Playbook: Scoop: The mystery woman at Feinstein's side  —  Presented by With help from Eli Okun and Garrett Ross  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  THE VIEW FROM THE U.S. — “For Biden, Crisis at Home Complicates Diplomacy Abroad,” news analysis by NYT's Peter Baker

DeSantis expected to enter 2024 presidential race next week  —  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to enter the 2024 presidential race next week, two Republicans familiar with the matter tell CNN.  —  DeSantis will file paperwork next week with the Federal Election Commission declaring his candidacy …

Christiane Amanpour voices dissent over Trump town hall, says she had ‘very robust exchange’ with CNN chief  —  Editor's Note: A version of this article first appeared in the “Reliable Sources” newsletter.  Sign up for the daily digest chronicling the evolving media landscape here.  —  CNN —

ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED … NATIONAL RESULTS  —  Recent midterms have typically involved national waves that favor one party over the other, particularly when there's backlash against a party that controls the presidency and both chambers of Congress.  —  Figure 1.  Two-Way Democratic Support in General Elections (1976 to 2022)

Pete Buttigieg Loves God, Beer, and His Electric Mustang  —  Sure, the US secretary of transportation has thoughts on building bridges.  But infrastructure occupies just a sliver of his voluminous mind.  —  The curious mind of Pete Buttigieg holds much of its functionality in reserve.

The Access Journalism-House Republican Mind Meld  —  House Speaker Kevin McCarthy speaks with reporters at the Capitol after returning from a meeting with President Biden, May 16, 2023.  —  I remember Duncan Black (the blogger known as Atrios) remarking that Congress would be a more functional place …

Florida Democrats think the unthinkable: We're in play  —  The Jacksonville win was just one election.  But the party hopes it represents something more.  —  TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Democrats, long under the thumb of Ron DeSantis, are giddy the mayoral victory in Jacksonville could be the end to a long, long losing streak.

F.B.I. Revokes Security Clearances of 3 Agents Over Jan. 6 Issues  —  At least two of the three agents are scheduled to testify on Thursday to a House panel investigating what Republicans contend is the “weaponization” of federal agencies against conservatives.

NYC hospital ‘Karen’ paid for Citi Bike at center of viral fight with black man: lawyer  —  The lawyer for a Manhattan hospital worker accused of taking a Citi Bike from a young black man — who claimed that he paid for the two-wheeler — provided receipts he says shows she was the one who purchased …

Ex-Biden Nuclear Official Sam Brinton Arrested As ‘Fugitive From Justice’  —  Sam Brinton, the “nonbinary” activist tapped by Joe Biden for a key nuclear role before he was fired for repeatedly stealing women's clothes, was arrested Wednesday night as a “fugitive from justice,” The Daily Wire has learned.

Supreme Court sidesteps ruling on scope of internet company immunity from lawsuits over content posted by users  —  The justices skip discussion of scope of legal immunity under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.  —  WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Thursday sidestepped a ruling …

North Dakota Republican Gov. Doug Burgum likely to run for president  —  As potential Republican contenders Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott move closer to announcing their entries into the GOP presidential fray …

Trump's Dominance in the GOP Isn't What It Seems  —  He's presiding over a movement, not a party.  —  When Donald Trump won the presidential nomination in 2016, it was widely regarded as a “hostile takeover” of the Republican Party.  Prominent Republicans ripped his lack of conservative values …

Spanberger, Fitzpatrick Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Block Congressional Pay During Defaults or Shutdowns  —  The “No Pay for Congress During Default or Shutdown Act” Would Withhold the Paychecks of Members of Congress During Any Default or Federal Government Shutdown

Axios-Ipsos poll: Gun violence soars as public health concern  —  Gun violence has surged ahead of the opioid crisis as Americans' top public health concern, according to the latest edition of the Axios-Ipsos American Health Index. … - 25% said the biggest threat is opioids and fentanyl, virtually unchanged since the last poll.

Democrats race to avoid a Biden embarrassment in New Hampshire  —  Democrats are searching for ways to get the president on the New Hampshire ballot after he pushed for changes to the nominating calendar.  —  NASHUA, N.H. — Top Democrats are scrambling for ways to avoid a catastrophe …

Liberal Celebrity Chef Exempt From Gas Stove Ban, California City Says  —  A California city will make an exception to its natural gas ban for world-famous chef José Andrés, after the landlords for the chef's planned restaurant warned Andrés may pull out over the regulation.

New federal lawsuit says Florida book bans are unconstitutional  —  Since December, Popular Information has detailed the extraordinary number of book bans being pursued in Escambia County, Florida.  Much of this activity is being driven by one woman, high school English teacher Vicki Baggett.

The Newest College Admissions Ploy: Paying to Make Your Teen a “Peer-Reviewed” Author  —  Co-published with The Chronicle of Higher Education … On a family trip to the Jersey Shore in the summer of 2021, Sophia's go-to meal was the Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich.

Unions Accuse UPMC of Wielding Market Power Against Workers  —  A coalition of unions has filed an antitrust complaint with the Justice Department, accusing the Pennsylvania hospital system of suppressing wages and worsening working conditions.  —  A coalition of labor groups on Thursday filed …

GOP Rep. Nancy Mace Warns Republicans Will ‘Suffer’ For Strict Abortion Laws  —  The GOP South Carolina lawmaker told CNN's Jake Tapper there would be election consequences for Republicans if they promote restrictive abortion bills.  —  Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) said Wednesday the Republican Party …

They Watched Jordan Neely Die.  Did They Have a Duty to Intervene?  —  New York does not require bystanders to act when someone is in danger, but the killing on the F train has residents debating when they should step in.  —  As Jordan Neely struggled to free himself from a chokehold …

Taking down loathsome lefty pol Dan Goldman  —  In all the craziness of politics these days, it's worth freezing the action and focusing on a wonderful moment in the House the other day.  —  A moment of truth and clarity and a delicious takedown of one of the most loathsome Democratic politicians ever to darken its doors.

School librarians face a new penalty in the banned-book wars: Prison  —  Several states have passed laws that could sentence people for years if they provide ‘obscene’ books to minors  —  Librarians could face years of imprisonment and tens of thousands in fines for providing sexually explicit …

Why the Supreme Court Is Blind to Its Own Corruption  —  The scandal surrounding Justice Clarence Thomas has further eroded the already record-low public confidence in the Supreme Court.  If Chief Justice John Roberts wonders how such a thing could have happened, he might start looking …

Ginni Thomas Has Donated More Than $20,000 To Republicans  —  Conservative activist Virginia Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, has contributed at least $20,000 to Republican political committees, according to state and federal records.

Ron DeSantis Signs Law Allowing Trans Kids to Be Taken From Their Families  —  Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a horrifying bill Wednesday that will let the state take transgender minors away from their families if they are receiving gender-affirming care.

Queen Elizabeth II's funeral cost UK government $200 million  —  Queen Elizabeth II's funeral and lying-in-state last year cost Britain's government an estimated 162 million pounds (around $200 million), the treasury said Thursday.  The state funeral for the late monarch, held on Sept. 19 …

Heat Will Likely Soar to Record Levels in Next 5 Years, New Analysis Says  —  Global temperatures are likely to soar to record highs over the next five years, driven by human-caused warming and a climate pattern known as El Niño, forecasters at the World Meteorological Organization said on Wednesday.

A Little Optimism in the Middle of a Lot of Mess  —  A First Amendment lawsuit got filed in Florida today.  It's not a First Amendment lawsuit over the new Florida law we discussed earlier this week—the one where Governor Ron DeSantis stripped academic freedom out of the classroom …