Senate GOP leaders turn on Trump over suspend-the-Constitution talk  —  Top Senate Republicans are distancing themselves from Donald Trump in growing numbers after the former president's call to suspend the Constitution — though there's no sign it will lead them to actively oppose his 2024 presidential 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.

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 …

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.

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 …

Top evangelicals are backing away from Donald Trump  —  Call it a crisis of faith.  Despite appointing the conservative judges who ultimately overturned Roe v. Wade — and fervently courting the religious right during his presidency — prominent evangelicals are beginning to shy away …

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 …

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 …

Germany backtracks on defense spending promises made after Ukraine invasion  —  Days after Russia invaded Ukraine, Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged to meet long ignored military spending targets of 2 percent of GDP.  —  BERLIN — Germany on Monday walked back its promise to swiftly raise defense spending …

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 …

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.

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) …

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.

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

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.