Jack Smith files to drop Jan. 6 charges against Donald Trump  —  President-elect Donald Trump faced four felony charges in connection with his efforts to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss, which culminated in the U.S. Capitol attack.  —  WASHINGTON — Special counsel Jack Smith …

Harris is telling her advisers and allies to keep her political options open  —  She could run again for president — or California governor.  —  Kamala Harris has been lying low since her defeat in the presidential race, unwinding with family and senior aides in Hawaii before heading back to the nation's capital.

Trump hoodwinked voters about his worst policy commitments  —  🦃 Public Notice is possible thanks to paid subscribers.  If you aren't one, please click the button below to sign up and support our independent journalism.  🦃  —  🍽️ Subscribe to Public Notice 🍽️

A Third Woman Died Under Texas' Abortion Ban.  Doctors Are Avoiding D&Cs and Reaching for Riskier Miscarriage Treatments.  —  ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power.  Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they're published.

I Just Listened to Steve Bannon's Show for a Week.  What's Coming Is Clear.  —  Steve Bannon got out of prison exactly a week before Election Day.  He was released before dawn and immediately headed to a remote studio to tape War Room, his podcast and streaming show, so as to waste …

Joe Biden's Final Decision Will Be His Toughest — And Most Personal  —  The case for presidential mercy.  —  Thanks to President Joe Biden's Justice Department, Donald Trump is headed to the White House, and his son Hunter might be headed to prison.  And believe it or not, the drama will intensify shortly.

At the crossroads of news and opinion, ‘Morning Joe’ hosts grapple with aftermath of Trump meeting  —  One of the striking things about how furiously many people reacted to the news last week that MSNBC “Morning Joe” hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski met with President-Elect Donald Trump was how quaint their defenders sounded.

U.S. believes Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire deal reached: senior official … - The Israeli Security Cabinet is expected approve the deal on Tuesday, the U.S. official said. … - “We think we have a deal. … - Four U.S. and Israeli officials told Axios on Sunday that the deal was nearly final.

The man who helped roll back abortion rights now wants to ‘crush liberal dominance’  —  Leonard Leo may not be a household name, but odds are most people in the country know his signature achievement:  —  Leo was a key architect of the conservative supermajority on the Supreme Court that rolled back the federal right to an abortion.

Trump reportedly plans to kick trans troops out of the military within days of inauguration  —  Trump's actions could eject thousands of current trans service members  —  Your support helps us to tell the story  —  From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing.

US farm groups want Trump to spare their workers from deportation  —  U.S. farm industry groups want President-elect Donald Trump to spare their sector from his promise of mass deportations, which could upend a food supply chain heavily dependent on immigrants in the United States illegally.

Trump Pentagon pick attacks UN and Nato and urges US to ignore Geneva conventions  —  Revealed: Pete Hegseth writes scathingly of key institutions and says ‘If you love America, you should love Israel’  —  Pete Hegseth, Trump's nominee for secretary of defense, has attacked several key US alliances …

Scoop: Trump likely to tap loyalist Kash Patel for top FBI or DOJ post … Trump still could change his mind, including by elevating Patel all the way to FBI director — a move that would send Gaetz-like shockwaves throughout Washington.  — “Kash has a lot of allies who think placing …

Illegal border crossings on track to reach new Biden-era low  —  Unlawful crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border are on track to drop to a new low for the Biden administration in November, according to internal Customs and Border Protection figures obtained by CBS News.

Pete Hegseth Is the Perfect Trumpworld Monster  —  With Matt Gaetz forced to pull his own nomination for attorney general, savvy Washington observers call it a win for norms.  “I think it shows that Donald Trump cannot get anything he wants,” said a law professor in Politico the morning after.

Could Trump sideline government watchdogs?  Some are already quitting.  —  The president-elect's allies have called for a wholesale replacement of the more than 70 inspectors general across the federal government.  —  Two in-house investigators at U.S. intelligence agencies recently quit their jobs.

Behind the Curtain: Trump's bad-boys fixation … - Loyalty litmus test: Trump puts a high premium on intense loyalty under fire. … - The nature of man: Trump has a very 1950s view of powerful men. … - Rationalization: Trump's own criminal and civil legal fights have made him more tolerant of others who are accused.

Why Wall Street likes Trump's pick for Treasury  —  Hedge fund executive Bessent will be Trump's primary conduit to Wall Street investors who are skeptical of the president-elect's punishing trade agenda.  —  If you felt a gust of wind from out of the Northeast, it was the collective sigh …

How Universities Cracked Down on Pro-Palestinian Activism  —  Stricter rules and punishments over campus protests seem to be working.  Universities have seen just under 950 protest events this semester, compared to 3,000 in the spring.  —  Colleges and universities have tightened rules around protests …