Trump lashes out against New York judge who will hear his criminal case  —  New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan also presided over prosecutions of the Trump Organization and CFO Allen Weisselberg  —  Former president Donald Trump is quite familiar with New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan …

Fox News Suffers Major Setback in Its Defamation Case  —  The judge said the case would still need to proceed to trial, for a jury to weigh whether Fox News spread false claims about Dominion Voting Systems, and to determine any damages.  —  Fox News suffered a significant setback on Friday …

More Twitter chaos on the way  —  Blue checks that we've come to associate with authenticity, trustworthiness and prominence on Twitter are set to disappear tomorrow from accounts that won't pay for the badges. … - For the past 14 of Twitter's 17 years of existence, the badge has served as a sieve …

Judge Temporarily Blocks Tennessee Law That Restricts Drag Performances  —  A federal judge put a hold on the law hours before it was to take effect, saying there were legitimate questions about whether it violated the First Amendment.  —  NASHVILLE — A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked …

Social Media Influencer Douglass Mackey Convicted of Election Interference in 2016 Presidential Race  —  For Immediate Release  —  U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York  —  Defendant Attempted to Suppress Vote Through Social Media Disinformation Campaign

Evan Gershkovich Loved Russia, the Country That Turned on Him  —  The Wall Street Journal correspondent, whose parents fled the Soviet Union, made Moscow a second home.  He was detained by the FSB and charged with espionage, an allegation the Journal vehemently denies.  —  The cellphone was no longer pinging.

Fetterman Checks Out of Hospital After Treatment for Depression  —  In a statement, he announced his departure from Walter Reed Military Medical Center and urged those suffering from mental health challenges to seek help as he did.  —  WASHINGTON — Senator John Fetterman, Democrat of Pennsylvania …

Tensions Flare Inside NPR After Staff Layoffs and Town Halls  —  Welcome back to Thursday and to Soundbite.  This week we're looking at the scene inside NPR since the organization's layoffs last week.  As always, if you have something to share, reach me through email, and if you haven't yet subscribed …

GOP Strategist and Epstein Fanboy Convicted of Teen Sex Trafficking  —  Anton Lazzaro, a Ferrari-driving operative who boasted of his connections to Trump, sexually abused high school girls who he plied with alcohol, prosecutors said.  —  Anton Lazzaro, a wannabe playboy on Instagram who used …

How Republicans Are Using The Nashville Shooting To Further Their Anti-Trans Agenda  —  Trans people aren't just facing violent rhetoric but also legislation that would strip them of basic rights.  —  It's been a banner year for anti-transgender hate in America, the result …

'Thousands of Dollars for Something I Didn't Do'  —  Because of a bad facial recognition match and other hidden technology, Randal Reid spent nearly a week in jail, falsely accused of stealing purses in a state he said he had never even visited.  —  On the Friday afternoon after Thanksgiving …

Manchin steps up criticism of Biden administration as 2024 decision looms  —  Democrats face a brutal Senate map next year, and Manchin's West Virginia seat is a top target for Republicans  —  Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) is back in a familiar posture — keeping Democrats in suspense.