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.

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.

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.”

Christie says Trump will ‘burn America to the ground’  —  Chris Christie is stepping up his rhetoric attacking GOP presidential frontrunner and rival former President Trump, releasing a new ad declaring Trump will “burn America to the ground.”  —  Christie, the former New Jersey governor …

Colorado Republican Party Says It Asked Supreme Court to Keep Trump on Ballot  —  The party's petition urged the justices to review a ruling from the Colorado Supreme Court, which said the former president had engaged in insurrection and is ineligible to hold office.

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.

2024 may be the hottest year in recorded history  —  2024 may be even hotter than the “gobsmackingly” hot 2023, which featured extreme — and often deadly — weather and climate events around the globe. … But ‘the normal pattern’ may not exist anymore," said Andrew Dessler, a climate scientist at Texas A&M University.

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 …

Things Seem Really Bad Right Now.  But Let's Put 2023 Into Perspective  —  It feels like an eternity since the year started with a palpable sense of optimism... A reflection on where democracy stands at the end of 2023 - and what lies ahead  —  As 2023 comes to an end …

Independent lawyers begin prosecuting cases of sexual assault and other crimes in the US military  —  The U.S. military on Thursday opened a new chapter in how it investigates and prosecutes cases of sexual assault and other major crimes, putting independent lawyers in charge of those decisions …

America has a life expectancy crisis.  But it's not a political priority.  —  The commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration had an urgent message last winter for his colleagues, brandishing data that life expectancy in the United States had fallen again — the biggest two-year decline in a century.

House Ethics launches investigation into Florida Democrat  —  Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.) is under investigation over complaints that she may have violated campaign finance laws.  —  MIAMI — The House Ethics Committee announced Wednesday that it's investigating Florida Democrat …