U.S. GDP rose 2.9% in the fourth quarter, more than expected even as recession fears loom  —  The U.S. economy finished 2022 in solid shape even as questions persist over whether growth will turn negative in the year ahead.  —  Fourth-quarter gross domestic product, the sum of all goods …

McCarthy might have a math problem in blocking Omar from panel  —  Speaker Kevin McCarthy's (R-Calif.) vow to block Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) from sitting on the House Foreign Affairs Committee has hit an early snag: he may not have the votes to do it.  —  Omar, one of three Muslims in Congress …

The Freedom Caucus Has a Harebrained Plan to Jack Up Taxes on the Poor  —  Under the ‘Fair Tax,’ the poorest fifth of Americans would pay roughly 70 percent of their income in taxes.  —  Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) is the lead Republican behind the reintroduction of congressional “Fair Tax” …

Republicans demand spending cuts to lift the debt limit.  They won't say what to cut.  —  WASHINGTON — Republicans, newly empowered with a House majority, are demanding spending cuts as a price for lifting the debt ceiling and averting a catastrophic default on U.S. debt.

Biden considering a trip to Europe in show of support for Ukraine after one year of war  —  Biden considering Europe trip to mark one-year anniversary of Ukraine invasion  —  WASHINGTON — President Biden is considering a trip to Europe next month to coincide with the one-year anniversary …

California Rep. Adam Schiff enters marquee Senate race  —  Rep. Adam B. Schiff, a decades-long fixture in San Fernando Valley politics who rose to national prominence as a top Democratic foe to then-President Trump, is joining a contest for U.S. Senate that is quickly shaping up to be highly competitive, he announced Thursday.

Backlash grows against DeSantis decision to block AP African American studies class  —  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is facing mounting backlash regarding his administration's decision to prohibit an Advanced Placement high school course on African American studies, with Black leaders rallying in the capital …

Exclusive: Sen. Dianne Feinstein won't announce her plans for 2024 — until 2024  —  WASHINGTON— Countless Democrats just hit a California-sized snag: Sen. Dianne Feinstein may not retire after all.  —  In an exclusive interview with Raw Story, California's senior senator announced she's not not running.

Trump Support Is Eroding in an Republican National Committee He Remade  —  Interviews with more than a third of the Republican National Committee's members point to a desire for an alternative presidential nominee to emerge from a competitive primary.  —  As Donald J. Trump prepares …

Trump and Facebook's Mutual Decay  —  This afternoon, Meta announced that it will soon reinstate Donald Trump's account after a two-year suspension from Facebook and Instagram.  The former president was deplatformed after his posts were deemed to have incited, or at the very least encouraged, the January 6 insurrection.

Sen. Rick Scott is running for re-election pushing his controversial tax plan  —  Sen. Rick Scott of Florida is running for re-election, he said in an announcement first shared with NBC News.  —  Scott released his campaign staff hires and made it clear he's not planning to run for president, as some have speculated.

Santos lists new treasurer — who says he doesn't work for the congressman  —  Embattled Rep. George Santos' campaign appears to be left without a treasurer.  —  With a disclosure filing deadline approaching as questions swirl around his  —  use of campaign funds

1/26/23 ☀️ Punchbowl News AM  —  Something unusual is happening in the Capitol: Speaker Kevin McCarthy and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries are getting along. … And these two will be at each other's throats for the foreseeable future over politics, policy, personnel and morals.

U.S. lawmakers seek repeal of Biden solar tariff waiver  —  A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers in the House of Representatives on Thursday will introduce a resolution to repeal President Joe Biden's suspension of import tariffs on solar panels from four Southeast Asian nations, according to a statement provided to Reuters.

Trump Has Completely Lost His Grip on Reality  —  The former president's deterioration is on full display in the Truth Social asylum he built for himself.  —  Let's check in on the shadow primary for the 2024 Republican nomination.  Nikki Haley is putting together a finance committee …

Virginia Democrats Defeat 15-Week Abortion Ban And Glenn Youngkin's Anti-Choice Agenda  —  The Virginia governor introduced the idea of a 15-week ban last year, likely to bolster his anti-abortion record before a 2024 presidential run.  —  Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin's (R) …

California judge orders release of footage of Pelosi attack  —  Footage of the attack on former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband will be released to the public after a judge on Wednesday denied prosecutors' request to keep it secret.  San Francisco Superior Court Judge Stephen M. Murphy ruled …

Poll: Andy Beshear tops 4 key Republican candidates in 2023 Kentucky governor's election  —  A new poll indicates Gov. Andy Beshear still gets a thumbs-up from most Kentuckians for his work and also leads four notable Republican opponents as he seeks a second term in office …

Another California Republican makes her move  —  Presented by Southern California Edison  —  THE BUZZ: If there's something that Elon Musk did right with Twitter, Harmeet Dhillon says, it's that he cleaned house of everyone who wasn't down with the agenda of “WINNING.”