Behind the Curtain — Exclusive: How Trump would build his loyalty-first Cabinet  —  Former President Trump, if elected, would build a Cabinet and White House staff based mainly on two imperatives: pre-vetted loyalty to him and a commitment to stretch legal and governance boundaries …

What Jack Smith Says  —  The Special Counsel files his 404(b) notice  —  Jack Smith has filed his 404(b) notice, advising the Court and Trump of other crimes and bad acts committed by Trump that he intends to offer as evidence when the D.C. election interference case goes to trial.

House GOP releases Biden impeachment inquiry resolution ahead of planned vote  —  The House GOP released a resolution Thursday to formalize its months-long impeachment inquiry into President Biden, with a full House vote planned for next week.  —  The resolution authorizing the inquiry …

Kevin McCarthy uses PAC to lavish cash on high-end resorts, private jets and fine dining  —  Rambling above the rust-colored cliffs of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, the Terranea Resort is known for its ocean views, world-ranked spa and villas that can command $3,000 a night or more.

Washington Post staffers launch 24-hour walkout  —  Reporters, producers, editors and business-side staffers are walking off the job as contract negotiations stall and layoffs loom.  —  More than 700 unionized staffers at The Washington Post launched a 24-hour walkout Thursday …

House Freedom Caucus Losing Faith in Speaker Johnson After His ‘Ass Whooping’  —  ‘Right now, it looks pretty bleak,’ Johnson critic Rep. Eric Burlison told The Messenger  —  Speaker Mike Johnson signing off on a defense bill that was scrubbed of hardliners' top ideological priorities …

The White House is threatening the patents of high-priced drugs developed with taxpayer dollars  —  The Biden administration is putting pharmaceutical companies on notice, warning them that if the price of certain drugs is too high, the government might cancel their patent protection and allow rivals to make their own versions.

Senator's Son Involved in Police Chase That Killed Deputy  —  The lawmaker said his child “suffers from serious mental disorders.”  —  A son of North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer was involved in a police chase on Wednesday evening that ended with a crash that killed a deputy, the lawmaker and authorities said.

WATCH: Hamas Terrorists Surrender en Masse, and the Photos and Videos Are Telling  —  Hamas terrorists have started to surrender en masse in the area of Khan Younis, one of the terrorist government's last strongholds.  The latest advance has the IDF operating in Southern Gaza …

Debate Performances Fuel Haley's Rise in GOP Nomination Race  —  New WSJ poll shows the former U.N. ambassador, the focus of attention on Wednesday night's stage, has edged into second place behind Trump  —  Deft yet serious, quick-witted yet substantive, Nikki Haley's debate performances …

CNN to host two GOP presidential primary debates in 2024  —  CNN will host two Republican presidential primary debates next month in Iowa and New Hampshire - states that hold the first contests in the race for the 2024 GOP nomination, the network announced Thursday.

McCarthy's Exit May Create Even More Headaches for the Tiny G.O.P. Majority  —  The former speaker's decision to leave his seat a year early could affect control of the House, the legislative agenda and his party's efforts to keep its majority in the 2024 election.

Killing of Reuters Journalist Was ‘Apparently Deliberate’ Israeli Strike, Group Says  —  Human Rights Watch found that the slain journalist and six colleagues were not near active fighting in southern Lebanon and would have been clearly visible to Israeli forces.

Georgia just obliterated Lucy McBath's district.  She says she's not going anywhere.  —  Democratic-backed groups have vowed to challenge the new map in court again.  —  Georgia Republicans just shredded Democratic Rep. Lucy McBath's suburban Atlanta district — but she says she will fight to remain in Congress.

California's Fiscal Outlook  — California Entered a Downturn Last Year  — Appendix 1: Outlook for School and Community College Funding  —  Executive Summary  —  California Faces a $68 Billion Deficit.  Largely as a result of a severe revenue decline in 2022‑23, the state faces a serious budget deficit.

Jewish woman kicked out of cafe after complaining about antisemitic graffiti scrawled all over bathroom, getting berated by workers  —  California coffee shop workers were filmed denying a Jewish customer access to the restroom after she complained it was filled with antisemitic graffiti …

What Is Happening at the Columbia School of Social Work?  —  During orientation at the Columbia School of Social Work at Columbia University, the country's oldest graduate program for aspiring social workers, students are given a glossary with “100+ common terms you may see or hear used in class …

Texas judge grants pregnant woman's request to get an abortion  —  A Dallas-area mother found out that her fetus has trisomy 18, a genetic condition that can cause stillbirth or death of a newborn.  The court order allows her to end the pregnancy.  —  A Texas judge on Thursday granted …