington's Union Station with swastika symbols is a Mexican citizen with a 15-year criminal history who has been deported twice but still does not meet Biden administration standards for arrest or removal.

Biden officials push to hold up $11.3 billion USPS truck contract, citing climate damage  —  The Environmental Protection Agency warns Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to halt his plan to replace the aging delivery fleet with thousands of gas-powered vehicles.