Cassidy Hutchinson's Jan. 6 testimony comes under increased scrutiny  —  WASHINGTON — Republicans and other sources are rebutting elements of former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson's testimony before the Jan. 6 committee, handing Donald Trump and his allies ammunition as they seek …

Senate Democrats see ‘major progress’ on Biden agenda bill, hope for July vote  —  Schumer and Manchin are close to a deal on prescription drug savings, new details obtained by NBC News show.  They're also negotiating energy and tax provisions in the bill.  —  WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats …

Putin: Western leaders would look ‘disgusting’ topless  —  MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin shot back at Western leaders who mocked his athletic exploits, saying they would look “disgusting” if they tried to emulate his bare-torso appearances.

‘Italygate’ Conspiracy Pusher Was Fired by CIA  —  SpyTalk's new ‘Live Drop’ feature highlights on Bradley Johnson and other intelligence items of interest  —  The Live Drop  —  Bradley Johnson, Agent 006  —  The former CIA man at the heart of “Italygate,” the pro-Trump …

There's no foreign oil bailout for Joe Biden  —  Reporters were sitting a bit too close by when French President Emmanuel Macron broke the bad news to President Joe Biden.  —  “I had a call with [Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan],” Macron said to Biden, referring to the leader of the United Arab Emirates.

Fauci says he's taking 2nd course of Paxlovid after experiencing rebound with the antiviral treatment  —  Fauci said that when he first tested positive, he had very minimal symptoms.  —  Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases …

Biden Reportedly Plans to Appoint Anti-Abortion Kentucky Judge to Lifetime Seat  —  Biden reportedly made a deal with Mitch McConnell to screw over pregnant people less than a week after Roe v. Wade was overturned.  —  Alerts  —  Less than a week after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade …

Russia and China slam NATO after alliance raises alarm  —  MADRID (AP) — NATO faced rebukes from Moscow and Beijing on Thursday after it declared Russia a “direct threat” and said China posed “serious challenges ” to global stability.  —  The Western military alliance was wrapping up a summit in Madrid …

Two workers fired for not attending company's prayers, lawsuit says  —  Two North Carolina workers allege they were fired for not participating in daily company prayer sessions, according to a lawsuit filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Monday.

The Daily Wire, Which Now Boasts 890,000 Paid Subscribers, Signs Jordan Peterson To Its New DailyWire+  —  Over the past three months, The Daily Wire has added tens of thousands of new paying subscribers — pushing the overall subscriber number for the conservative news and media empire founded …

Multimillionaire American Podiatrist Co-Owns Pro-Kremlin Propaganda Website  —  The podiatrist, Dr. Vladimir Zeetser, owns a minority share of DRN Media, the company behind the Duran, a website promoting false conspiracy theories echoing Russian state messaging.

Behind the Scenes, McKinsey Guided Companies at the Center of the Opioid Crisis  —  The consulting firm offered clients “in-depth experience in narcotics,” from poppy fields to pills more powerful than Purdue's OxyContin.  —  In patches of rural Appalachia and the Rust Belt …

1955 warrant in Emmett Till case found, family seeks arrest  —  JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A team searching a Mississippi courthouse basement for evidence about the lynching of Black teenager Emmett Till has found the unserved warrant charging a white woman in his 1955 kidnapping …

Antiabortion lawmakers want to block patients from crossing state lines  —  Some advocacy groups and their allies are crafting legislative language that could be adopted in Republican-led state capitals.  —  Several national antiabortion groups and their allies in Republican-led state legislatures …

12-Year-Old Incest Victims Should Birth Dad's Child, House Speaker Gunn Says  —  Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn says abortion should be illegal even for a 12-year-old rape victim carrying her father or uncle's child.  He made the remark to reporters in the hours after the U.S. Supreme Court struck …

Karine's tough debut  —  Welcome to POLITICO's West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration.  —  It's been a rocky first month for White House press secretary KARINE JEAN-PIERRE.  —  Her answers have baffled reporters, and even made some of her White House colleagues wince.