Israel Knew Hamas's Attack Plan More Than a Year Ago  —  A blueprint reviewed by The Times laid out the attack in detail.  Israeli officials dismissed it as aspirational and ignored specific warnings.  —  Israeli officials obtained Hamas's battle plan for the Oct. 7 terrorist attack …

Behind the Curtain — Scoop: The Trump job applications revealed  —  We told you in a “Behind the Curtain” column last month that Trump allies are pre-screening the ideologies of thousands of potential appointees and employees in case he wins back the White House.

Florida GOP Chair Christian Ziegler, husband of Moms For Liberty cofounder, accused of sexual assault by alleged menage a trois lover  —  Christian Ziegler, Florida's GOP chairman and husband of Sarasota County School Board member and Moms of Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler …

Former U.S. Marine Pleads Guilty to Firebombing a Planned Parenthood Clinic in Orange County and Admits to Planning Additional Attacks  —  For Immediate Release  —  U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California  —  SANTA ANA, California - An Orange County man pleaded guilty today …

Rand Paul performs Heimlich on fellow GOP senator  —  Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa thanked Sen. Rand Paul in a post on X after the incident.  —  WASHINGTON — Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., performed the Heimlich maneuver on Sen. Joni Ernst during a Republican conference lunch at the Capitol on Thursday, according to a tweet by the Iowa senator.

Playbook: Steve Scalise unpacks the House GOP  —  With help from Eli Okun, Garrett Ross and Bethany Irvine  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  BREAKING OVERNIGHT — “War resumes in Gaza after truce collapses,” by Reuters' Nidal Al-Mughrabi and Suhaib Salem: “Israeli warplanes resumed pounding Gaza …

MSNBC cancels Mehdi Hasan's show  —  The News  —  MSNBC is canceling outspoken opinion host Mehdi Hasan's weekend program and show on the streaming service Peacock.  —  Two people familiar with the move, which MSNBC privately announced to staff Thursday morning, told Semafor that Hasan …

Welcome to Our New ‘Bespoke Realities’  —  I've known conspiracy theorists my entire life.  In fact, there's probably a little bit of conspiracy theorist in each of us, myself included.  (Don't get me started on Game 6 of the 2002 N.B.A. Western Conference Finals.)

Speaker Johnson wrote foreword for book filled with conspiracy theories and homophobic insults  —  Speaker of the House Mike Johnson wrote the foreword and publicly promoted a 2022 book that spread baseless and discredited conspiracy theories and used derogatory homophobic insults.

Steve Scalise reveals what's really happened since McCarthy's fall  —  The House Majority Leader illuminates what happened behind closed doors after Kevin McCarthy's ousting as well as what to expect next on impeachment; why he will vote against expelling George Santos; and how Speaker Mike Johnson …

Why Biden and Harris Merchandise Doesn't Sell  —  Liberals aren't buying political merchandise this season.  —  POLITICO illustration/Photos by Getty Images, AP, iStock  —  You know things are starting to look iffy when you get to the Janet Yellen novelty merch.  —  That's no slight on Yellen.

Biden lights the National Christmas Tree, taking his turn to bring holiday spirit to Washington  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — It was President Joe Biden 's turn to bring some holiday spirit to the U.S. capital.  —  The president and his wife, Jill, participated Thursday in the annual tradition …

Santos Relishes the Limelight Even as His Show Looks Likely to Close  —  Before the debate about his possible expulsion from Congress, George Santos seemed to embrace his starring role in a scandal of his own making.  —  It was likely to be his second-to-last day serving in Congress …

Three US cities make list of most expensive in world  —  Story at a glance  — New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco are three of the most expensive cities on the planet to live in, according to a new report.  — New York tied with Geneva as the third most expensive city on earth …

The Bogus Historians Who Teach Evangelicals They Live in a Theocracy  —  A new book on the Christian right reveals how a series of unscrupulous leaders turned politics into a powerful and lucrative gospel.  —  POLITICO illustration/Photos by AP, Gage Skidmore, iStock

Dave Chappelle makes surprise visit to the Capitol ahead of evening show at The Anthem  —  Comedian Dave Chappelle made a surprise visit to the Capitol late Thursday afternoon, gathering with friends ahead of his Washington show in the evening.  —  While in the Capitol, the comedy legend took photos with staffers and lawmakers alike.

Statement from President Biden on the Passing of Henry Kissinger  —  I'll never forget the first time I met Dr. Kissinger.  I was a young Senator, and he was Secretary of State—giving a briefing on the state of the world.  Throughout our careers, we often disagreed.  And often strongly.

Former N.J. Trump golf club worker says she was sexually harassed, tricked into signing NDA  —  The allegations date back to 2021.  —  A former server at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster alleges she was sexually harassed and coerced into sex by a supervisor, then tricked into signing …

Montana Judge Says TikTok Ban Likely Violates First Amendment  —  Social-media app sued after state passed law banning TikTok to protect residents' privacy  —  TikTok won a reprieve in Montana after a judge ruled a state law banning the app can't go into effect in January, saying it “likely violates the First Amendment.”

Florida Democrats plan to cancel presidential primary, enraging Dean Phillips' campaign  —  The representative says the state party has deliberately moved to keep him off the ballot.  Florida Dems say he is acting “unbecoming.”  —  Florida appears poised to hold no presidential primary election …