Trump pleaded not guilty, then sat quietly as lawyers sparred.  —  The charges center on a hush money deal with a porn star, but prosecutors also accused the former president of orchestrating a broader scheme to pay off another woman and a doorman during the 2016 campaign.  —  Pinned

NC Democrat expected to change parties  —  A North Carolina Democratic lawmaker is expected to flip her party affiliation, multiple Republicans with knowledge of the discussions tell Axios.  — The move would cement Republicans' toe-hold in a fast-changing swing state …

‘This is sickening’: The Trumps face furious backlash after targeting Manhattan judge's daughter  —  Hours ahead of former President Donald Trump's Tuesday arraignment on thirty-four felony charges filed by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, the right-wing outlet Breitbart published …

Finland joins NATO, doubling alliance's land border with Russia  —  BRUSSELS — Finland formally joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on Tuesday, a historic shift for a country that once insisted it was safer outside the military alliance and a sign of how Russian President Vladimir Putin's gamble …

Wisconsin's High-Stakes Supreme Court Race: What to Watch  —  The election for a swing seat on the court is likely to determine whether abortion remains illegal in Wisconsin, as well as the future of the state's heavily gerrymandered political maps.  —  WAUKESHA, Wis. — American political …

Rupert Murdoch and Ann Lesley Smith Call Off Their Engagement  —  The 92-year-old media mogul announced his engagement to the 66-year-old former dental hygienist a scant two weeks ago, following last year's divorce from his fourth wife, Jerry Hall.  —  Wedding bells may not be ringing for Rupert Murdoch anytime soon.

Johnson & Johnson Reaches $8.9 Billion Talc Settlement  —  The company faces a flood of lawsuits claiming its talc products caused cancer.  The proposed settlement requires approval by a bankruptcy court, but has the backing of plaintiffs' lawyers.  —  Johnson & Johnson said on Tuesday …

Caitlin Clark defends Angel Reese: 'I don't think she should be criticized'  —  University of Iowa star guard Caitlin Clark defended fellow college basketball star Louisiana State University's (LSU) Angel Reese over the criticism she received after taunting Clark during Sunday's NCAA Division …

'He's a war criminal': Elite Putin security officer defects  —  On October 14, a Russian engineer named Gleb Karakulov boarded a flight from Kazakhstan to Turkey with his wife and daughter.  He switched off his phone to shut out the crescendo of urgent, enraged messages …

Judy Blume Shades ‘Drunk With Power’ DeSantis for School Censorship Bills  —  ‘HISTORY UNDER FIRE’  —  Beloved children's author Judy Blume has made her voice heard on the subject of censorship, public education, and the right to read in recent weeks, telling the BBC over the weekend that book banning …

Maryland man threatened to ‘slaughter’ LGBTQ+ group after Covenant School shooting, DOJ says  —  Adam Michael Nettina, of West Friendship, Maryland, was charged Monday with a felony count of making an interstate threat.  —  WASHINGTON — A Howard County man threatened to “slaughter” …

TikTok fined £12.7mn for failing to protect children's privacy  —  Fine by UK watchdog comes amid growing global concerns over use of data at the Chinese-owned social media app  —  The UK's data watchdog has fined TikTok £12.7mn for failing to protect children's privacy …