Trump dares Republicans (again) to repudiate him  —  Welcome to The Daily 202!  Tell your friends to sign up here.  On this day in 1791, composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died in Vienna.  He was just 35.  —  Correction: A previous version of this intro misstated the year Mozart died.  —  The big idea

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.

Michael Avenatti sentenced to 14 years in prison for stealing millions of dollars from clients  —  Disgraced attorney Michael Avenatti was sentenced Monday to 14 years in prison for embezzling millions of dollars from four of his clients and obstruction.  —  Avenatti pleaded guilty earlier …

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.

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 …

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.

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 …

Finally, a bipartisan deal to help the ‘dreamers’ is within reach  —  For three straight election cycles, running as the party of “border security” has largely failed for the GOP.  Though Republicans dumped enormous resources into painting migrants in the most lurid and threatening terms imaginable …

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.

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) …

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.

Rupert Murdoch to be deposed in $1.6 billion defamation case against Fox  —  The Fox Corp chairman is the highest-profile individual to be questioned in the case, which hinges on Fox's coverage of the 2020 presidential election.  —  Rupert Murdoch, the 91-year-old chairman …

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.

Exclusive: Musk's Neuralink faces federal probe, employee backlash over animal tests  —  Elon Musk's Neuralink, a medical device company, is under federal investigation for potential animal-welfare violations amid internal staff complaints that its animal testing is being rushed …

The Far-Right Attacked Drag Events in 4 States This Weekend  —  Protests against drag events have been an almost weekly occurrence this year.  This weekend was no different.  —  Neo-Nazis, Proud Boys, militiamen, Christian nationalists, and culture warriors in at least four states mobilized …

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.

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” …

Ex-Miami congressman Rivera arrested in Venezuela probe  —  A former Miami congressman who signed a $50 million consulting contract with Venezuela's socialist government has been arrested in connection to an ongoing federal criminal investigation, law enforcement officials said.

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.