Republican hopes fade as Warnock momentum picks up in Georgia  —  ATHENS, Ga — Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker barnstormed Georgia in a final plea for votes amid signs of growing momentum for the Democratic incumbent — and fading GOP hopes — ahead of Tuesday's runoff.

Hackers linked to Chinese government stole millions in Covid benefits, Secret Service says  —  Hackers linked to the Chinese government stole at least $20 million in U.S. Covid relief benefits, including Small Business Administration loans and unemployment insurance funds in over a dozen states, according to the Secret Service.

Michael Avenatti gets 14 years in prison for stealing millions of dollars from clients  —  Michael Avenatti, the once swaggering celebrity lawyer who was undone by his proclivity for embezzlement and fraud, was sentenced Monday to 14 years in prison Monday for dodging taxes and stealing millions of dollars from clients.

Blasts Hit Russian Air Bases as Moscow Launches Missile Barrage on Ukraine  —  Intense fighting continues in eastern Ukraine as Russia presses its offensive on Bakhmut  —  Explosions hit two Russian air bases on Monday, while Ukrainian officials hinted at a capability to strike deeper within …

Manhattan DA Hires Ex-DOJ Official to Help Lead Trump Investigation  —  The official, Matthew Colangelo, also worked on the New York attorney general's investigation of the former president.  —  The Manhattan district attorney is hiring a former senior justice department official with a history …

SOURCES: McConnell Caves to Pelosi, Schumer, Allows JCPA Media Cartel Bailout Bill to Be Included in Defense Package  —  Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell has caved to outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and will allow the National Defense Authorization Act …

The Global Zeitenwende … The world is facing a Zeitenwende: an epochal tectonic shift.  Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine has put an end to an era.  New powers have emerged or reemerged, including an economically strong and politically assertive China.

Congress working to strike last-minute immigration deals  —  As time runs out on the year, lawmakers are negotiating protections for Dreamers and other immigration reforms.  —  A handful of bipartisan senators are working to strike separate 11th-hour immigration deals before Republicans …

Justice Alito jokes about Black Santa, Ashley Madison during Supreme Court arguments  —  Justice Samuel Alito joked about Black Santa, children in Klan robes and dating websites as the Supreme Court heard arguments in a case weighing a conservative evangelical Christian web designer's bid to avoid working on same-sex weddings Monday.

I'm worried now  —  Subscriptions are falling.  —  During the pandemic, I put everything I wrote in front of the paywall.  Free public thinking seemed like the right thing to do.  Now that the pandemic is (not over but) easing, business realities have forced me to make a hard decision.

FBI joins investigation into North Carolina power outage caused by ‘intentional’ attacks on substations  —  With no suspects or motive announced, the FBI is joining the investigation into power outages in a North Carolina county believed to have been caused by “intentional” and “targeted” …

Social Security offices critical to disability benefits hit breaking point  —  State operations that review claims face massive backlogs, leaving disabled Americans waiting months and even years for judgments  —  The Disability Determination Division in Austin was at a breaking point.

That AI Chatbot Wrote a Pretty Decent New York Article  —  ChatGPT, an artificial-intelligence chatbot that can both answer complex questions and respond to written prompts with humanlike fluency, has taken the internet by storm over the last few days with stunningly credible (if still imperfect) …

DeSantis to offer VIP access to his inauguration — for $50K to $1M  —  TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis's inauguration celebration is expected to be spread out over two days — and will give up close access to donors willing to contribute between $50,000 and $1 million, according to a breakdown of sponsorship packages.

Did uncontested races cost the Democrats the House popular vote?  —  In last month's midterms, Republican House candidates have won about 54 million votes and Democrats have taken about 51 million — translating into a three percentage point advantage for the GOP.

The Supreme Court Is About to Ask the Wrong Question About the First Amendment  —  Can an artist be compelled to create a website for an event she does not condone?  That's the question the Supreme Court has said it will take up on Monday, when it hears oral arguments in 303 Creative v. Elenis.

Elon Musk's Twitter is helping to normalize a neo-Nazi  —  Editor's Note: Dean Obeidallah, a former attorney, is the host of SiriusXM radio's daily program “The Dean Obeidallah Show.”  Follow him @DeanObeidallah.  The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own.  View more opinion on CNN.

Secretary of State John Scott, Texas' top election official, resigns  —  Scott led Texas' elections through the tumultuous implementation of new election laws.  —  AUSTIN - Texas Secretary of State John Scott, who is the state's top election official, will resign at the end of the year.

Calif. wage hike for fast food workers headed to ballot  —  Business groups said Monday that their petition to repeal California's powerful new fast food council has gathered more than enough signatures to qualify for the November 2024 ballot.  —  Business groups said Monday that their petition …