McCarthy makes fresh concessions to try to woo hard-right Republicans in speaker bid  —  Republican leader Kevin McCarthy has made fresh concessions to a group of 20 lawmakers in hopes of ending their blockade of his speakership ahead of votes Thursday, a stunning reversal that if adopted …

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 …

Trump Sued by Estate of Capitol Police Officer Who Died After Jan. 6 Attack  —  Wrongful death suit names former president and two rioters in connection with Officer Brian Sicknick's death  —  WASHINGTON—The estate of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who died a day after defending …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

California's ban on around 70,000 vehicles takes effect this week  —  The final rule in a set of regulations adopted 15 years ago takes effect this week, banning some 70,000 big rigs from California roads.  —  A set of clean air regulations implemented by the California Air Resources Board …

South Carolina Supreme Court rules abortion protected under state constitution  —  The South Carolina Supreme Court on Thursday struck down the state's six-week abortion ban, ruling the privacy rights in the state constitution protect abortion access.  —  The 3-2 decision allows abortion …

Joint Press Statement Following a Call between the President Joe Biden and the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Olaf Scholz  —  President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. and Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke by phone on January 5, 2023 to exchange views on the ongoing war of aggression waged by Russia against Ukraine.

US changes to Turkey's preferred spelling at ally's request  —  The State Department said Thursday it has adopted Turkey's preferred spelling for the name of the country, Turkiye, acceding to a request from the NATO ally after several months of hesitation.  The department has instructed …

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 …

George Santos' Cartier Santos Watch Is Worth $7,800—Unless It's A Fake  —  Like the incoming congressman, the watch traces its roots to Brazil.  —  International man of mystery George Santos reported for his first day in Congress wearing what appears to be a Cartier Santos, which retails for $7,800.