Eager to Challenge Trump, Republicans Aren't So Eager to Be the First  —  Nikki Haley is expected to join the 2024 race this month, but other G.O.P. contenders are taking a wait-and-see approach.  Some anti-Trump Republicans worry that too much dithering could be costly.

Hunter Biden's lawyers, in newly aggressive strategy, target his critics  —  His attorneys have sent letters to prosecutors urging probes of Rudy Giuliani, Steve Bannon and others  —  Hunter Biden's lawyers, in a newly aggressive strategy, sent a series of blistering letters Wednesday …

Pelosi to back Schiff for California Senate seat if Feinstein doesn't run  —  Former House speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday threw her support behind Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) in what is shaping up as a competitive 2024 Senate race in California if Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) chooses not to run.

McConnell pulls rival Rick Scott off powerful Commerce Committee  —  Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has pulled Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who tried to oust him as the Senate's top Republican in a bruising leadership race, off the powerful Commerce Committee.

Senator calls on Apple, Google to remove TikTok from app stores  —  TikTok poses “an unacceptable threat,” the senator said.  —  The push on Capitol Hill to rein in China-owned social media network  —  TikTok  —  has set its sights on tech giants Apple and Google.

Congress is off to a spectacularly slow start, and members fear it won't get better  —  WASHINGTON — The House, paralyzed for days, struggled to elect a speaker.  The Senate is holding symbolic votes just to pass the time.  America's most powerful lawmakers have been twiddling their thumbs …

Feds probing Santos' role in service dog charity scheme  —  NEW YORK — FBI agents are investigating Rep. George Santos' role in an alleged GoFundMe scheme involving a disabled U.S. Navy veteran's dying service dog.  —  Two agents contacted former service member Richard Osthoff Wednesday …

Americans Still Glum About State of the Union in Most Areas  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans' assessment of the state of the nation remains in the pandemic-era slump seen since 2021, marked by subdued satisfaction with 30 different aspects of the country.  These include the public's reaction …

The gas industry is under fire.  It's hiring Democratic politicians to help.  —  Gas companies have enlisted prominent Democrats to convince liberal voters that the fuel is climate-friendly, documents show  —  At a time when many other Democrats fault natural gas for fueling climate change …

Ukraine Carries Out Wide Anticorruption Raids Ahead of Visit From E.U. Leaders … More searches are conducted in connection with corruption allegations in Ukraine.  —  The Ukrainian authorities on Wednesday carried out dozens of searches across the country in connection with corruption allegations …

US, Philippines agree on larger American military presence  —  The United States and the Philippines announced on Thursday an agreement to expand American military presence in the Southeast Asian country, where U.S. forces would be granted access to four more Philippine military camps …

Biden and McCarthy hold ‘first good’ meeting on debt ceiling, but ‘no agreements, no promises’  —  President Joe Biden met Wednesday with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in search of a path to lifting the nation's debt ceiling — and averting the potential for an economic catastrophe.

2024 House Race Ratings: Another Competitive Fight for Control  —  House Republicans enter the 2024 cycle with an infamously thin 222-213 majority and lots of questions about why they didn't perform better in 2022.  But they have history on their side: despite the House flipping partisan …

Lawmakers Call for Inquiry Into Durham's Review of Russia Investigation  —  The Democrats asked the Justice Department's inspector general to scrutinize whether John H. Durham and William P. Barr “violated any laws, D.O.J. rules or practices, or canons of legal ethics.”

“We're Still Gonna Say No”: Inside UnitedHealthcare's Effort to Deny Coverage to Chronically Ill Patient  —  Co-published with The Capitol Forum … In May 2021, a nurse at UnitedHealthcare called a colleague to share some welcome news about a problem the two had been grappling with for weeks.

Lawsuit can proceed against Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse  —  A federal judge in Wisconsin ruled Wednesday that a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the father of a man shot and killed by Kyle Rittenhouse during a protest in 2020 can proceed against Rittenhouse, police officers and others.

How Rod Dreher Caused an International Scandal in Eastern Europe  —  Blogging and backtracking.  —  Last week, Rod Dreher, the American author now living in Hungary, caused a diplomatic scandal that has gone largely unnoticed in his home country.  —  Dreher's stay in Hungary is apparently financed …

Former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan On 2024  —  Former Governor Larry Hogan joined me this AQM:  —  Audio:  —  02-02hhs-hogan  —  Transcript:  —  HH: Joined by former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan.  Good morning, Governor.  How are you?  —  LH: I'm doing great, Hugh.  Thanks for having me.

Jan. 6 defendant who sprayed line of police sentenced after tearful apology  —  A Jan. 6 defendant who sprayed a chemical irritant at about 15 police officers — and later bragged about it in a video interview — was sentenced Wednesday to 68 months in prison.  This is one of the stiffest Jan. 6 sentences handed down to date.

Illegal border crossings fell sharply in January, U.S. figures show  —  Tighter restrictions applied by the Biden administration against migrants from Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua and Haiti along the southern border last month led to a precipitous drop in the number of people from those countries crossing …

New $5 Banknote Design  —  The Reserve Bank has decided to update the $5 banknote to feature a new design that honours the culture and history of the First Australians.  This new design will replace the portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.  The other side of the $5 banknote will continue to feature the Australian Parliament.