DeSantis cannonballs into America's deep blue states for war on ‘woke’ ahead of 2024  —  The Florida governor has used his trips to highlight his state's accomplishments — citing statistics that sometimes mask far more complicated debates  —  LOS ANGELES — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has found …

Jim Jordan's first FBI whistleblowers face scrutiny from skeptical Democrats  —  In his quest to prove the federal government has been “weaponized” against conservatives, Republican House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan has touted the allegations of what he claims are “dozens” …

The Checkered Past of the Contractor Monitoring the Air in East Palestine  —  CTEH has been cited by lawmakers for ‘releasing findings defending the corporate interests that employ them.’  —  A black plume and fireball rise over East Palestine, Ohio, as a result of a controlled detonation …

House Democrats blindsided as Biden changes tune on DC crime bill  —  House Democrats were infuriated and taken aback by President Biden's announcement on Thursday that he will sign a resolution to nix the District of Columbia's crime bill.  —  The crime bill has come under heavy criticism from Republicans and centrist Democrats.

Walgreens won't distribute abortion pills in some states where they remain legal  —  The nation's second-largest pharmacy chain confirmed Thursday that it will not dispense abortion pills in several states where they remain legal — acting out of an abundance of caution amid a shifting policy landscape …

Why the Lab-Leak and Mask Debates Are Such a Disaster  —  We're still pretending to know things about COVID that we don't.  —  In the past few weeks, the conventional wisdom about COVID seems to have been upended.  —  Early in the pandemic, several mainstream news outlets dismissed theories that COVID came from a Chinese lab.

Republicans Swore Biden Was Lying About Social Security Cuts.  Now They're Questioning the Retirement Age.  —  Republicans were outraged when Joe Biden accused them of proposing Social Security cuts.  Now a bipartisan group is talking about raising the retirement age.

Effort to change Utah's state flag narrowly passes Legislature after hours of debate  —  Gov. Spencer Cox now has three weeks to decide if he'll approve or veto the new state flag bill.  —  The bill to change Utah's state flag squeaked by on the House floor Thursday morning on a razor-thin 40-35 vote …

Jury quickly finds Murdaugh guilty of murder of wife, son  —  South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh was convicted of murder Thursday in the shooting deaths of his wife and son in a case that chronicled the unraveling of a powerful Southern family with tales of privilege, greed and addiction.

LGBTQ-Activist Dem Mayor, Who Was ‘Mentored’ by Buttigieg, Arrested for Vile Charge  —  The gay-activist Democrat mayor of College Park, Maryland, who has branded himself as something of a role model for LGBTQ youth, was arrested Thursday morning on dozens of counts of possessing …

Florida bill would require bloggers who write about governor to register with the state  —  TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida Sen. Jason Brodeur (R-Lake Mary) wants bloggers who write about Gov. Ron DeSantis, Attorney General Ashley Moody, and other members of the Florida executive cabinet …

Top Republican lawmakers reach deal on NC Medicaid expansion  —  The top leaders in North Carolina's legislature reached an agreement that is expected to expand Medicaid coverage.  The momentous deal, announced Thursday, is the culmination of more than a decade of political wrangling and a Republican change of heart.

EXCLUSIVE: After he left office, Donald Trump ordered his chief of staff to leak classified information to the press about an FBI agent and other adversaries.  Experts believe that may be a felony.  —  Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows Getty  —  Earlier stories on the Russia papers: Part 2, Part 1.

Exposed: Dallas Humber, Narrator Of Neo-Nazi ‘Terrorgram,’ Promoter Of Mass Shootings  —  Her propaganda canonized white supremacist murderers as “saints.  She may have helped inspire a shooting at a gay bar.  Now she's been unmasked.  —  On Oct. 12, 2022, Juraj Krajč …

Scoop: Biden tried to hire Jon Meacham, his volunteer muse  —  President Biden has grown so close to his volunteer muse, Jon Meacham, that he tried to bring the presidential historian into the White House. … So a government gig doesn't appear to be in the cards — but the overture reflects their warm relationship.

News Analysis: Biden's new asylum proposal could affect the border forever  —  U.S. immigration politics have shifted on their axis over the last 10 days.  —  Former President Trump and his administration spent years arguing that people who cross the border without permission should not be able …

Pandemic Murder Wave Has Crested.  Here's the Postmortem.  —  The shocking rise in murders that began in the summer of 2020 looks as if it may have played out.  In the nearly complete tally of 2022 homicide statistics from 93 US cities compiled by AH Datalytics, murder and non-negligent manslaughter was down 5% from the year before.

It's time to revoke Fox News' press credentials  —  The political media world has been rocked by the bombshell court filing by Dominion Voting Systems as part of their $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News.  —  Top executives from Rupert Murdoch on down, and on-air personalities …

Amodei says he won't run for Senate in 2024  —  No Nevada Republicans have officially entered the race to challenge Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) for re-election to the Senate in 2024, but at least one potential candidate is staying out of the race.  —  Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV) …

Washington's Favorite Republican Is Making All the Right Moves  —  The Republican primary season hasn't even started, and already one contest appears to have a runaway winner: The Permanent-Washington Primary, where New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu is absolutely crushing it.

Texas GOP Bill Gives Tax Cuts to Heterosexual Parents  —  A new proposal would give massive breaks to large families, but only if the parents are straight property owners who've never been divorced.  —  A NEWLY INTRODUCED Texas House bill proposes property tax cuts for couples who get married, stay married, and have lots of children.

Trump can be sued by police over Jan. 6 riot, Justice Department says  —  Two U.S. Capitol Police officers and 11 Democratic House members are seeking to hold Donald Trump liable for injuries they suffered during the riot.  —  Former president Donald Trump can be held liable in court …

Daily Briefing: War in Ukraine  —  Belarus Sentences Nobel Peace Laureate to 10 Years in Prison … A Belarusian Nobel Peace laureate is sentenced to 10 years in prison.  —  A Belarusian court sentenced Ales Bialiatski, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in October for his decades …