Biden's presidency is halfway over — if voters have common sense  —  As of Friday, President Joe Biden will have been in office for two years.  That puts him at the halfway point of his first term, and if the people exercise common sense next year and vote Biden out, Friday will also be the halfway point of Biden's presidency.

Trump to GOP: Don't touch Medicare or Social Security in debt ceiling fight  —  Former President Donald Trump issued a warning to Republican lawmakers on Friday: Don't lay a finger on entitlement programs as part of the debt ceiling showdown with the White House.

Principals  —  with Steve Clemons  —  What's everyone joking about at Davos?  George Santos, of course.  At a marquee event hosted by Lally Weymouth and the Washington Post, Carlyle Group co-founder David Rubenstein quipped that the congressman couldn't join the World Economic Forum …

Judge Orders Trump and Lawyer to Pay Nearly $1 Million for Bogus Suit  —  In a scathing ruling, the judge said the suit against Hillary Clinton and dozens of the former president's perceived political enemies was “brought in bad faith for an improper purpose.”

3 Active-Duty Marines Who Work in Intelligence Arrested for Alleged Participation in Jan. 6 Riot  —  Three Marines were arrested Wednesday for their participation in the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, according to court documents unsealed Thursday.

Ruben Gallego Set to Launch Senate Campaign Against Kyrsten Sinema  —  Arizona Representative Ruben Gallego, a former Marine combat veteran who was critical of Senator Kyrsten Sinema's leadership and fidelity to the Democratic Party long before she announced she was leaving it to become an independent …

D.C. Mayor to Biden: Your Teleworking Employees Are Killing My City  —  At the swearing-in this month for her third term as the District of Columbia's mayor, Muriel Bowser delivered a surprising inaugural-address ultimatum of sorts to the federal government: Get your employees back to in-person work …

The Lawsuit That Could Freeze Speech Against Billionaires  —  A gas mogul's case against Beto O'Rourke could deter candidates from ever talking about money in politics.  —  Since Elon Musk took over Twitter, the national debate over free speech has narrowly focused on tech companies' social media censorship.

Video shows drag-denier George Santos dressed in drag, boasting about drag shows  —  Video has emerged showing lying Long Island Rep. George Santos boasting about performing as a drag queen in Rio de Janeiro — despite his claims Thursday morning that he had never done any such thing.

Andrew Tate: Romania court extends police detention for influencer and brother  —  Influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan are to stay in custody until 27 February after a Romanian court extended their detention by police.  —  The pair are being investigated over allegations …

David Crosby, Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash Co-Founder, Dies at 81 … Singer-songwriter-guitarist David Crosby, a founding member of two popular and enormously influential '60s rock units, the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash (later Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young), has died.  He was 81 years old.

No more sliced cheese, white rice under proposed Iowa SNAP bill  —  Iowa House Republicans are proposing restrictions on the state's SNAP benefits that could dramatically limit what foods recipients can get at the store. … Nearly 40 House Republicans have co-sponsored the bill.

Dark money group linked to Leonard Leo is dissolved  —  A dark money group tied to conservative judicial activist Leonard Leo was dissolved three days after POLITICO inquired about whether it helped to facilitate the multi-million-dollar sale of former White House senior adviser Kellyanne …

House Judiciary Committee to investigate leak of Supreme Court opinion after SCOTUS whiffs  —  The Supreme Court's formal investigation failed to identify the leaker of the Dobbs draft decision  —  Jonathan Turley on SCOTUS not able to ID abortion ruling draft leaker: Indicates this person could get away with it

First look: New Ben Terris book on Washington's weirdos … - Terris follows gamblers both figurative and literal: The characters include a pollster with a gambling habit, and the reporting destinations include poker nights.  — More on the book...Preorder.

Trump Resort to Host Pro-QAnon Speaking Tour  —  The ReAwaken America tour is a conspiracy-laden road show hosted by Michael Flynn and Clay Clark.  And it's coming to the Trump Doral.  —  A resort owned by Donald Trump is set to host a conference this spring headlined by QAnon promoters …

History on the Hill: Powerful spending committees now led by women for the first time  —  WASHINGTON — More than 50 years ago, two female lawmakers led a congressional committee for the first time: the House Select Committee on the Beauty Shop, overseeing a business popular with women who worked in the Capitol.

How an Investor Lost $625,000 and His Faith in George Santos  —  Andrew Intrater, a wealthy businessman, has been in touch with the S.E.C. about Mr. Santos's dealings on behalf of a company accused in a Ponzi scheme.  —  A month after the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a lawsuit …

Easing College-Degree Requirements Should Be a No-Brainer for Conservatives  —  Lifting barriers to government and other jobs would benefit the economy, weaken the higher-ed cartel, and appeal to voters drawn to the conservative side.  —  In his first move as governor of Pennsylvania …

A timeline of Rep. George Santos' fabrications and controversy  —  WASHINGTON — An accusation that Rep. George Santos scammed $3,000 from a GoFundMe campaign for a disabled veteran's dying service dog and new immigration documents showing his mother was not in New York on 9/11 as he'd claimed …

The lights have been on at a Massachusetts school for over a year because no one can turn them off  —  WILBRAHAM, Mass. — For nearly a year and a half, a Massachusetts high school has been lit up around the clock because the district can't turn off the roughly 7,000 lights in the sprawling building.

Tim Kaine leaves Democrats in suspense  —  Democrats are praying Tim Kaine will run again, fretting over the possibility he will retire and open up another seat in what's expected to be a tough Senate map for the party in 2024.  —  The Virginia Democrat and 2016 vice presidential nominee …

How Kevin McCarthy Became the Last “Young Gun” Standing  —  Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.  —  In the summer of 2011, as Washington deadlocked over the once routine task of raising the nation's debt ceiling …

The Super Shady Coverup of the Paul Pelosi Story Is Worse Than You Thought  —  Remember when the Paul Pelosi story was big news for a while, then weird things started coming out, and then suddenly everyone stopped talking about it?  —  Yeah, I do.  —  Back in October, the story came …

CIA director holds secret meeting with Zelensky on Russia's next steps  —  High-level visit by Burns comes at critical juncture in war and as government in Kyiv airs concern about durability of U.S. support  —  CIA Director William J. Burns traveled in secret to Ukraine's capital at the end …

Sundance: Surprise Doug Liman-Directed Brett Kavanaugh FBI Investigation Doc Added to the Fest  —  Story Syndicate is behind ‘Justice’, Liman's first documentary feature.  —  A late addition to the 2023 Sundance Film Festival lineup will be Doug Liman's documentary debut, Justice …

Ronna McDaniel Swears She's Beating the Monster She Created  —  Ronna McDaniel and Harmeet Dhillon are both vying to lead the Republican National Committee.  And despite McDaniel seeming to have it locked up, it may actually be a race. … Ronna McDaniel says she has commitments …