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 …

Surprise: George Santos might sort of be telling the truth about something  —  Congressman-elect George Santos, R-NY, who is accused of faking just about every single aspect of his biography, said on Twitter he had a “story to tell” and would clear things up “next week.”

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.

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 …

George Santos Breaks Silence: ‘I Have My Story to Tell.’ (Next Week.)  —  Mr. Santos, the congressman-elect from New York, has yet to address numerous inconsistencies raised by The New York Times about his background.  —  Representative-elect George Santos broke his silence on Thursday …

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 …

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 …

Deep secrecy, high risk: How Zelensky's improbable D.C. visit came together  —  Plans were kept within a tiny group as the Ukrainian president prepared to leave his war-ravaged country for the whirlwind trip.  —  When a U.S. military aircraft landed on the tarmac in Rzeszow, Poland …

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 …

‘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.

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.

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 …

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 …

US accuses North Korea of arming Kremlin-linked Wagner Group  —  Russian mercenaries in Ukraine led by Putin ally have received missiles from Pyongyang, says White House  —  The White House has accused North Korea of arming the Kremlin-linked private military company Wagner Group …

‘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.

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.

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.

Kamala Harris had a most excellent year  —  Vice President Harris walked into her ceremonial office at the White House with a broad smile and easy confidence when we sat down for an interview on the Monday before Christmas.  And why shouldn't she smile?  President Biden's electoral right-hand ma'am …