Johnson weighs spending plan B as Elon Musk stokes opposition  —  Speaker Mike Johnson's leadership team is quietly discussing a plan B to fund the government amid conservative opposition and vocal criticism from incoming President Donald Trump's top ally Elon Musk.

In reversal, key House panel votes to release Matt Gaetz ethics report  —  The House Ethics Committee secretly voted earlier this month to release its report into the conduct of former Rep. Matt Gaetz before the end of this Congress, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the matter.

California Declares an Emergency Over Bird Flu in Cattle  —  Officials have discovered the virus in 645 dairy herds, more than in any other state so far.  —  In a stark acknowledgment of the increasing seriousness of bird flu's spread, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California declared on Wednesday …

Democrats' playbook to beat Republicans in 2 years: work with them now  —  “I think we are telling them that we're here to govern,” one Democrat said.  —  DCCC chair Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., speaks during the House Democrats' post-caucus meeting news conference in the Capitol, Sept. 18, 2024.

The Wrath of Trump: House Republicans Map a Case Against Liz Cheney  —  President-elect Donald J. Trump has never been shy about his desire to see his enemies punished.  But he often shows a measure of caution about taking credit for potential prosecutions himself.

Massie says he's opposing Johnson  —  Rep. Thomas Massie became the first House Republican to pledge not to back Mike Johnson in the upcoming speakership fight, saying Wednesday he will vote for someone else on Jan. 3.  The Kentucky conservative is known as a prominent Johnson critic …

Inside Disney's Decision to Settle a Trump Defamation Suit  —  Talks started and finished on the same day, after Disney decided that fighting the lawsuit could potentially hurt the company and protections for the press.  —  When Disney reached a settlement last week with President-elect Donald J. Trump …

Health Insurance is a Racket  —  What value do these companies add, really?  —  It's not news that many Americans dislike health insurance companies.  In fact, Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare who was murdered two weeks ago, reportedly warned his colleagues months ago that the industry had a public relations problem.

Dow plunges more than 1,100 points and marked its longest losing streak since 1974  —  New York CNN —  The Dow plunged Wednesday on a disappointing outlook from the Federal Reserve.  In the process, the blue-chip index extended its losing streak to 10 days — the longest such stretch since Gerald Ford was president.

LA Times owner asks editorial board to ‘take a break’ from writing about Trump - report  —  Billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong, who said paper is ‘echo chamber’, also blocked paper's board from endorsing Harris  —  Patrick Soon-Shiong, the owner of the Los Angeles Times, reportedly asked …

‘Vile and heinous’: Michigan man admits to planning mass shootings targeting gay people  — An Owosso man faces up to life in prison after pleading guilty to plotting mass shootings to kill gay people.  — Mack Davis' plans were uncovered during a search of his home after he shot at his neighbors' properties over the summer.

LA deputy mayor allegedly made bomb threat to City Hall  —  The FBI is investigating the Los Angeles deputy mayor of public safety after reports show he was allegedly tied to City Hall bomb threats made earlier this year.  —  Agents searched the home of Brian Williams on Tuesday for evidence of a connection.

Sexism Is a Risk Factor for Memory Decline Among Women  — Share on X (formerly Twitter)  — Share by email  —  Women born in the most sexist U.S. states experienced faster memory decline in later years compared to women born in the least sexist states, a new study by researchers …