Elon Musk's Critics Stripped of Verification Badge After Publicly Challenging Billionaire: ‘The Beginning Stages of Censorship’  —  Several conservative critics of billionaire Trump surrogate Elon Musk were stripped of their verification badges on X, Thursday after publicly challenging Musk's stance on immigration.

South Korean Lawmakers Vote to Impeach Acting President as Crisis Deepens  —  The vote was the second major impeachment in two weeks after President Yoon's ill-fated martial law bid set off turmoil.  The country's currency has plunged.  —  South Korea's leadership crisis deepened on Friday …

A Razor-Thin House Majority Creates Headaches for Republicans  —  Small margin threatens Mike Johnson's future as speaker and the House's ability to advance Trump's agenda  —  WASHINGTON—They won, but barely.  —  Republicans held on to control of the House of Representatives in November …

Brian Schatz to Democrats: Talk Like Normal People  —  As the Hawaii senator charts his path up the Senate hierarchy, he reflects on his party's major challenges.  —  Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) can seem mellow.  Having grown up in Hawaii, he exudes not only the Aloha spirit but what could be called shaka vibes.

Congress has the power to block Trump from taking office, but lawmakers must act now  —  The Constitution provides that an oath-breaking insurrectionist is ineligible to be president.  This is the plain wording of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution.

The press is ignoring the real Liz Cheney scandal  —  🎊☃️🎁🥂🎄 SUPPORT INDEPENDENT MEDIA THIS HOLIDAY SEASON 🎄🥂🎁☃️🎊 … 🎉🎉 Subscribe to Public Notice 🎉🎉

The Bald Eagle Is (Finally) the National Bird of the United States  —  The bird of brown and white feathers has long represented the United States as a majestic and soaring symbol, but only this week did a law make it official.  —  The bald eagle received a title this week that many may have assumed …

Congress stripped IRS of another $20 billion in government shutdown fight  —  Republican lawmakers have now clawed back half the investment the Biden administration made in the tax agency.  —  Congress revoked an additional $20 billion from the Internal Revenue Service last week …

Former FBI and CIA head prods Senate to reject Patel, Gabbard  —  A former head of the FBI and CIA is raising objections over whether Kash Patel and Tulsi Gabbard, President-elect Donald Trump's picks to be directors of the FBI and national intelligence, respectively, are qualified to serve in the Cabinet.

Sean Hannity and Ainsley Earhardt engaged  —  Fox News Channel hosts Sean Hannity and Ainsley Earhardt have officially taken their relationship to the next level.  —  Hannity proposed to Earhardt over Christmas at their home church, solidifying their long-term commitment to each other.

Republicans Have Crashed a National Economy Before To Enable Power Grabs and Privatizations  —  Lessons from Chile during the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet  —  Welcome back to Lucid, and hello to all new subscribers.  Our next Q&A will take place on Friday, Dec. 27, 1-2pmET.

As North Carolina's Governor Departs, He Stays Cagey on 2026 and 2028  —  In an interview, Roy Cooper spoke about his legacy, how to appeal to Republicans and Democratic speculation that he might run for Senate or for president.  —  Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina is set to leave office …

In reporting on hate and extremism, ‘while the attacks are personal, so is the cause’  —  “Journalists like myself have a choice: surrender to the fascist mob that wants to intimidate the truth-tellers - or rededicate ourselves to doing what's right no matter the cost.”

Head of WHO was in Yemen airport during Israeli air strikes, with crew member injured  —  Summary  — Israel has launched air strikes in Yemen, targeting several sites controlled by the Houthis  — At least three people have been killed and 14 injured.  It is unclear if they were civilians

Last survivor of USS Utah, sunk during Pearl Harbor attack, dies at age 105  —  Warren “Red” Upton, the last surviving veteran of the battleship USS Utah, which sank in Pearl Harbor during the 1941 Japanese surprise attack and remains there as a memorial, died Wednesday in San Jose, Calif. He was 105.

Behind Closed Doors: The Spy-World Scientists Who Argued Covid Was a Lab Leak  —  The idea that the pandemic's origins lie with a research facility in China was once labeled a conspiracy theory