Haley blames a ‘Democratic plant’ for Civil War question that tripped her up  —  The former South Carolina governor also said that the war was, indeed, about slavery.  —  Hours after declining to do so, Nikki Haley said on Thursday morning that she believed slavery was, indeed, the cause of the Civil War.

Exclusive: Recordings, emails show how Trump team flew fake elector ballots to DC in final push to overturn 2020 election  —  Two days before the January 6 insurrection, the Trump campaign's plan to use fake electors to block President-elect Joe Biden from taking office faced a potentially crippling hiccup …

Bucks County mom behind conservative school movement charged with assault, giving teens alcohol  —  Chris Ullery Bethany RodgersUSA TODAY NETWORK  —  A former Pennsylvania lieutenant governor candidate and outspoken voice in the conservative “parental rights” school movement has been charged …

BREAKING: Federal judge upholds Georgia's Republican redistricting plan  —  Democrats unlikely to gain a U.S. House seat under new maps  —  A federal judge upheld Georgia's new political districts that preserve Republican power, ruling Thursday that state legislators “fully complied” …

Ex-GOP student leader's links to Jan. 6 Capitol riot and a neo-Nazi web site  —  The young man is seen running with the crowd of Trump supporters toward the U.S. Capitol early in the afternoon of Jan. 6, 2021.  He wears a thigh-length dark blue coat, his face almost fully covered with a mask.

Seattle Supporters Watch Black Lives Matter Garden Leveled After It Was Overrun by Drug Users, Homeless  —  The garden was established by community organizers and demonstrators during the summer of 2020, to memorialize those individuals of color who have been killed with police bullets

Supreme Court Urged to Move Fast on Trump's Ballot Eligibility  —  The Colorado Republican Party asked the justices to decide its appeal by Super Tuesday.  The voters who won in the Colorado Supreme Court want to move even faster.  —  The Supreme Court was asked on Thursday to fast-track …

‘Screams Without Words’: How Hamas Weaponized Sexual Violence on Oct. 7  —  A Times investigation uncovered new details showing a pattern of rape, mutilation and extreme brutality against women in the attacks on Israel.  —  At first, she was known simply as “the woman in the black dress.”

The conservative pin-up calendar is harmless kitsch, not pornography  —  In the dumbest possible online nontroversy that has been branded #Calendargate, a handful of conservatives — and disproportionately, conservative women — are apoplectic over a calendar featuring photo shoots of various right-wing bloggers and “influencers.”

Adam Frisch on Boebert switching districts: Proves she ‘is only in politics for herself’  —  Democratic congressional candidate Adam Frisch called out Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert (R) on Thursday over her decision to change districts for the 2024 cycle, avoiding a second face-off with the former Aspen city councilor.

Sen. Rick Scott says home was ‘swatted’ while he was at dinner with his wife  —  Within 15 minutes of receiving the call, police determined that there was no shooting at Scott's home in Naples, Fla.  —  Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said his home in Naples, Florida, was “swatted” on Wednesday night.

India targets Apple over its phone hacking notifications  —  NEW DELHI — A day after Apple warned independent Indian journalists and opposition party politicians in October that government hackers may have tried to break into their iPhones, officials under Prime Minister Narendra Modi promptly took action — against Apple.

The New Republican Governors Chief Explains the Loss in Kentucky and How to Tackle Trump Tweets  —  As the new chair of the Republican Governors Association, Gov. Bill Lee has some advice for his party.  —  For many Republicans, trying to strike a balance between the party's often-warring factions has been a career-killer.

Biden Knew Carter Was in Trouble in 1979.  Now He's in the Same Boat.  —  Both presidents faced inflation and foreign-policy challenges as they sought a second term  —  WASHINGTON—When an unpopular Democratic incumbent president was struggling to build support for a second term …