Donald Trump's thrill ride is nearly over — but the media refuses to let go  —  What if we told America the truth about Donald Trump?  He's a fraud, a cheat and a rapist, facing 91 felony counts … I take no joy in saying this, but we in the press are moral cowards.

Hard-liners plot to replace McCarthy with a deputy as shutdown looms  —  A contingent of far-right House Republicans are plotting an attempt to remove Kevin McCarthy as House speaker as early as next week, a move that would throw the chamber into further disarray in the middle …

Second Republican primary debate had the lowest TV viewership since 2015  —  Wednesday's debate had the lowest TV viewership of any Republican presidential debate since 2015.  —  When it comes to debates, the question of ratings is usually little more than a curiosity.

Republican Group Running Anti-Trump Ads Finds Little Is Working  —  With over 40 ads and $6 million spent, a group tied to the Club for Growth is no closer to an answer, a memo to donors says.  Some ads even gave Donald Trump a boost.  —  A well-funded group of anti-Trump conservatives …

‘Botched this bad’: Insiders say GOPers furious at James Comer for his handling of impeachment inquiry  —  WASHINGTON — Republicans are growing more and more frustrated with the House Oversight Committee's impeachment hearing, with some beginning to admit it has been a failure.

House GOP passes Pentagon funding bill after failed tries  —  House Republicans late Thursday night approved legislation to fund the Department of Defense for fiscal year 2024, a success for GOP leaders after they decided to strip Ukraine funding from the legislation following two failed procedural votes.

The Market for Nazi Memorabilia Is Huge, Lucrative and Very Disturbing  —  At the Ohio Valley Military Society's annual Show of Shows, there is plenty for sale that isn't Nazi memorabilia.  All sorts of mementos from all sorts of wars: Civil War caps, antique pistols, Purple Hearts, samurai swords, World War I trench kits.

Trump suing ex-MI6 officer who alleged he was ‘compromised’ by Russian security service  —  Christopher Steele's dossier also alleged Putin ‘supported and directed’ plan to ‘cultivate’ Trump as a presidential candidate  —  Donald Trump is suing a former MI6 officer and the intelligence consultancy …

Dems pressure White House to change economic message  —  Democrats are loving the Biden economy.  They're less certain about his economic message.  —  President Joe Biden placed a big bet that he could sell an improving economy under the banner of “Bidenomics.”

Amid GOP confusion, U.S. braces for ‘first-ever shutdown about nothing’  —  What's the deal with this government shutdown?  In a standoff even Republicans are comparing to ‘Seinfeld,’ it's hard to tell.  —  In 1995 and 1996, the federal government shut down as House Republicans …

Paxton, Yelp sue each other over crisis pregnancy center descriptions  —  Yelp and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) are suing each other over how the company described pregnancy centers in the months after the Supreme Court decision Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.

Menendez plans Puerto Rico donor retreat amid Democratic fears over his reelection plans  —  He may be facing bribery charges and calls for his resignation from more than half of his Senate Democratic colleagues.  But donors can still hit the links and dine with Sen. Bob Menendez at a luxurious beachside hotel - for a price.

Tough issues to clear before EU membership talks with Ukraine, Hungary's Orban says  —  Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday that “very difficult questions” would need to be answered before the European Union could even start membership talks with Ukraine.

‘GOP hates Gen Z’: Teens arrested after storming McCarthy's office to protest shutdown  —  Dozens of teens stormed House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's office Thursday morning, urging him to come to an agreement with congressional Republicans to stave off a partial shutdown of the federal government.

Kari Lake and Pro-DeSantis ‘Reporter’ Get Into Screaming Match at GOP Debate  —  Before the candidates hit the debate stage Wednesday, there was another debate between Kari Lake and pro-Ron DeSantis reporter Chris Nelson.  —  When an ardently pro-Ron DeSantis “journalist” …

Remarks by President Biden Honoring the Legacy of Senator John McCain and the Work We Must Do Together to Strengthen Our Democracy  —  THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, thank you.  Please — please, sit down.  Thank you.  —  I'm going to put a little bit more meat on that bone — that last one.  (Laughter.)