Behind the Curtain: Trump's exponential power surge  —  Something shocking — and telling — has unfolded beyond Donald Trump's onstage, online and courtroom theatrics: He's running a professional, well-managed, disciplined presidential campaign.  — His 2024 operation is more sophisticated …

‘A Warning Shot’: Maggie Haberman Explains Why Trump Attacked Kayleigh McEnany  —  The New York Times reporter shared her analysis after Trump lashed out at his former press secretary over her comments on Fox News.  —  LOADING  —  New York Times journalist Maggie Haberman said Donald Trump's outburst …

Who are No Labels' donors?  Democratic groups file complaints in an attempt to find out  —  For months, the centrist group No Labels has stockpiled cash and diligently worked to secure ballot access for a potential third-party presidential bid, striking fear among allies of President Joe Biden …

Housing is now unaffordable for a record half of all U.S. renters, study finds  —  Over the past two years, Genuine Campbell was shocked at how rent for her two-bedroom apartment in Philadelphia just kept going up — from $1,300 a month to $1,600.  She's a single mom of four …

Outrage as New Restaurant Opens Called ‘October 7’  —  “We expect the Jordanian government to condemn this publicly and unequivocally,” wrote Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid.  —  A new restaurant apparently named after the brutal massacre of Israelis by Hamas militants on Oct. 7 has opened in Jordan, sparking outrage in Israel.

64K women and girls became pregnant due to rape in states with abortion bans, study estimates  —  The research letter, published by JAMA Internal Medicine, estimated that nearly 520,000 rapes were associated with 64,565 pregnancies across 14 states.  —  More than 64,000 women and girls became pregnant …

Penn Jillette Wants to Talk It All Out  —  Penn Jillette has a large, framed French-language poster of Renaldo and Clara behind him.  Most people wouldn't know what that is, but as a Bob Dylan fan, I do — it's his largely forgotten, widely panned 1978 film that he wrote, directed and starred in.

U.S. economy booms with 3.3% growth in final quarter of 2023 … - The economy moderated in the September-December period compared to the previous quarter's 4.9% growth, which got a notable boost from companies building up inventories. … - That dynamic continued in the fourth quarter …

An Iowa bill would make students sing the national anthem every day.  One lawmaker sang it  —  When it came time for her closing comments at Wednesday's Iowa House subcommittee meeting, Rep. Sue Cahill stood — and began singing the national anthem.  —  “O say can you see, by the dawn's early light …

The Looming Contest Between Two Presidents and Two Americas  —  The general election matchup that seems likely between President Biden and former President Donald J. Trump is about fundamentally disparate visions of the nation.  —  Each of them has sat behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office …

Democrats Are Having a Blast Making a Circus of the GOP's Hunter Biden Probe  —  “We're calling out their bullshit like every single time, and I think they're surprised by it,” one Democrat on the Oversight Committee said. … When Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) arrived at the Hunter Biden contempt hearing …

SCOTUS is poised to take a sledgehammer to federal agencies  —  Why overturning the Chevron precedent would be very big (and bad) deal.  —  ∙ Paid … Since conservatives fully captured the US Supreme Court during the Trump administration, right-wingers have been racking up wins.

Sen. Barrasso's wife dies after 2-year battle with brain cancer  —  Sen. Barrasso announces wife's death  —  Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wy., announced on Thursday that his wife, Bobbi, died after a two-year battle with glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer.  —  “After a courageous battle with cancer …

How life is going for this former McCarthy deputy: Not great  —  Republicans in the Bayou State are privately speculating if Garret Graves made too many enemies, both in Washington and back home.  —  Louisiana is enjoying outsized control over House GOP leadership these days …

Oklahoma enlists notorious right-wing zealot to guide school library policy  —  Ellen Ochoa Elementary School, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was among the dozens of schools that received bomb threats last year after being targeted by the far-right Libs of TikTok account.

Inside the Shady Finances Behind Mike Johnson's Longtime Pastor  —  Speaker Mike Johnson's “dear friend” and longtime pastor has quite the story about his flock turning on him. … House Speaker Mike Johnson has centered his professional, political, and personal life squarely on his Christian faith.

The RNC Shuttered Most of the Hispanic Community Centers It Touted as Critical to Winning Over Latino Voters  —  JWPlayer  —  During the 2022 cycle, the Republican Party made a commitment to Latino voters that hadn't been seen before, touting nearly two dozen RNC Hispanic Community Centers …

Clerks for hire: The Supreme Court recruiting race  —  Supreme Court clerks are offered bonuses of up to $500,000 to join law firms  —  Last spring, as the Supreme Court wrapped up oral arguments for what was shaping up to be a blockbuster term, the law firm Jones Day invited a group …

Trump's super PAC raised $46 million in 6 months  —  But they have only half of that still in the bank  —  A pro-Donald Trump super PAC raised over $46 million in the second half of 2023 and ended the year with just over $23 million in cash on hand, as it gears up for the general election.