House passes $78 billion tax bill in bipartisan vote  —  The House passed a $78 billion tax bill on Wednesday that boosts the child tax credit and reinstates business deductions that were rescinded during the Trump administration, sending the bipartisan, bicameral legislation to the Senate for consideration.

2024 Matchups: Biden Opens Up Lead Over Trump In Head-To-Head, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Haley Leads Biden 1 On 1, But Trails When Third Party Candidates Are Added  —  mail_outline  —  As signs point to the 2024 presidential election being a repeat of the 2020 race between …

Trump's big NY fraud verdict won't come until next week: source  — A verdict in Trump's NY fraud trial won't come until February, a source told Business Insider.  — Judge Arthur Engoron had said he'd try to get it done by the end of January.  That won't happen.

The Surprising Twist That Saved Fani ... for Now  —  As the late, great Wilford Brimley declared in Absence of Malice: “Wonderful thing, subpoenas.”  In a divorce action that had dragged out for over two years, Jocelyn Wade had sent a subpoena to Fani Willis to explain why Wade's estranged husband Nathan …

Judge dismisses Disney's lawsuit alleging retaliation by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis  — A judge dismissed a lawsuit Disney filed against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis that alleged he retaliated against the company for publicly criticizing a controversial parental rights law the governor backed.

California introduces first-in-nation slavery reparations package  —  The set of bills notably excludes direct cash payments.  —  SACRAMENTO, California — California state lawmakers introduced a slate of reparations bills on Wednesday, including a proposal to restore property taken by …

John Podesta to succeed John Kerry as top U.S. climate diplomat  —  The veteran Democratic political strategist will add the role to his duties at a crucial time for President Biden's climate agenda  —  President Biden will tap senior adviser John D. Podesta to replace outgoing U.S. special …

Mark Zuckerberg apologizes to parents at online child safety hearing  —  “I'm sorry for everything you've all gone through,” the Meta CEO said at a Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing called “Big Tech and the Online Child Sexual Exploitation Crisis.”  —  Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologized Wednesday …

House Republican reported for doing pull-ups at the top of Capitol dome  —  The Capitol Visitor's Center reported Rep. Rich McCormick to the sergeant at arms for “unsafe actions” while on a tour, according to an email reviewed by POLITICO.

Scoop: State Department reviewing options for possible recognition of Palestinian state  —  Secretary of State Tony Blinken asked the State Department to conduct a review and present policy options on possible U.S. and international recognition of a Palestinian state after the war in Gaza …

Nikki Haley says Texas can secede from US if it wants but 'isn't going to'  —  That view contradicts centuries of history and precedent.  —  Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley attends a Lady Hawkeyes Tailgate campaign event in Coralville, Iowa, December 30, 2023.

Study finds that once people use cargo bikes, they like their cars much less  —  Even some one-car households ditched vehicles in favor of cargo bike-sharing.  —  Cargo bikes started as something you'd see in images from Europe—bakfiets loaded up with groceries or sometimes kids.

US Navy destroyer shoots down a Houthi-claimed missile in the Red Sea  —  JERUSALEM (AP) — A U.S. Navy destroyer in the Red Sea shot down an anti-ship cruise missile launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels, the latest attack targeting American forces patrolling the key maritime route, officials said Wednesday.

Chinese hackers are determined to ‘wreak havoc’ on US critical infrastructure, FBI director warns  —  Chinese government hackers are busily targeting water treatment plants, the electrical grid, transportation systems and other critical infrastructure inside the United States …

Even Jefferson Davis recognized Section III ‘automatically disqualified him’: Dozens of historians urge Supreme Court to remove Trump from 2024 ballot  —  Even Jefferson Davis, leader of the Confederacy — and his lawyer — knew the insurrection clause in the U.S. Constitution not only disqualified …

Trump's mobilizing his “prayer warriors”: Religion scholar on what MAGA means by “spiritual warfare”  —  Professor André Gagné explains that MAGA's “adoption of aggressive spiritual warfare language” is a warning sign  —  Donald Trump may control the Republican Party — but his power is not 100 percent absolute.

Pennsylvania man arrested after allegedly decapitating his father and displaying his head on YouTube  —  In the video, which has since been removed, Justin Mohn says his father was a federal employee and refers to him as a traitor while voicing right-wing conspiracy theories.

FACT SHEET: One Year After Train Derailment, Biden-Harris Administration Continues to Support People in East Palestine, Ohio and Nearby Communities and Hold Norfolk Southern Accountable  —  President Biden to visit East Palestine, Ohio in February  —  One year ago, on February 3, 2023 …

Rep. Ilhan Omar and Members of Congress Call on Biden Administration to Address Human Rights Abuses in El Salvador  —  Washington, D.C. - Today, a group of Members of Congress led by Representative Ilhan Omar sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging the Biden Administration …

Judge rules California background check, anti-importation rules for ammo unconstitutional  —  A California law requiring people to submit to a background check every time they want to purchase ammunition is unconstitutional, a federal judge ruled in a decision made public Wednesday.

US veteran accused of tearing down Satanic Temple idol in Iowa Capitol charged with hate crime  —  A U.S. Navy veteran who is accused of tearing down a Satanic Temple statue within the Iowa state Capitol has been charged with a hate crime.  —  Michael Cassidy, a conservative Christian veteran …

A State Supreme Court Just Issued the Most Devastating Rebuke of Dobbs Yet  —  The Supreme Court's eradication of the constitutional right to abortion in 2022's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization had an immediate and devastating impact on gender equality in the United States.