Fox Will Pay $787.5 Million to Settle Defamation Suit  —  The settlement with Dominion Voting Systems was the latest extraordinary twist in a case that exposed the inner workings of the most powerful voice in conservative news.  —  Reporting from Wilmington, Del.

Playbook: How Trump ambushed DeSantis in D.C.  —  Presented by The U.S. Chamber of Commerce  —  With help from Eli Okun and Garrett Ross  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  POPPING THIS MORNING — We've gotten our hands on a “confidential discussion draft” of a debt ceiling proposal being circulated …

Inside the secret list of websites that make AI chatbots sound smart  —  AI chatbots have exploded in popularity over the past four months, stunning the public with their awesome abilities, from writing sophisticated term papers to holding unnervingly lucid conversations.

Man arrested after 2 Woodlands Elite cheerleaders were shot outside HEB near Austin, police say  —  Police say Payton Washington was one of two Woodlands Elite cheerleaders hit when someone opened fire near a grocery store outside Austin.  One man is in custody.

Grand jury indicts torch carriers in 2017 Charlottesville rally  —  At least three men who marched with blazing tiki torches at the 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville are now facing criminal charges, according to indictments unsealed this week.  —  A grand jury in Virginia indicted …

An Oklahoma Newspaper's Secret Recording Prompts Calls for Officials to Resign  —  The audio featured an official talking about hanging Black people and other officials speaking of hiring hit men for two reporters, the newspaper said.  The sheriff's office claims the recording violated state law.

Complaints about Justice Thomas's disclosures sent to judicial committee  —  Allegations from congressional Democrats that Justice Clarence Thomas likely violated federal ethics laws in his dealings with a Republican donor have been sent to a committee of federal judges responsible for …

Atlanta Prosecutor Seeks Removal of Lawyer in Trump Case  —  The lawyer represents 10 Georgia Republicans who were part of a plan to reverse the results of the 2020 presidential election and keep Donald J. Trump in power.  —  The lead prosecutor investigating election interference …

It's Time for Dianne Feinstein to Resign  —  The 89-year-old California senator has been a trailblazer.  But a public servant needs to serve the public—and Feinstein is no longer doing that.  —  We should not hold a United States senator to a lower standard than that to which we hold all other Americans.

U.S. charges four Americans with aiding Kremlin efforts  —  Charges are the latest Justice Department effort against secret foreign propaganda networks on U.S. soil  —  Federal authorities charged four Americans on Tuesday with roles in a malign campaign pushing pro-Kremlin propaganda …

People should say why they are running for president  —  Chris Christie may be a long shot if he runs in 2024, but he has one extremely important idea that other Republicans could learn from: Candidates should say why they'd be a better choice than their top rivals.

House Republicans may not have the votes to pass border security bill  —  While the dynamics remain fluid as negotiations continue, there are enough votes to kill the legislation in its current form if it comes to the House floor  —  Several House Republicans will vote against a border security package …

GOP drops $1M on Manchin as Justice preps run  —  Republicans are seeking to tie the West Virginia Democrat to his party's marquee tax, health care and climate law, betting it will drag down his prospects in the deep-red state.  —  The GOP push to knock out Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is on — 18 months before Election Day.

Florida's phony “exceptions”  —  Last week, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) signed a near-total abortion ban into law.  The law, the “Heartbeat Protection Act,” prohibits “physicians from knowingly performing or inducing a termination of pregnancy” after six weeks — before many even know that they are pregnant.

Ukraine war: The Russian ships accused of North Sea sabotage  —  Russia has a programme to sabotage wind farms and communication cables in the North Sea, according to new allegations.  —  The details come from a joint investigation by public broadcasters in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland.

China readies supersonic spy drone unit, leaked document says  —  The Chinese military could soon deploy a high-altitude spy drone that travels at least three times the speed of sound, according to a leaked U.S. military assessment, a development that would dramatically strengthen China's ability to conduct surveillance operations.

Boycott Budweiser for Validating Trans Hate  —  As a long-time PR veteran, I have always been skeptical about brands engaging social media stars for ads, social posts, or campaigns.  —  Without being too specific, about six years ago, I helped coordinate a publicity initiative on a global issue …