Justice Department Steps Up Jan. 6 Probe of Those in Trump's Orbit  —  DOJ commits more resources to pursue evidence of criminal involvement as House hearings reveal activities of Trump and his circle before and during Capitol attack  —  WASHINGTON—The Justice Department is adding prosecutors …

Jan. 6 committee subpoenas Secret Service amid text message controversy  —  The Jan. 6 select committee has subpoenaed the Secret Service following a string of conflicts with the agency and revelations that a large swath of text messages sent by agents on the day of the Capitol attack have been erased.

Steve Bannon admitted Trump ‘would lie about anything’, new book says  —  Bannon, according to Jonathan Lemire's Big Lie, said Trump lies ‘to win whatever exchange he [is] having at that moment’  —  The former White House strategist Steve Bannon has publicly claimed Donald Trump does not lie.

U.S. lawyer who represented Khashoggi is detained in UAE, rights group says  —  United Arab Emirates authorities have detained Asim Ghafoor, a U.S. citizen and civil rights attorney who previously served as a lawyer for slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi, said U.S.-based rights group DAWN of whose board Ghafoor is a member.

DeSantis' education message is winning in battleground states, teacher union poll finds  —  TAMPA, Fla. — Before a friendly audience of conservative moms, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday excoriated political opponents of wanting to “sexualize” children and warp kids' understanding of race and history.

Biden Drops Plan to Name Anti-Abortion Lawyer Backed by McConnell as Judge  —  The White House quietly agreed with the Senate Republican leader to nominate Chad Meredith for a federal judgeship, but opposition from his fellow Kentuckian Rand Paul scuttled the deal.  — Give this article- - - Read in app

The poll results are in: Hageman holds commanding lead over Cheney … Former President Donald Trump's pick to unseat Rep. Liz Cheney in the race for Wyoming's lone House seat holds a commanding 22-point lead with a month until the primary, a new Casper Star-Tribune poll shows.

Social media post from Kentucky county GOP about ‘Jewish junta’ draws criticism  —  A Facebook post by the Bracken County Republican Party attacking the new director of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as being part of the “Jewish junta” drew criticism Friday from Jewish leaders in Kentucky.

Daughter of doctor who gave 10-year-old an abortion faced kidnapping threat  —  Caitlin Bernard of Indiana is named on an extreme anti-abortion website linked to Amy Coney Barrett  —  The Indiana doctor who recently provided an abortion to a 10-year-old rape victim whose story …

Mexico Captures Notorious Drug Kingpin Rafael Caro Quintero  —  Rafael Caro Quintero, an accused drug cartel leader, was convicted of killing Enrique Camarena, a Drug Enforcement Administration agent, and was wanted by the F.BI.  — Give this article- - - Read in app

Kamala Harris' chief speechwriter is departing  —  Vice President Kamala Harris' director of speechwriting, Meghan Groob, is leaving the office less than four months into the job, two people familiar with the matter told POLITICO.  —  Groob was hired in April after Harris' first chief speechwriter …

Attorney says circuit judge pointed gun at her from bench during hearing … NEW MARTINSVILLE - A circuit court judge allegedly brandished a handgun during a hearing earlier this year, leaving it pointed at an attorney from Texas during the proceedings.  —  Second Judicial Circuit Judge David Hummel …

Democrats vent their fury as Joe Manchin shelves action on climate change  —  WASHINGTON — Democrats are sounding dire warnings after Sen. Joe Manchin tanked their hopes of acting on climate change.  —  “We're all going to die,” House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth, D-Ky. …

Top Ga. Republicans informed they're targets of Fulton DA probe  —  At least two high-ranking Georgia Republicans who served as “alternative” electors have been informed they're targets of the Fulton County district attorney's criminal investigation into efforts to overturn Georgia's 2020 elections.

Exclusive: Russians have visited Iran at least twice in last month to examine weapons-capable drones  —  (CNN)A Russian delegation has visited an airfield in central Iran at least twice in the last month to examine weapons-capable drones, according to national security adviser Jake Sullivan …