Christie on DeSantis: ‘None of Us Really Know Who He Is’ … The GOP 2024 presidential field grows from one to two today.  Only 800 more announcements to come! … - Nikki Haley is set to officially kick off her presidential campaign at an event in Charleston today, but the former South …

FIRST ON CNN: DOJ officially decides not to charge Matt Gaetz in sex-trafficking probe  —  The Justice Department has informed lawyers for at least one witness that it will not bring charges against Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz after a years-long federal sex-trafficking investigation, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Prosecutors Seek Trump Lawyer's Testimony, Suggesting Evidence of Crime  —  The Justice Department cited the crime-fraud exception to attorney-client privilege in demanding testimony from a lawyer representing former President Donald Trump in his documents case.

New York Times Writers Call Out the Paper's Anti-Trans Onslaught  —  “This is not quite business as usual anymore,” one of the organizers of an open letter to the NYT told Hell Gate.  —  On Wednesday morning, a group of almost 200 journalists and writers released an open letter addressed …

Revealed: the hacking and disinformation team meddling in elections  — Group sells hacking services and access to vast army of fake social media profiles  — Evidence unit behind disinformation campaigns across world  — Mastermind Tal Hanan claims covert involvement in 33 presidential elections

Club for Growth endorses Scott and dings McConnell  —  Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) has nabbed an early endorsement in his bid for reelection, with the conservative Club for Growth, one of the top-spending GOP super PACs, offering its support.  —  The Club's endorsement of the Florida Republican …

Scotland's Nicola Sturgeon quits  —  Nicola Sturgeon is resigning as Scotland's first minister in a move that stunned her pro-independence party and fired the starting pistol on the race to succeed her.  —  The Scottish National Party leader — who has led the party and the country's devolved …

As Lawmakers Spar Over Social Security, Its Costs Are Rising Fast  —  New budget projections are expected to show that the program's spending is outpacing tax revenues as an aging population claims benefits.  —  WASHINGTON — President Biden scored an early political point this month …

Chris Miller, the MAGA SecDef, Explains His Anger  —  In a memoir he recounts his military career and his eventful short tenure as Trump's last Pentagon chief—including his bitterness about Jan. 6th.  —  Soldier Secretary: Warnings from the Battlefield & the Pentagon about America's Most Dangerous Enemies

Biden's Plan to Limit ‘Junk Fees’ Has Overwhelming, Bipartisan Support  —  Among generations, baby boomers are most likely to support Biden's proposals to reduce or eliminate hidden ticket and entertainment fees  —  Democrats and Republicans don't agree on many things but paying less …

The Wisconsin GOP's High Court Crackup  —  They've picked a helluva time for a food fight  —  The election that the media has dubbed “the most important election nobody's ever heard of,” is just weeks away, and has already drawn international attention.  —  The “Stakes are monstrous,” declared Britain's Guardian.

Buffalo grocery store mass shooter apologizes for racist attack as he receives sentence of life in prison  —  The 19-year-old White man who killed 10 people in a racist mass shooting at a grocery store in a predominantly Black area of Buffalo last May cried and said he regretted his actions …

The Sleeper Charge Related to January 6  —  How do you get Capone?  —  We learned this week that following the 2020 presidential election the Trump campaign hired an outside research firm to attempt to bolster its claims of election fraud.  The firm, Berkeley Research Group …

To Save Money, Maybe You Should Skip Breakfast  —  Several breakfast staples saw sharp price increases due to a perfect storm of bad weather and disease outbreaks—and continued effects from Russia's invasion of Ukraine.  Egg prices increased 8.5% in January from a month earlier and are up 70.1% …

Warren Calls Out Buttigieg, Vilsack For Failing To Stop Monopolies  —  In a speech Wednesday morning, the senator praised the Biden administration's antitrust work, but said more needs to be done.  —  Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) called out two major federal agencies for failing to play …

Alex Murdaugh Intended to Die in Botched Labor Day Shooting, Lawyer Says  —  DESPERATE  —  Alex Murdaugh “didn't intend to still be alive” after the September 2021 botched assisted-suicide plot on a South Carolina backroad, his lawyers said Wednesday.  During a hearing without the jury …

An Oklahoma judge just transferred a lesbian mom's parental rights to her son's sperm donor  —  A ruling citing the state's parentage act could have substantial implications for marriage equality and LGBTQ+ parental rights nationwide, legal experts warn.

The MSU Shooting Is Making Us See A New Kind Of Gun Tragedy  —  Survivors of previous shootings are now having to relive another massacre.  —  DETROIT — The toll of Monday night's massacre at Michigan State University, where three students died and five others suffered grievous wounds …

Austan Goolsbee Under Consideration to Serve as Fed's Vice Chair  —  President Biden has to replace Lael Brainard after naming her to serve as White House economic-policy director  —  The White House is considering nominating Austan Goolsbee, who became president of the Federal Reserve Bank …

Justice strongest candidate against Manchin, GOP poll says  —  Republicans are coming to an increasingly popular consensus: Gov. Jim Justice is by far the best candidate to take on Joe Manchin.  —  In fact, the two-term governor and Democrat-turned-Republican is the only potential challenger …

The time George Santos tried to raise crazy money to host a simple rally for Trump  —  NEW YORK — One of Rep. George Santos' first-known forays into politics was an attempt to raise $20,000 for a pro-Trump rally in 2019 in Buffalo, N.Y. that never happened.

Tesla Will Open Some Chargers to All Electric Vehicles  —  An agreement with the White House to allow electric cars made by other automakers is part of a broad drive to improve charging and increase sales of battery-powered vehicles.  —  Tesla will open some of its fast chargers …

Berlusconi acquitted in trial tied to ‘bunga bunga’ parties  —  1 of 5  —  Italian former Premier Silvio Berlusconi was found not guilty Wednesday of witness tampering, in a trial related to the sexually charged “bunga bunga” parties he held at his villa near Milan while he was in office.

‘This is absurd’: Train cars that derailed in Ohio were labeled non-hazardous  —  Ohio governor calls on Congress to investigate how that could happen.  —  Nearly two weeks after a train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed in rural Ohio, questions still linger about the lasting effects …