In N.H. stop, Trump embraces woman convicted in Jan. 6 case  —  The former president has steadily escalated his advocacy for people charged in the Capitol riot.  —  MANCHESTER, N.H. — Former president Donald Trump on Thursday praised and embraced a woman convicted of defying police orders on the U.S. Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, 2021.

Biden's age trap: Risks of running at 80  —  Polls show that most voters of most ages wonder the same thing: Can President Biden really win the White House again at nearly 82 — and run it competently into age 86? … But there are so many unknowns to rolling into your mid-80s with more power than anyone on Earth.

The Underestimated Kevin McCarthy  —  Column: How the speaker beats expectations  —  Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) wasn't going to let the moment go unnoticed.  It was April 26, and the House of Representatives had just passed, by a vote of 217 to 215, the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023.

Scoop: DeSantis dines with Miriam Adelson, other major GOP donors in Israel  —  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis dined with Miriam Adelson — former President Trump's top financial backer in 2020 — and other major GOP donors in Jerusalem on Wednesday, according to two sources who attended the dinner.

DeSantis and Florida GOP look to upend public record laws as they attempt to shield his travel and other records ahead of likely White House bid  —  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his GOP allies have moved to shield the Republican leader from the state's notoriously robust public records laws …

The Polite Disdain of John Roberts Finds a Target  —  Although the three branches of the American government were designed to be coequal, the structure of the Constitution tells us something about the relative power of each branch, as envisioned by the framers.  —  Article I establishes the Legislature.

Conservative dissenters block abortion limits in Nebraska, South Carolina  —  Strict new abortion restrictions failed to advance in two conservative-dominated legislatures on Thursday, signaling a mounting fear among some Republicans that abortion bans could lead to political backlash.

Establishment Republican donors reckoning with Trump's staying power  —  The Republicans JI spoke to this week were divided on the question of supporting Trump if he becomes the nominee again  —  As former President Donald Trump dominates the Republican primary field, leading GOP donors …

Fox News Poll: Voters favor gun limits over arming citizens to reduce gun violence  —  Half worry about being a victim of gun violence, including many in gun-owning households  —  After a series of mass shootings this spring, including the killing of several students at a private Christian school …

Montana Governor's Nonbinary Son Calls on Him to Reject Transgender Bills  —  The governor's son, David Gianforte, told The Montana Free Press that he had asked his father to not sign “immoral” bills pertaining to the L.G.B.T.Q. community.  —  As debates over transgender issues embroil Montana's legislature …

Florida's book-ban frenzy targets Nora Roberts, and she's not happy  —  Tiffany Justice, co-founder of the right-wing book-purging organization Moms for Liberty, offered a righteous-sounding answer when asked this past weekend on “CBS Sunday Morning” what sort of book she wants to see remain in schools.

Accused Pentagon leaker's violent rhetoric raises fresh questions about top secret vetting process  —  New details about the 21-year-old Air National Guardsman accused of leaking a trove of classified documents online reveal how multiple red flags went unheeded and weren't enough to prevent …

New York City Subway Ends Twitter Service Alerts After Musk Raises Price  —  New York City's mass-transit system is ending its real-time service alerts on Twitter for subway, train and bus riders as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority curbs its relationship with the platform owned by Elon Musk.

2 US Army helicopters crash in Alaska, killing 3 soldiers  —  Two U.S. army helicopters collided and crashed Thursday in Alaska while returning from a training flight, killing three soldiers and injuring a fourth.  Two of the soldiers died at the scene of the crash near Healy, Alaska …

The communication breakdown between U.S. and China raises the risk of an unintended crisis  —  China's neighbors and U.S. allies worry that each side could misinterpret the other's intentions.  An underlying distrust has infected the relationship, former officials say.

Marjorie Taylor Greene faces criticism after saying a stepmother is ‘not a mother’  —  Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., is facing criticism from her Democratic colleagues after telling a stepmother she's “not a mother”.  —  The conversation unfolded as Randi Weingarten …

Exclusive — Disarray Consumes Fox News as Murdochs Attempt to Reassert Control with Carlson, Bongino Ousters  —  Fox News is trying to sideline former Tucker Carlson Tonight host Tucker Carlson through the 2024 election, multiple sources familiar with the matter told Breitbart News.

A new Senate bill would curb Trump's worst judges  —  There is a solution to America's Matthew Kacsmaryk problem.  —  The United States has a Matthew Kacsmaryk problem.  —  A longtime activist for the Christian right, Kacsmaryk is the Trump-appointed judge who tried earlier this month to ban mifepristone …

Amnesty International Sat on a Report Critical of Its Ukraine Concerns  —  The rights group commissioned an independent review of its August accusation that Ukrainian forces illegally put civilians in harm's way.  —  WASHINGTON — Amnesty International's board has sat for months …

State finds ‘cause’ to discipline Leon superintendent over ‘politically charged statements’  —  The investigation began after a Moms for Liberty member wrote the governor calling for Hanna's removal from office.  The letter was stamped with “LET'S GO BRANDON.”

The dirty little secret of White House news conferences  —  President Biden was photographed holding a note card Wednesday, revealing the stage managing behind many political media events  —  President Biden offered such a long and nuanced response to the first question he got …

Rep. Jamie Raskin in remission after cancer treatment  —  Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said Thursday his cancer is in remission after several months of treatment. … “And I am afraid I lack the energy to properly thank you all and express the enormity of my feelings about the enduring beauty and promise of our country.”

Brutal Dem primary could pit ex-lawmaker against gov's sister  —  Mondaire Jones is gearing up to run for his old House seat, a must-win for Democrats in 2024.  And his allies are unhappy that he'll likely have to run against the sister of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

6 on NYC Council refuse to vote for ‘End Jew Hatred Day’  —  A member who voted ‘no’ vote called Jewish critics ‘disrespectful’ for accusing her of antisemitism  —  Several Jewish New York City Council members expressed shock Thursday that six of their colleagues did not vote for a resolution …

The DeSantis-Trump Division  —  “Hold off on the [Ron] DeSantis thing.”  —  That was the order from top Breitbart editor Matt Boyle in the company's internal Slack channel last week, instructing staffers at the far-right outlet to pause stories on the Florida governor ahead of an expected 2024 run.