Senate Republicans turn on Trump over suspend-the-Constitution talk  —  Senate Republicans are slowly but surely distancing themselves from Donald Trump after a call to terminate the Constitution and a meeting with antisemites — though there's no sign any will start actively opposing his 2024 campaign.

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 …

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.

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.

Even Evangelicals Are Sick of Trump's ‘Drama’  —  GET OVER IT  —  Even in the wake of Roe v. Wade being overturned—thanks to conservative judges Donald Trump appointed—top evangelical leaders are distancing themselves from the former president, fearing he might not have what it takes …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Germany backtracks on defense spending promises made after Ukraine invasion  —  BERLIN — Germany on Monday walked back its promise to swiftly raise defense spending to at least 2 percent of its economic output — breaching the key commitment made days after Russia's invasion of Ukraine to become a more serious military force.

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 …

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 …

Trump's committee paying for lawyers of key Mar-a-Lago witnesses  —  Save America PAC has spent millions on Trump-related legal fees, filings show; some say paying for witness's lawyers poses a conflict  —  Former president Donald Trump's political action committee is paying legal bills …

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.

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.

Warner Bros. Discovery closes in on ‘Max’ as the name of its combined HBO Max-Discovery+ streaming service  — Warner Bros. Discovery plans to merge its HBO Max and Discovery+ streaming services in the spring.  — Lawyers are vetting the name executives have chosen for the service, “Max,” sources said.

Court Implodes Trump's Mar-a-Lago Defense (and the Errant Judge Who Bought It)  —  The timeline makes clear how careful and even deferential prosecutors were.  —  On Thursday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit finally put to rest the special master nonsense that Donald Trump set …

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) …

FBI Ramps Up Spending to Fight MAGA Terrorism  —  The FBI is conducting three times as many domestic terrorism investigations than it was five years ago, with 70 percent of its open cases focused on “civil unrest” and anti-government activity, according to FBI documents and government specialists.

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.