Cassidy Hutchinson told the January 6 committee she felt pressure from Trump allies not to talk and instead risk ‘contempt’  —  The final straw for former Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson with her first attorney, paid through allies of former President Donald Trump …

EXCLUSIVE: TikTok Spied On Forbes Journalists  —  ByteDance confirmed it used TikTok to monitor journalists' physical location using their IP addresses, as first reported by Forbes in October.  —  An internal investigation by ByteDance, the parent company of video-sharing platform TikTok …

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried to be released on $250 million bail, will live with his parents  — FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried will be released on $250 million bail, a federal judge ruled, while he awaits trial for eight federal criminal charges related to alleged fraud at his collapsed crypto empire.

‘Get Rid of the Video!’:  Putin Crony Freaks Out in Live TV Flop Over Zelensky Clip  —  An on-air mishap over a video depicting Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington did not go over well with Moscow's top mouthpiece.  —  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky captured the world's attention with a historic trip to Washington this week.

‘Openly Gay’ Rep.-Elect George Santos Didn't Disclose Divorce With Woman  —  Santos ran his campaign as an openly gay Republican.  Since he was elected, a number of key biographical details have started to crumble.  Here's the latest one. … Republican congressman-elect George Santos …

Senate passes $1.7 trillion government funding bill that overhauls U.S. election law  —  The bill now goes to the House before it can head to Biden's desk for his signature.  The legislation must be enacted by Saturday to avoid a government shutdown.  —  WASHINGTON — The Senate voted …

Kathy Hochul Pushes New York's Highest Court to the Right  —  Fresh off her narrow re-election win in November, Governor Kathy Hochul had an opportunity this month to steer New York's highest court toward either ideological direction.  —  She chose to push it to the right on Thursday …

The Incredible 37-Page Guide for Staffing Sen. Kyrsten Sinema  —  Aides to the Arizona senator were expected to get her groceries, fix her internet, and learn her very specific preferences for airline seats, according to an internal memo. … Always have a “room temperature” bottle of water on hand for her at all times.

Marines told to stop using ‘sir,’ 'ma'am' to avoid ‘misgendering’ superiors  —  No more “Yes, sir!”  —  The US Marines may ban recruits from respectfully addressing senior members as “sir” or “ma'am” to avoid “misgendering” and offending them.  —  The woke recommendation …

Hate Leader Nick Fuentes Is Recruiting Incels  —  Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.  —  The former president of the United States wanted his guests to be seen.  His meeting with Ye, a.k.a. Kanye West …

The impenetrable armor of Elise Stefanik  —  Her climb through the ranks of GOP leadership in the House and embrace of Donald Trump has come at a personal cost.  —  There was a time, not long ago, when Elise Stefanik was eager to be understood, sharing parts of herself with the world, as any 30-something might, on Instagram.

‘Major Trustee, Please Prioritize’: How NYU's E.R. Favors the Rich  —  Dozens of doctors said the nonprofit hospital pressured them to give preferential treatment to donors, trustees and their families.  —  In New York University's busy Manhattan emergency department, Room 20 is special.

Caught on Camera, Traced by Phone: The Russian Military Unit That Killed Dozens in Bucha … When videos and photos emerged in April showing bodies of dozens of civilians strewn along a street in Bucha, Ukrainians and the rest of the world voiced horror and outrage.

Why detransitioners are crucial to the science of gender care  —  UNDONE: Max Lazzara lived as a transgender man for eight years before detransitioning in 2020.  She says she now realizes that gender-affirming medical treatment was not appropriate for her and that it took a toll on her physical and mental health.

In rural Georgia, an unlikely rebel against Trumpism  —  Why didn't the Republican red wave materialize in the midterms?  The life of Cody Johnson offers one answer.  —  BEULAH, Ga. — As he pulled into the parking lot of Beulahland Baptist Church on Election Day last month …

Dying for your high: The untold exploitation and misery in America's weed industry  —  Sareth Sin, 67, died upright, seated in a plastic chair, on Christmas Day.  He was asphyxiated by fumes from the generator he ran to chase the desert chill out of a cannabis greenhouse on the eastern edge of Los Angeles County.

George Santos and How Opposition Research Really Works  —  One of the worst things that can happen to a politician is that someone will write about you in the newspaper.  The most recent example: On Monday, The New York Times reported that Representative-elect George Santos appears …

Increase in Pediatric Invasive Group A Streptococcal Infections  —  Distributed via the CDC Health Alert Network  —  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing this Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory to notify clinicians and public health authorities …

Sun Belt adds population while California, New York shrink  —  International migrants accounted for most of the increase.  —  The United States added more than 1.2 million residents over the course of the last year as population growth rebounded from pandemic-era lows …