Donald Trump Tops Ron DeSantis in Test of GOP Presidential Field, WSJ Poll Finds  —  No candidate beyond the two leaders draws substantial support in the still-developing primary race  —  WASHINGTON—Donald Trump has gained command of the GOP presidential-nomination race over Ron DeSantis …

BuzzFeed News Is Shutting Down, Company Laying Off 180 Staffers  —  BuzzFeed is shutting down BuzzFeed News because it is not able to turn a profit, according to a memo CEO Jonah Peretti sent to company staff Thursday.  The digital publisher is laying off 15% of its employees, or about 180 people …

I.R.S. Official Is Said to Assert Political Meddling in Hunter Biden Inquiry  —  An agent overseeing the agency's portion of the investigation into the president's son is asking Congress for whistle-blower protection to discuss what he says is misconduct in the case.

REVEALED: GOP leader, who voted to expel TN Three, resigns; found guilty of sexually harassing interns  —  A member of GOP leadership in the Tennessee House of Representatives was recently found guilty of sexually harassing at least one legislative intern, likely two, by an ethics subcommittee acting in secret,

McCarthy at risk of falling short on GOP votes for debt ceiling bill  —  House Republicans are feeling a debt ceiling hangover, with senior GOP sources worrying they're significantly short on votes now that members have read the 320-page bill. … - Much of the skepticism is coming …

Charges dropped against Alec Baldwin in fatal on-set ‘Rust’ shooting: Sources  —  Baldwin was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter.  —  Charges against Alec Baldwin have been dropped in the  —  fatal on-set “Rust” shooting  —  , according to sources familiar with the matter.

Capitol rioter shot at local deputies after FBI informed him of Jan. 6 charges  —  Nathan Donald Pelham, of Texas, now faces an additional felony count, on top of the four misdemeanor charges stemming from the attack on the Capitol.  —  A Texas man facing charges in the Jan. 6 riot opened fire …

How Hard Lines in Fox-Dominion Deal Talks Suddenly Softened  —  The $787.5 million settlement, believed to be the largest in a defamation case, came together quickly.  —  Reporting from Wilmington, Del.  —  On Tuesday morning, as the legal team for Dominion Voting Systems walked …

Larry Elder announces 2024 White House bid  —  Conservative talk radio host Larry Elder announced Thursday that he's launching a 2024 presidential campaign, joining a growing list of Republicans vying for the GOP nomination.  —  Elder will speak at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition this weekend.

The Internet of the 2010s Ended Today  —  BuzzFeed News was more than a website: It defined an era.  —  If you're curious to know what it was like to work at BuzzFeed News in the salad days of the mid-2010s, here is a representative anecdote: I was sitting at my desk one morning …

LeBron James didn't pay for his Twitter checkmark, but Elon gave it to him anyway  —  / After saying he wouldn't pay, James was offered a complimentary subscription ‘on behalf of Elon Musk.’  —  Twitter has started getting rid of legacy blue checks for those who don't pay up.  Well, unless you're LeBron James.

Widow of man who died in custody of deputies in Oklahoma county where officials talked about lynching Black people files suit  —  A Tulsa woman has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the McCurtain County Sheriff and other local officials.  —  A Tulsa woman filed a wrongful death lawsuit …

Public schools would have to display Ten Commandments under bill passed by Texas Senate  —  The Senate also passed a bill that would set prayer and Bible reading times during the school day.  —  Public schools in Texas would have to prominently display the Ten Commandments …

Trump-appointed judge facing more scrutiny as Christian radio interviews surface  —  The far-right Trump-appointed federal judge in Texas who authored the opinion revoking the US Food and Drug Administration's approval of the abortion drug mifepristone failed to disclose interviews he gave …

‘Double Standard’: Legal Experts Slam Dems For Ignoring Liberal Justice's Failure To Disclose Spouse's Consulting Work  — Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson's nominee financial disclosure from March 2022 reveals she “inadvertently omitted” consulting income her spouse “periodically receives …

Ukraine defended Bakhmut despite U.S. warnings in leaked documents  —  BAKHMUT, Ukraine — Months after dire warnings from Washington that Ukraine would not be able to hold Bakhmut against an onslaught of Russian mercenaries, Ukrainian forces still cling to the city's western edge …

‘Self-infatuated extremist’: Marjorie Taylor Greene hit with brutal op-ed after rushing to defend a ‘reckless brat’  —  Shortly after federal authorities announced the arrest of Jack Douglas Teixeira on allegations the 21-year-old Massachusetts Air National Guard member leaked sensitive …

Our new terror: The ‘law-abiding’ gun owner who is ready to kill  —  Andrew Lester is not a drug kingpin or a mafia don or an international spy being hunted by assassins.  But when his doorbell rang one evening last week in Kansas City, Mo., the 84-year-old went to answer with a gun in his hand.

Prosecutor's memo said Hispanics get tougher plea deals; state attorney calls it a mistake  —  State Attorney Jack Campbell moved quickly Wednesday night to counter allegations his office singles out Hispanic defendants in rural North Florida for stiffer penalties in plea bargain offers.

Republicans Call for Censure of Transgender Lawmaker Who Condemned Care Ban  —  After a Democratic Montana state representative, Zooey Zephyr, said the measure was “tantamount to torture,” Republicans misgendered her and said they would formally reprimand her.