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.

Trump and his sons will plead the Fifth in civil fraud trial: Watergate prosecutor  —  Former President Donald Trump and his adult sons will be facing trial for civil fraud in a matter of days — and the clear facts of the case have already been decided, with Judge Arthur Engoron finding …

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” …

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.

Why a shutdown is looking inevitable  —  Presented by With assists from POLITICO's Congress team  —  TICK TOCK: The government will shut down in three days if Congress can't pass a funding patch.  —  FURLOUGH, SWEET CHARIOT  —  If you're a federal worker who doesn't know what the future holds …

‘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.

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.

Ojai, CA Becomes First U.S. City To Recognize Legal Rights Of Elephants  —  Ordinance gives elephants the right to liberty in Ojai  —  The Ojai City Council voted 4-1 on Wednesday to recognize the legal rights of elephants, becoming the first city in the United States to give legal rights to a non-human animal.