Hostage families are celebrating the cease-fire deal — with a dose of trepidation.  —  The Israeli cabinet still has to ratify the deal, and some details remained unresolved.  President Biden said hostages were to be released over 42 days.  —  Here are the latest developments.

No, Merrick Garland Did Not Let Donald Trump Skate  —  Some time in the next five days, Merrick Garland will step down as the nation's eighty-sixth attorney general, bringing to a close one of the most distinguished careers in public service in the last century.

Zuckerberg Will Host a Party for Trump's Inauguration  —  Mark Zuckerberg, the Meta chief executive, is one of several tech leaders expected to play a high-profile role in celebrating the new administration next week.  —  Mark Zuckerberg, the Meta chief executive who has tried to keep …

Nonprofit Founded by Stacey Abrams Admits Secretly Aiding Her 2018 Campaign  —  The New Georgia Project, whose leaders also included Raphael Warnock, now a senator, admitted violating campaign finance laws.  It agreed to a $300,000 penalty.  —  A nonprofit founded by Stacey Abrams …

Trump encourages Vivek Ramaswamy to seek Ohio's open Senate seat  —  The co-leader of the “Department of Government Efficiency” may move to replace JD Vance, though other contenders remain.  —  President-elect Donald Trump has encouraged billionaire biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy …

Exclusive: Trump team asks three US senior career diplomats to resign, sources say  —  Aides to President-elect Donald Trump have asked three senior career diplomats who oversee the U.S. State Department's workforce and internal coordination to step down from their roles …

Johnson removes Mike Turner as House Intelligence chair  —  The Ohio Republican has been an outspoken advocate for Ukraine funding and other hawkish national security stances.  —  Speaker Mike Johnson has removed Rep. Mike Turner as chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence …

Trump's pick for energy secretary rejects linking climate change and wildfires  —  Chris Wright's arguments drew scrutiny from Senate Democrats during his confirmation hearing for the Energy Department post.  —  Oil executive Chris Wright, President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the Energy Department …

UnitedHealth, employer of slain exec Brian Thompson, found to have overcharged some cancer patients for drugs by over 1,000%  — OptumRx, the group's pharmacy benefit manager, along with its two main peers, Express Scripts and CVS Caremark Rx, have pocketed an extra $7.3 billion over cost thanks …

The Supreme Court seems eager to curb First Amendment protections for porn  —  On Wednesday, the Supreme Court heard the first major First Amendment case involving pornography — or, for that matter, sexual speech of any kind — in more than two decades.  It's also the first such case since …

The First Domino  —  Democratic women lead the fight, all Republicans fail us  —  In the weeks immediately after Pete Hegseth's nomination to be Secretary of Defense was announced, and in the wake of the revelations about an alleged sexual assault allegations, business improprieties …

Non-Profit A Jewish Voice for Peace, Inc. to Pay $677,634 to Resolve PPP Fraud Allegations  —  For Immediate Release  —  U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Columbia  —  WASHINGTON - A Jewish Voice for Peace, Inc., a Washington, D.C., based nonprofit organization, has agreed to pay $677,634 …

CNN Poll: Biden leaves office with his approval rating matching the lowest of his term  —  President Joe Biden will leave office with his approval rating remaining at the lowest level of his term and his favorability rating close to his personal low, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS.

FDA to Revoke Authorization for the Use of Red No. 3 in Food and Ingested Drugs  —  Constituent Update  —  The FDA is revoking the authorization for the use of FD&C Red No. 3 as a matter of law, based on the Delaney Clause of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act).

Jill Biden still hopes for a good ending  —  The first lady, after a half-century in public life, reflects on the past year — and looks to the future.  —  The first lady says she's at peace with this ending.  But.  —  “Let's just say I was disappointed with how it unfolded.”  —  Why?

Scoop: Trump's $500 million post-election windfall … - “The money is just pouring in at Mar-a-Lago. … - “We're looking at half a billion [dollars] by June, and we're on track,” this adviser said. … - They include the president-elect's inauguration account, the MAGA Inc. super PAC …

Biden Cites Threat From ‘Extreme Wealth’ in Farewell Address  — President sees ‘dangerous concentration of power’ in the US  — Biden offers direct critique of Trump and his allies  —  President Joe Biden warned Americans of a “dangerous concentration of power” in the hands of a …

Biden Boosts AI Despite Energy Dept. Warning  —  Just before the president's executive order, his own administration sounded the alarm about data centers' energy consumption, water use, and emissions.  —  Just before President Joe Biden this week issued a last-minute order designed …

Musk Said to Have Intervened to Help Free Italian Jailed in Iran  —  The Italian journalist was released soon after Elon Musk met with an Iranian ambassador, officials in Iran said.  So was an Iranian detained in Italy who was wanted by the U.S.  —  When an Italian journalist was arrested …

Trump transition puts up guardrails around RFK Jr.  —  The transition team hired trusted conservatives to key HHS positions.  —  Just months after Donald Trump promised to let Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “go wild” on health care as a member of his Cabinet, some of the president-elect's advisers are quietly trying to box him in.

Will Lewis's first year at ‘Washington Post’: Cancellations, red ink and an exodus  —  One debacle after another has engulfed The Washington Post since veteran newspaper executive Will Lewis became CEO and publisher a year ago this month, with the charge from owner Jeff Bezos to make the storied newspaper financially sustainable.

Good news for the open social web and open government data  —  Good evening from Washington, where I'm feeling cautious optimism about a ceasefire in Gaza, followed by a surge in humanitarian aid and return of hostages to their families.  —  Thanks to everyone who has subscribed to CivicTexts since …

Bondi vows to stop ‘deliberate persecution’ of anti-abortion protesters  —  Attorney general nominee Pam Bondi made a string of promises to Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) on Wednesday after the senator zeroed in on the Biden administration's aggressive use of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act to prosecute anti-abortion advocates.