Santos stepping down from committees amid fabrications about his life  —  Embattled Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) is stepping down temporarily from his committee assignments amid multiple investigations into his campaign finances after he lied about key aspects of his biography.

Video of Trump deposition in New York fraud probe shows former president taking the Fifth, repeating “same answer”  —  Newly released video obtained by CBS News provides the first look at former President Donald Trump's deposition last summer in the New York attorney general's civil fraud investigation.

Trump revamps his fundraising operation after struggling to raise money for 2024  —  Former President Donald Trump is strapped for campaign cash following the mid-November launch of his 2024 presidential campaign, according to end-of-year figures obtained exclusively by NBC News.

FBI searched the Penn Biden Center in mid-November  —  Washington — The FBI searched the Penn Biden Center offices in mid-November, according to two sources familiar with the investigation, after lawyers for President Biden had found about 10 documents marked classified there on Nov. 2.

Hide your books to avoid felony charges, Fla. schools tell teachers  —  Unsure what titles violate new state rules, two school districts tell educators to conceal every book for now  —  Students arrived in some Florida public school classrooms this month to find their teachers' bookshelves wrapped …

Biden's message to McCarthy ahead of critical White House meeting: Show me your plan  —  House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's position that cuts to Medicare and Social Security are not on the table in exchange for a debt ceiling increase has drawn skepticism from his primary negotiating partner: The White House.

Ron DeSantis Wants to Erase Black History.  Why?  —  An unrelenting assault on truth and freedom of expression in the form of laws that censor and suppress the viewpoints, histories and experiences of historically marginalized groups, especially Black and L.G.B.T.Q. communities …

Republicans have a plan B if the U.S. breaches the debt ceiling.  It'd still be a disaster.  —  Republicans have been talking up an old idea to prevent a catastrophic default should Washington breach the debt ceiling later this year.  —  If the government suddenly can't cover all of its bills …

Fear And Loathing Among The Union Busters  —  “Comrades,” said Chappell Phillips, as he grabbed the microphone, “please do not leave the conference.  It's all better from here.”  —  Phillips, an executive at the buffet restaurant chain Golden Corral, stood at a podium in the front …

At the Supreme Court, Ethics Questions Over a Spouse's Business Ties  —  The chief justice's wife, Jane Sullivan Roberts, has made millions in her career recruiting lawyers to prominent law firms, some of which have business before the court.  Now, a letter sent to Congress claims that may present a conflict of interest.

Minn. governor signs abortion protections  —  The new law adds access to contraception, maternity care, family planning and abortion to state law.  —  Minnesota became the first state since the midterm elections to add substantial legal protections guaranteeing the right to an abortion when Gov. Tim Walz …

James Dolan enlists former Trump aide Hope Hicks for PR help  —  James Dolan, who recently re-emerged in the media to fight a PR battle over his use of Facial Recognition Technology, has been consulting Donald Trump's former communications director Hope Hicks, the Daily News has learned.

Trump's Well-Worn Legal Playbook Starts to Look Frayed  —  The former president's familiar tactics of defiance, counterattacks and delays appear less successful than ever as investigations and court proceedings against him grind on.  —  The expanding legal threats facing former President Donald J. Trump …

Trump's Best Foreign Policy?  Not Starting Any Wars  —  He has my support in 2024 because I know he won't recklessly send Americans to fight overseas.  —  A few days before America's 2022 midterm elections, Ukraine's President Volodomyr Zelensky accused Russia of firing a rocket into Poland.

Mitch Daniels opts against a run for the Senate  —  Mitch Daniels is passing on a potential bid for an open Indiana Senate seat, forgoing what would have been one of the most hotly contested primaries in the 2024 cycle.  —  In an exclusive statement to POLITICO, the former Indiana governor …

Bill Gates: 'I shouldn't have had dinners with' Jeffrey Epstein  —  Billionaire Bill Gates said that he regretted having dinners with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in a new interview with Australia's ABC 7.30.  —  “I will say for the over a hundredth time, I shouldn't have had dinners with him,” Gates said in the interview.

Matt Schlapp accuser files a second suit against top conservative operative  —  The Republican staffer who accused conservative stalwartMatt Schlapp of sexual assault and filed a lawsuit against him for nearly $10 million has filed a separate suit against another top GOP operative alleging defamation.

With Mark Houck, as with Jack Phillips, the persecution is the whole point  —  On Monday, a jury acquitted a Catholic father and pro-life activist after the federal government had brought trumped-up charges against him for violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances or FACE Act.

Conservatives worry GOP will go soft on Big Tech after Jim Jordan's surprise committee decision  —  Ken Buck says taking antitrust reform ‘off the table’ is a ‘mistake’  —  Social media consequences are ‘stunning, harmful’: Rep. Ken Buck  —  House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan's appointment …

U.S. and India launch high-level defense and tech initiative  —  Geopolitical concerns about China and Russia form backdrop of partnership  —  The United States and India on Tuesday formally established a high-level initiative on defense and emerging technologies — what national security …

Meet The Man Behind George Santos  —  As he watched Rep. George Santos (R-NY) become consumed by scandal, Vish Burra knew he wanted in.  Burra didn't hesitate when asked by TPM if the scandal surrounding Santos' lies about his personal history and the myriad questions surrounding …

As Twitter's Legal Woes Mount, It's Elon vs. Everyone  —  Twitter's terminally-online CEO has kicked up legal trouble from California to Germany.  Those lawsuits will be devastating for a company still struggling to survive.  —  Last month, I warned that Twitter CEO and Russian election …

Jeff Zients, welcome to your onboarding  —  Presented by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living  —  Welcome to POLITICO's West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration.  With help from Allie Bice.

Kellyanne's Future & the G.O.P.'s First '24 Strike  —  News and notes from the nascent presidential trail, on Conway's green room game theory and the House Republican plan to bork the Democratic bench. … I wrote extensively last summer about the campaign's org chart and management philosophy …

Britain the only G7 economy forecast to shrink in 2023  —  IMF says UK economy is likely to contract 0.6% as rising interest rates and higher taxes take toll  —  Britain is expected to be the only major industrialised country to see its economy shrink this year after the impact …

The media is blowing Biden's documents ‘scandal’ out of proportion  —  The news media has greeted the supposed scandal of Biden's mishandling of classified documents with breathless glee  —  n Sunday morning, NBC's Chuck Todd hosted Ohio Republican congressman Jim Jordan on Meet the Press …

Russian Mercenaries Are Destabilizing Africa  —  One of the groups that have risen to international prominence (or infamy) with the invasion of Ukraine is Wagner, a Kremlin-backed mercenary outfit that regularly employs former criminals.  In Ukraine, they often fight when conventional Russian Army troops flee …