No Tears for Kevin McCarthy  —  It would be better for everyone if his candidacy for House speaker failed.  —  The defeat of Kevin McCarthy in his bid for the speakership of the House would be good for Congress.  The defeat of Kevin McCarthy would be good for the United States.

Herschel Walker Staffer: Matt Schlapp ‘Groped’ My Crotch  —  American Conservative Union chairman Matt Schlapp allegedly groped the crotch of a male staffer for Herschel Walker's campaign in October. … A staffer for Herschel Walker's Senate campaign has alleged to The Daily Beast …

Judge Rules for Justice Dept. in Dispute With Trump Over Documents Search  —  The court said the former president had to provide the government the names of private investigators he hired to search his properties last year for any classified material still in his possession.

Trump's renewed attack on Ruby Freeman is revealing.  Here's why.  —  His revival of baseless claims against the former Georgia election worker could signal legal news — and might hurt his wallet, too.  —  Seemingly out of nowhere this week, former President Donald Trump fired off a series of deranged …

Why C-SPAN's Camera Work Is Suddenly So Interesting  —  For decades, the network has asked to be able to film all of what happens in the House chamber, not just the person speaking.  Thanks to the Kevin McCarthy Speaker battle, it is finally happening, in all its chaotic glory.

Worst trip to St. Croix, ever  —  Welcome to POLITICO's West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration.  With help from Allie Bice.  —  Typically, you can pack light when flying somewhere warm.  But that was not exactly the case for one White House staffer …

Jan. 6 Committee Experiment Found TikTok Went From Zero To Nazi in 75 Minutes  —  The platform has largely escaped notice in the public battles over content moderation, but it's not immune from hateful extremism … They created Alice, a fictional 41-year-old from Acton, Massachusetts …

2024's Senate surprise  —  Sen. Debbie Stabenow's (D-Mich.) surprise retirement announcement has exposed the polar realities each party is facing in Michigan, a perennial battleground where the MAGA movement was firmly repudiated in 2022. … - Democratic operatives are eagerly discussing …

Trump accused in lawsuit of causing wrongful death of Officer Brian Sicknick in US Capitol attack  —  The estate of Brian Sicknick, a Capitol Police officer who died after responding to the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, is suing two rioters involved in the attack …

Connecticut lawmaker dies in wrong-way crash after attending his own swearing-in ceremony  —  Quentin Williams, a Democrat from Middletown known as “Q,” died in the crash on Route 9 in Cromwell.  He was 39.  —  CROMWELL, Conn. — A Connecticut state representative was killed overnight …

Byron Donalds' Campaign Incurred ‘Extremely High’ Legal Expenses  —  The campaign for Rep. Byron Donalds, the Florida Republican who emerged Wednesday as an opposition candidate for Speaker of the House, has spent at least $300,000 on legal fees since 2020, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.

NHDP Chair Ray Buckley Releases Response to DNC Primary Demands  —  CONCORD, NH— This morning, NHDP Chair Ray Buckley sent the following letter to the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee.  Attached with this response are the letters from:  — New Hampshire State Senate Republican Majority Leader Senator Sharon Carson

In Queens, protesters call on George Santos to resign — or face voters … We rely on your support to make local news available to all  —  Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2023.  —  Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

How to slow down scientific progress  —  According to Leo Szilard  —  Leo Szilard—the physicist who first conceived of the nuclear chain reaction and who urged the US to undertake the Manhattan Project—also wrote fiction.  His book of short stories, The Voice of the Dolphins, contains a story …

McCarthy Destroys His Speakership In Order to Save It  —  In desperate circumstances, Kevin McCarthy worked overnight Wednesday on a desperation deal.  —  If that deal is somehow successful, based on the work-in-progress details that came to light Thursday morning, House Republicans …

Georgia's governor blasts tailgating policy at football title game  —  A ban on tailgating outside SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles for the college football national championship has drawn the wrath of the state's most powerful Georgia Bulldog fan: Gov. Brian Kemp.

Twitter said it fixed ‘verification.’ So I impersonated a senator (again).  —  Elon Musk said Twitter would begin authenticating users who pay $8 for Blue.  Our tech columnist was still able to get a checkmark for an impostor Sen. Ed Markey.  —  Elon Musk said he would fix Twitter's problem with impostors.

N.H. Gov. Sununu targets ‘woke policy’ but criticizes Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' culture war tactics  —  New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu says GOP should ‘move on’ from Donald Trump; says ‘a lot of folks want me to run’ for president in 2024  —  GOP Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire …

They Built the Wall.  Now Some in Texas Fear It May Fall Down.  —  A scandal-plagued private border fence is essentially orphaned, mostly redundant and, engineers found, at risk of floating away in a flood.  —  MISSION, Texas — Along a bend in the Rio Grande, shorn of all brush except …

U.S. Moves to Bar Noncompete Agreements in Labor Contracts  —  A sweeping proposal by the Federal Trade Commission would block companies from limiting their employees' ability to work for a rival.  —  In a far-reaching move that could raise wages and increase competition among businesses …