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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

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.

Biden to announce $5 billion in new infrastructure projects  —  President Biden will announce $5 billion in funding for major transportation projects during a visit Thursday to Superior, Wisconsin — part of an effort to tout his administration's investments in long-overdue infrastructure projects.