Exclusive: Trump lawyers in talks with Justice Department about January 6 criminal probe  —  (CNN)Former President Donald Trump's legal team is in direct communication with Justice Department officials, the first sign of talks between the two sides as the criminal probe into January 6, 2021 …

Alex Jones trial verdict: Jury awards $4.1 million in first phase of Sandy Hook case  —  Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones must pay the parents of Sandy Hook victim Jesse Lewis damage awards totaling $4.1 million, an Austin jury determined Thursday — far below the $150 million requested.

Sinema Agrees to Climate and Tax Deal, Clearing the Way for Votes  —  The Arizona Democrat had been her party's last remaining holdout on the package, now slated to move forward on Saturday and pass the Senate within days.  —  WASHINGTON — Senator Kyrsten Sinema, Democrat of Arizona …

Viktor Orbán's racism not a deal breaker for the right in the U.S.  —  Viktor Orbán's recent racism offered Republicans an opportunity to distance themselves from the authoritarian Hungarian.  They've done the opposite.  —  Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's anti …

Scoop: Republicans' last-minute Cheney lifeline  —  A handful of Republican operatives are quietly mounting a last-ditch effort to rescue Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) from a Trump-backed primary challenge, Axios has learned. … - Cheney — the vice chair of the House Jan. 6 committee — could be the next casualty.

4,500 Tips About Kavanaugh Sexual Assault Were Punted to Trump White House, FBI Director Admits  —  Bama RushTok Is Back, Baby  —  Alex Jones Must Pay Sandy Hook Parents Over $4 Million, Jury Decides  —  Ron DeSantis Suspended a County Prosecutor Who Pledged Not to Go After Abortion Providers

Furious China fires missiles near Taiwan in drills after Pelosi visit  —  China deployed scores of planes and fired live missiles near Taiwan on Thursday in its biggest drills in the Taiwan Strait, a day after U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a solidarity trip to the self-ruled island.

Four critically injured after lightning strike near the White House  —  The four adults were found at the center of the Lafayette Square just before 7 p.m. Thursday.  —  Four people were hospitalized with critical injuries Thursday evening after an apparent lightning strike in Lafayette Square …

Breaking: Ex-Black Panther Albert Woodfox Dies at 75; Survived 43 Years in Solitary Confinement  —  This is viewer supported news.  Please do your part today.  —  This is viewer supported news.  Please do your part today.  —  Albert Woodfox, who was held in solitary confinement longer …

Wray: Allegations ‘troubling’ about FBI agent covering up Hunter Biden information  —  FBI Director Christopher Wray said on Thursday that allegations of an FBI agent's partisan social media posts and efforts to suppress information in the investigation into Hunter Biden's business activities were “deeply troubling.”

DOJ charges current, former police officers in connection with raid that killed Breonna Taylor  —  The department is investigating the Louisville Police Department.  —  U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Thursday that the Department of Justice has filed charges against four former …

The Billionaire's Dilemma  —  Usually when rich people rage against the possibility that someone less wealthy might become their neighbor, nobody bats an eye.  Why would they?  NIMBYism is the dominant fact of American urban geography.  But in recent years, a number of very rich people …

Here's What School Covid Policies Should Look Like This Year  —  Dr. Allen is an associate professor and director of the Healthy Buildings program at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.  He has written for Times Opinion previously about pandemic school closures and difficult outstanding questions about Covid.

DeSantis removes Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren  —  “Our government is a government of laws, not a government of men,” DeSantis said.  —  TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday removed Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren from office for what he said was Warren's disregard …

As monkeypox strikes gay men, officials debate warnings to limit partners  —  Sex is a major driver of the global outbreak.  But health officials and longtime HIV activists say calls for abstinence don't work.  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Thousands of gay men clad in leather, latex …

CFTC Staff Withdraws No-Action Letter to Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand Regarding a Not-For-Profit Market for Certain Event Contracts  —  Washington, D.C. — The Commodity Futures Trading Commission's Division of Market Oversight (DMO) today announced it is withdrawing CFTC Letter No. 14-130 effective immediately.

Why Is Everyone Talking About the Claremont Institute?  —  , NEWSWEEK OPINION EDITOR AND HOST, “THE JOSH HAMMER SHOW”  —  On Wednesday, Elisabeth Zerofsky of The New York Times Magazine published a lengthy essay titled, “How the Claremont Institute Became a Nerve Center of the American Right.”

James Franco To Play Fidel Castro In ‘Alina Of Cuba’; Mía Maestro Also Set Opposite Ana Villafañe  —  EXCLUSIVE: Oscar nominee and 2x Golden Globe winner James Franco will play Cuban leader Fidel Castro in Miguel Bardem's Alina of Cuba with Imagen Award winner Mía Maestro set …

Democrats in Congress Have Started to Win Back Voters' Trust  —  Republicans still retain an edge on economic issues — but it's shrinking  —  Congressional Democrats are trailing their Republican counterparts in voter trust on key issues such as the economy and inflation …

WNBA's Griner convicted at drug trial, sentenced to 9 years  —  KHIMKI, Russia (AP) — U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner was convicted Thursday in Russia of drug possession and sentenced to nine years in prison following a politically charged trial that came amid soaring tensions between Moscow …

The Distinct Shame of Senate Republicans  —  Think about what Republican senators must have known when they voted not to convict Trump during the second impeachment.  —  Watching the House Select Committee on January 6th hearings I was struck by one overriding question.