Donald Trump urges federal appeals court to grant him immunity from criminal prosecution in election subversion case  —  Donald Trump urged a federal appeals court to throw out the federal election subversion criminal case in Washington, DC, again arguing in a filing late Saturday that he is protected under presidential immunity.

Oil tanker hit near Indian coast amid maritime hostilities against Israel by Houthis  —  The ship, identified as the Liberian-flagged Chem Pluto, sustains damage but none of its mostly-Indian crew are hurt; Jerusalem believes Iran behind drone strike on high seas

The Chicks co-founder dies at 65  —  A founding member of the country band The Chicks, formerly known as The Dixie Chicks, has died at the age of 65.  —  “We are shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Laura Lynch, a founding member of The Chicks,” a Saturday post by the band on Instagram read.

House GOP traps itself in impeachment box  —  Republicans are barreling toward an impeachment vote, still short of a majority.  But if they skip one altogether, it might look like failure to the base.  —  Now that House Republicans have formalized the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden …

Putin Quietly Signals He Is Open to a Cease-Fire in Ukraine  —  Despite its bravado in public, the Kremlin has indicated its interest in striking a deal to halt the war — so long as it could still declare victory.  —  Despite its bravado in public, the Kremlin has indicated its interest …

Martin O'Malley's confirmation as Social Security commissioner is a win for the American people  —  Last week, the Senate confirmed Martin O'Malley to be the next Commissioner of Social Security.  This is a major achievement: It marks the first time in over 25 years that the Senate has confirmed …

Biden Convinced Netanyahu to Halt a Pre-Emptive Strike Against Hezbollah  —  Urgent call illustrates Washington's attempts to prevent a widening war in the Middle East  —  WASHINGTON—President Biden urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt a pre-emptive strike against Hezbollah forces …

The Far-Right Pushes a New Conspiracy Theory to Discredit Jack Smith  —  A new conspiracy theory rising on the right is being deployed to help Donald Trump.  —  It claims that Jack Smith, the special counsel who is prosecuting Trump for his attempt to overturn the 2020 election …

Newsom pans efforts to block Trump from California ballot  —  A number of California politicians rushed to fast-track efforts to deem Trump ineligible for the presidency after the Colorado Supreme Court's ruling.  —  LOS ANGELES — Gov. Gavin Newsom has a message for California politicians eager …

Fact-Checking Trump's Recent Immigration Claims  —  As President Biden grapples with an unwieldy crisis at the southern border, his likely 2024 rival has leveled many criticisms — including some baseless and misleading claims.  —  Former President Donald J. Trump has drawn widespread censure …

The elephant in the Giuliani defamation courtroom  —  A jury has ordered Rudy Giuliani to pay $148 million — covering compensatory and punitive damages, and emotional suffering — for defaming Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, two poll workers in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2020.  He quickly filed for bankruptcy.

A flood of retirements is shaking up the 2024 battle for the House  —  So far, more Democrats in competitive races have announced their retirements than Republicans.  —  WASHINGTON — Members of Congress have headed home for the holidays — and some will come back having decided …