Can the GOP ever come to grips with the lies of 2020?  —  Mike Johnson's election, and the process getting there, showed a party not willing to address the fundamental question facing it.  —  Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) was hours away from winning the speakership when a reporter asked …

Before Mike Johnson Was Speaker, He Was Blaming Abortion for School Shootings  —  What is it about Representative Mike Johnson that ended Republicans' spasms of disunity, electing him Speaker of the House on Wednesday?  The initial response was befuddlement, a collective who?

Family Reveals Suspected Gunman's Link to Maine Massacre Sites  —  “He just has to reach out and do the right thing,” Robert Card's sister-in-law told The Daily Beast. … The family of Robert Card—who is suspected of killing 18 people in double mass shootings in Maine on Wednesday night …

Senate Voted to Let Vets With Mental Issues Keep Guns Hours Before Maine Shooting  —  Five senators who caucus with Democrats joined Republicans in voting to adopt the amendment  —  ROBERT CARD, AN Army reservist with a history of mental health issues, is suspected of killing at least 18 people …

DeSantis says he's sending weapons to Israel in move that could bolster him in the GOP primary  —  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday he's arranged to send drones, weapons, and ammunition to Israel as it prepares for an incursion of Gaza in response to Hamas' attack.

The inmates elect their new asylum leader  —  Also: Bellingcat's Eliot Higgins on the golden age of Twitter disinformation.  —  ∙ Paid … The latter part of this newsletter features a Q&A with Bellingcat's Eliot Higgins.  But before we get to that, I want to share some quick thoughts on the new House speaker.

At least 16 dead, dozens wounded in Lewiston shootings; police give few details on overnight search for gunman  —  A commercial man lift falls off trailer and blocks Route 4 in Rangeley  —  Hundreds of new laws take effect in Maine Wednesday.  Here's what you need to know

U.S., Qatar to revisit Doha's ties to Hamas after Gaza hostage crisis  —  The agreement strives to balance the Biden administration's goal of rescuing as many captives as possible with its desire to isolate the militants after their rampage in Israel  —  The United States and Qatar have agreed …

Larry Elder drops out of 2024 GOP primary, backs Trump  —  Republican presidential candidate Larry Elder is suspending his 2024 campaign for the White House and has endorsed former President Trump for the party nominee.  —  “As I look at the path forward, and after careful consideration …

New York Republicans Offer Motion to Expel George Santos From Congress  —  His fellow New York Republicans in Congress have seen enough.  They want him gone.  —  New York Republicans have finally had enough of Rep. George Santos (R-NY).  —  A group of GOP lawmakers from the state started …

Charlottesville's Lee statue meets its end, in a 2,250-degree furnace  —  Melted down in secret, the divisive Confederate monument will be turned into a new piece of public art … SOMEWHERE IN THE U.S. SOUTH — It was a choice to melt down Robert E. Lee.  But it would have been a choice to keep him intact, too.

Numerous verified X accounts are claiming that the Maine mass shootings were a “false flag”  —  When X (formerly Twitter) owner Elon Musk changed his platform's verification system, he ushered in a new reality where fringe conspiracy theorists could easily promote false claims about breaking news.

Maine Democrat calls for assault weapons ban after past opposition  —  Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) said he would pursue an assault weapons ban after a mass shooting killed at least 18 people in his hometown of Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday.  —  The gunman, believed to be Army reservist Robert Card, is still on the run.

Judge throws out Georgia's redistricting, orders new political maps  —  Democrats could gain a seat in Congress  —  A federal judge ruled Thursday that Georgia's district lines must be redrawn to ensure adequate representation of Black voters in Congress and the General Assembly …