FLASHBACK: When right-wing pundits thought political hush money payments were a crime  —  “The facts are that he broke campaign finance laws and that he lied to cover it up,” Fox News' Sean Hannity said.  —  Hannity was not talking about former President Donald Trump, who was indicted …

CNN Poll: Majority of Americans approve of Trump indictment  —  Sixty percent of Americans approve of the indictment of former President Donald Trump, according to a new CNN Poll conducted by SSRS following the news that a New York grand jury voted to charge him in connection with hush money payments …

‘Fake news’ no more: Marjorie Taylor Greene's journey to 60 Minutes  —  Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene “expected a hit job” when she decided to open her doors to CBS' 60 Minutes, which gave her a star turn in their opening segment on Sunday.  It's a program known for its sometimes strained relationship with Republicans.

Chinese spy balloon gathered intelligence from sensitive U.S. military sites, despite U.S. efforts to block it  —  The intelligence China collected was mostly from electronic signals, which can be picked up from weapons systems or include communications from base personnel.

Justice Dept. said to have more evidence of possible Trump obstruction at Mar-a-Lago  —  Ex-staffer's emails, texts are guiding investigators, who increasingly suspect Trump went through boxes after subpoena  —  Justice Department and FBI investigators have amassed fresh evidence pointing …

Right-Wing Media Splits From DeSantis on Press Protections  —  Gov. Ron DeSantis's war against mainstream media outlets is poised to wound even his boosters in the conservative press.  Is the Florida governor biting the hand that feeds him?  —  Gov. Ron DeSantis has long courted right-wing news outlets …

Centrist Democrats hatch secret plan to head off debt ceiling calamity  —  The White House and party leaders, however, are distancing themselves from the effort.  —  A group of House Democrats is secretly crafting a fallback plan to avoid an economy-rattling debt default.  —  The White House wants no part of it.

Russia confiscates passports of senior officials to stop defections  —  Kremlin tightens Soviet-era travel restrictions in ‘sensitive’ areas  —  Russia's security services are confiscating the passports of senior officials and state company executives to prevent overseas travel …

ChatGPT falsely accused me of sexually harassing my students.  Can we really trust AI?  —  What is most striking is that this false accusation was not just generated by AI but ostensibly based on a Washington Post article that never existed.  —  View Comments

Biden in no hurry to announce for '24 … They initially thought Biden would launch a campaign soon after the Christmas break, after talking with his family. … - But if he ultimately chooses to bow out, the late decision could provide an advantage to Vice President Kamala Harris if she wanted …

Panic and emotional pain as alleged deep-cover Russian spies vanish  —  Pair of suspected ‘illegals’ are thought to have been a married couple living separate lives in Brazil and Greece  —  Shaun Walker in Ljubljana, Pjotr Sauer in Amsterdam and Tom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro

McDonald's Temporarily Shuts U.S. Offices as Chain Prepares for Layoff Notices  —  Fast-food company expected to notify workers of their job status virtually  —  McDonald's Corp. MCD .66%increase; green up pointing triangle is temporarily closing its U.S. offices this week as it prepares …

Democrats target 31 GOP-held seats in aggressive campaign for House majority  —  In a list first shared with NBC News, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee laid out the House districts it's aiming to flip next year.  —  WASHINGTON — Democrats have targeted 31 Republican-held districts …

Sen. John Fetterman talks mental health post-hospitalization: 'Message right now isn't political'  —  John Fetterman says he's ‘making up for lost time’ after 6-week hospitalization at Walter Reed to address his mental health  —  Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., was recently interviewed …

The Broad Scope of “Intent to Defraud” in the New York Crime of Falsifying Business Records  —  Part of Just Security's coverage of the Manhattan DA investigation and work on accountability and corruption.  —  As many greet the Manhattan District Attorney's indictment of a former president …

Nikki Haley is driving Mike Pence's campaign up a wall  —  Pence staffers are complaining privately about Haley's media coverage.  —  Mike Pence might harbor deep-seated resentment toward Donald Trump for his handling of Jan. 6.  But it's Nikki Haley who really gets under the Pence camp's skin.

Darya Trepova: Russia releases tape of suspect in cafe killing of Vladlen Tatarsky  —  Russian investigators have detained a woman in the hunt for the killers of pro-war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky in a blast at a St Petersburg cafe.  —  In video released by authorities - most likely recorded under duress …

The “Need for Chaos” Voter  —  New research has discovered a new personality trait called “need for chaos.”  They just want to watch the world burn and they're happy to help democracy end in flames.  We must understand them. … A few years ago, after I had just appeared on television …