‘Do everything that Trump did not’  —  Welcome to POLITICO's West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration.  With help from Allie Bice.  —  Everyone agrees President JOE BIDEN stepped in it with his handling of classified documents found …

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.

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.”

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.

Supreme Court Says It Hasn't Identified Person Who Leaked Draft Abortion Opinion  —  The leak of the draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, published by Politico in May, was an extraordinary breach of the court's usual secrecy.  —  WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court announced on Thursday …

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 …

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.

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 …

‘They have us over a barrel’: Inside the US and German standoff over sending tanks to Ukraine  —  The Biden administration is stuck in a standoff with Germany over whether to send tanks to Ukraine ahead of a key meeting of Western defense leaders in Germany on Friday.

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Debt Ceiling Fight Is Putting U.S. Economy at Risk  —  A political fight is again putting the economy at risk.  —  The U.S. government hit the legal limit on how much money it can borrow yesterday, prompting fears that the country soon may not be able to pay its bills.

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 …

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 …

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 Sam Bankman-Fried's ties with the Clintons helped him dupe investors  —  Sam Bankman-Fried cultivated ties with A-list celebrities, politicians and investors alike — but one power couple in particular was key to boosting his profile in influential and moneyed circles.

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 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.

Pelosi on her husband's recovery: It will take ‘a little while for him to be back to normal’  —  Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reflected on her husband Paul's condition after the violent attack he suffered last year, saying that while he is “doing OK,” it will still “take a little while for him to be back to normal.”

Blue states can show us a way out of red state culture-war madness  —  Of all the recent developments in our politics, few are as unsettling as the virulent reactionary turn in red states.  This has involved the rank weaponizing of state governments against “woke” corporations …

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's rationale for targeting Ilhan Omar isn't believable  —  House Speaker Kevin McCarthy recently confirmed his campaign pledge to remove Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar, Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell from their respective House committees.