Arizona Man Cited in Conspiracy Theories Sues Fox News for Defamation  —  Ray Epps, a two-time Trump voter, says Tucker Carlson repeatedly and falsely named him as a covert government agent who incited the Jan. 6 attacks.  —  Ray Epps, the man at the center of a widespread conspiracy theory …

Republican Gains in 2022 Midterms Driven Mostly by Turnout Advantage  —  An examination of the 2022 elections, based on validated voters  —  An examination of the 2022 elections, based on validated voters  —  How we did this Terminology  —  In midterm elections that yielded mixed results …

DeSantis donors privately worry about campaign as Florida governor lags in 2024 polls  — Some of Ron DeSantis' fundraisers have recently heard concerns from donors about the trajectory of the the campaign.  — The governor continues to lag former President Donald Trump in GOP primary polls.

Suspect in Larry Nassar stabbing said ex-doctor made lewd remark watching Wimbledon, AP source says  —  A prisoner suspected of stabbing Larry Nassar at a federal penitentiary in Florida said the disgraced former sports doctor provoked the attack by making a lewd comment while they were watching …

Judge acquits Broadway actor on all counts in Capitol riot case  —  James Beeks says he is no longer a member of the Oath Keepers and was “duped” by the organization.  —  WASHINGTON — A federal judge acquitted an Oath Keepers member and former Broadway actor on all counts Wednesday …

SAG-AFTRA Television, Theatrical and Streaming Contracts Expire Without a Deal  —  Negotiating Committee Votes Unanimously to Recommend a Strike SAG-AFTRA National Board to Meet Thursday to Vote on a Strike  —  SAG-AFTRA's Television/Theatrical/Streaming contracts have expired without a successor agreement.

A Sea Otter Is Stealing Surfboards Near Santa Cruz, California  —  California wildlife officials are hoping to apprehend a 5-year-old sea otter, who has a knack for riding the waves after committing longboard larceny.  —  Annie Roth lives in Santa Cruz, Calif., where she knows enough to stay away from sea otters in the ocean.

G.O.P.'s Far Right Seeks to Use Defense Bill to Defund Ukraine War Effort  —  The group's proposals have no chance of passage, but they have further mired the military spending bill in a partisan fight and highlighted Republican divisions over the war.  —  Reporting from Washington

Chinese hackers breach government email accounts through Microsoft cloud  —  The State Department discovered the Microsoft vulnerability, which affected unclassified government systems, last month  —  Chinese cyberspies, exploiting a fundamental gap in Microsoft's cloud …

Christie defends Wray amid GOP grilling, calls House hearing ‘theater’  —  GOP presidential candidate Chris Christie defended FBI Director Christopher Wray as he testified before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.  —  “What you saw today, I think was an animated …

The White Media Has Missed a Key Part of the Affirmative Action Ruling The White Media Has Missed a Key Part of the Affirmative Action Ruling  —  The upshot isn't just that colleges must end affirmative action, it's that they'll have to cut Black enrollment to avoid lawsuits questioning their compliance with the decision.

Georgia sues True the Vote over refusal to show ‘2000 Mules’ evidence  —  X  —  Texas-based group objected to subpoena seeking proof of voting fraud  —  The Georgia State Election Board is suing True the Vote over the organization's failure to comply with subpoenas that would back up its allegation …

Judge rules Michigan law broadly bans ‘undue possession’ of voting machines  —  Lansing — Laying the groundwork for potential criminal charges in a high-profile case, Oakland County Circuit Judge Phyllis McMillen ruled Wednesday it is illegal for someone to take possession …

WATCH: Train Conductor Tears Passenger a New One for Spewing Racist Crap  —  “Look at me,” he told the woman on the Connecticut train line.  “You will never ride my train again.”  —  A commuter Karen was forced to humble up during a ride through Connecticut last week after a conductor threatened …

‘Insane,’ ‘ludicrous,’ ‘absurd’: FBI's Wray shows teeth to GOP critics  —  Early in a tense hearing Wednesday featuring FBI Director Christopher A. Wray, Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) tried to lighten the mood.  Amid growing attacks by Republicans on Wray, he noted that Wray had been nominated …

White House warns reporter Simon Ateba about his press-room outbursts  —  In a first for Biden's press office, the formal reprimand cites ‘continued interruptions’  —  Escalating its feud with an assertive reporter, the White House on Tuesday issued a formal warning to Simon Ateba …

A Small Number of Drugs Account for a Large Share of Medicare Part D Spending  —  The Inflation Reduction Act requires the federal government to negotiate the price of certain high-spending drugs covered by Medicare Part D, Medicare's outpatient prescription drug benefit program …

Driver kills pedestrian after fleeing Secret Service near National Mall in D.C., is still at large  —  The driver had been pulled over for expired registration, officials said.  —  One dead after hit-and-run near White House, suspect still at large  —  A driver who fled a traffic stop near …

Federal prosecutors interviewed Michigan secretary of state in special counsel's election interference probe  —  Federal prosecutors interviewed Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson for “several hours” in March as part of the ongoing criminal probe into efforts to overturn the 2020 election, Benson told CNN Wednesday.

S.F.'s Anchor Brewing is shutting down after 127 years  —  Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate  —  San Francisco institution Anchor Brewing Co., the godfather of steam beer, is shutting down after 127 years.  —  The brewery was “losing millions of dollars a year,” said Anchor spokesperson Sam Singer.

California Democrats vote against making child trafficking a “serious crime” UPDATED  —  Some people think I am exaggerating when I point out that Democrats are moving to normalize pedophilia.  —  “It can't be!”  “Nobody is that evil!”  —  Is it hyperbole?  No. Is it perhaps a misrepresentation or a misunderstanding on my part?

'It's not good': GOP angry over Biden team's handling of Iran envoy probe  —  Rob Malley has long been a controversial figure with many critics among Iran watchers.  —  Capitol Hill Republicans are growing increasingly frustrated with the Biden administration's unwillingness to share information …