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.

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.

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 …

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 …

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.

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.

McCarthy's exit and the ripple effects back home  —  Some of California's Republican incumbents could be in serious trouble.  —  Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy's announcement that he would resign from Congress at the end of the year throws his own political future — and the fates …

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 …

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 …

New York Democrats pick Tom Suozzi as their candidate for George Santos' seat  —  Suozzi left Congress last year to run for governor, losing to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul in the primary.  —  New York Democrats have selected former Rep. Tom Suozzi to be their party's nominee …

Fetterman defends ‘reasonable’ border talks as fellow Dems fume  —  The Pennsylvania progressive's comments follow his staunch support for Israel's war in Gaza, which has also befuddled some of his typical allies on the left.

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.

Penn loses $100 million donation over antisemitism hearing  —  A wealthy donor to the University of Pennsylvania is withdrawing a gift worth around $100 million in protest of the school's response to antisemitism on campus.  —  The big picture: The final straw for Ross Stevens …

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.

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.

Manning Won't File for Re-Election Under Egregiously Gerrymandered Maps  —  Greensboro, N.C. - Congresswoman Kathy Manning (NC-06) announced today that she will not file for re-election under the egregiously gerrymandered congressional districts, which the Republican-led North Carolina General Assembly passed …

Hundreds of Jewish organization staffers call for White House to back Gaza cease-fire  —  More than 500 employees of dozens of synagogues and Jewish groups signed a letter calling for a cease-fire.  Most signed anonymously for fear of their jobs.  —  While most major American Jewish …

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 …

House censures Bowman for falsely pulling fire alarm  —  House Republicans censured Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) on Thursday after he falsely pulled a fire alarm in a House office building in September, hitting the New York Democrat with a congressional reprimand that liberals derided as “extreme” and “profoundly stupid.”

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 …