US inflation and consumer spending cooled in December  —  The Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge eased further in December, and consumer spending fell — the latest evidence that the Fed's series of interest rate hikes are slowing the economy.  Friday's report from the Commerce Department showed …

Barr Pressed Durham to Find Flaws in the Russia Investigation.  It Didn't Go Well.  —  The review by John Durham at one point veered into a criminal investigation related to Donald Trump himself, even as it failed to find wrongdoing in the origins of the Russia inquiry.

‘I have no enemies, at least’: Where Santos really stands in the House GOP  —  Everyone in the Capitol seems to be talking about George Santos.  Almost no fellow Republican, however, appears to be forging real bonds with him.  —  The New York Republican became a migraine for his party …

Pro-DeSantis group to launch ‘opening salvo’ in New Hampshire at GOP meeting  —  A super PAC backing Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) for president in 2024 will have a presence at this weekend's New Hampshire GOP meeting, planting its flag in the state for the Florida governor and potentially setting …

RNC chair seeks to quell revolt, divisions ahead of tense Friday election  —  GOP leaders are voting on whether to reelect Ronna McDaniel amid demands for accountability for the party's string of electoral failures  —  DANA POINT, Calif. — A contentious battle over the future of the GOP …

Federal prosecutors discussed charging Trump in Stormy Daniels case when he left office, book says  —  Days before then-President Donald Trump left the White House, federal prosecutors in New York discussed whether to potentially charge Trump with campaign finance crimes once he was out of office …

Jeff Zients Is Named White House Chief of Staff  —  The White House formally announced that Mr. Zients, 56, would be taking over for Ron Klain, who has held the role since President Biden took office two years ago.  —  WASHINGTON — President Biden said on Friday that Jeffrey D. Zients …

Michigan Senate OKs earlier presidential primary, to dismay of GOP  —  The Democratic majority in the Michigan Senate approved a measure Thursday that would move the state's presidential primary earlier in the year.  —  The 20-18 party-line vote to shift the primary from mid-March …

What Mike Pompeo Leaves Out  —  In a memoir clearly intended to prepare for a presidential run, the former secretary of state toots his own horn—but his silences are louder.  —  Never Give an Inch: Fighting for the America I Love  —  “My Mike” was the nickname that President Trump bestowed …

Ambassador Olexandr Scherba's Undiplomatic Thoughts on Russia and Europe's Shocking Wake-Up Call  —  How Ukraine's desire for freedom disrupted the EU's vision for the future - until Europe had no choice but to act. … Olexander Scherba is a Ukrainian diplomat and author who served as Ambassador to Austria from 2014 to 2021.

Biden's Ukraine incompetence made war far bloodier.  It's time to deliver what's needed to defeat Russia  —  Sending just 31 Abrams tanks to help Ukraine battle Russia is too little, too late  —  Sen. Tom Cotton: Ukraine Abrams tanks decision is ‘long overdue’

Scoop: GOP considers copying powerful Dem donor tactic  —  Republican candidates might have to beef up grassroots fundraising operations to qualify for the first 2024 presidential primary debate, Axios has learned. … - Discussions are ongoing about the precise number of donors to require …

Where will Democrats turn in 2024?  —  At least five stashes of classified materials have been found in President Joe Biden's possession, both at his Wilmington, Delaware, home and his China-aligned Washington think tank.  Legacy media can no longer ignore the story, and even Democratic politicians …

California Senate race sets up clash of titans  —  A Senate race pitting the man who spearheaded former President Donald Trump's first impeachment, Adam Schiff, against fundraising powerhouse and wonk superstar Katie Porter would guarantee fireworks and a price tag in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Revealed: Trump secretly donated $1m to discredited Arizona election ‘audit’  —  Funding for controversial review of state's vote count in 2020 election can be traced to former president's Pac  —  One of the enduring mysteries surrounding the chaotic attempts to overturn Donald Trump's defeat …

“That just cannot stand”: Warner and Rubio united in demanding access to Trump, Biden documents  —  Washington — The Democratic and Republican leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee are urging the director of national intelligence to provide the panel with access to the documents marked classified …

Stefanik's silence  —  After endorsing and funding George Santos, the House's GOP conference leader has failed to respond to his multitude of lies.  —  This is a carousel.  Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate  —  While it's all too easy to react to the case of U.S. Rep. George Santos …

Tucker Carlson Talks Nonsense About U.S. Invading Canada To Remove Trudeau  —  “Why should we let it become Cuba?” the Fox News host said after suggesting America launch an attack to “liberate” Canada.  —  Tucker Carlson on Thursday called for the U.S. to invade Canada and remove Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

How Donald Trump's 2024 Campaign Bounced Back … Donald Trump spent the final months of 2022 reeling from electoral setbacks and media disasters.  Many of his high-profile endorsements in the midterm elections flopped.  His attacks on popular GOP governors in Florida, Virginia, Ohio …

More than 100 Students Walk Out of Embattled Harvard Professor Comaroff's First Class of Semester  —  More than 100 students walked out of embattled Harvard professor John L. Comaroff's class Tuesday afternoon, protesting his continued presence on campus after he was placed on leave last year …

Biden Appointees Are Looking for New Jobs — And the Market Is Hot  —  There's good news for Biden appointees eyeing the exits: Unlike your predecessors from Donald Trump's chaotic administration, you're in demand in the private sector.  —  While the 46th president has presided …

Kavanaugh touts ‘great relations’ among justices on divided Supreme Court  —  WASHINGTON — Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh said the Supreme Court is not as divided as members of the public might think, praising his liberal colleagues and highlighting rulings in which the justices …

The Myth of Jeffrey Zients  —  There is no reason to trust a longtime corporate stooge to serve as President Biden's chief of staff.  —  Jeff Zients, then COVID-19 response coordinator, prepares to speak at a press briefing at the White House, April 13, 2021, in Washington.

Senior ISIS Leader in Somalia Killed in U.S. Special Operations Raid  —  No civilians or Americans were killed or injured in the operation, officials said.  —  WASHINGTON — Special Operations troops killed a senior Islamic State leader in a helicopter raid in a remote area of Somalia on Thursday, a U.S. official said.

Trump unveils new education policy loaded with culture war proposals  —  Former President Donald Trump is unveiling a 2024 education policy plan, one focusing heavily on the culture war components that have animated conservatives.  —  The plan, shared in advance with POLITICO …

Florida House ‘dress code’ asks women to cover their shoulders … Peter Schorsch is the President of Extensive Enterprises Media and is the publisher of FloridaPolitics.com, INFLUENCE Magazine, and Sunburn, the morning read of what's hot in Florida politics.

5 Memphis ex-police are charged with murder and jailed over the death of Tyre Nichols  —  Five former Memphis police officers have been indicted and jailed in the beating death of Tyre Nichols, who died days after a traffic stop on Jan. 7.  —  Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III …

Can Anything Be Done to Assuage Rural Rage?  —  Rural resentment has become a central fact of American politics — in particular, a pillar of support for the rise of right-wing extremism.  As the Republican Party has moved ever further into MAGAland, it has lost votes among educated suburban voters …

Paul Pelosi attack video and audio being released Friday  —  Video and audio recorded last year during the attack on Paul Pelosi will be released Friday, after a California court ruled the district attorney's office must make the materials public.  —  Audio from police interviews …

‘American Taliban’ Was Ordered Not to Meet With Extremists.  He Did Anyway  —  John Walker Lindh was supposed to steer clear of extremists while out on supervised release but the FBI spotted him hanging out with a convicted ISIS supporter … Lindh, who reportedly maintained his support …