Man found dead after police standoff in Torrance was the Monterey Park shooting suspect, sheriff says  —  The man found dead inside a white cargo van after a standoff with police in Torrance, California, has been confirmed as the person suspected of carrying out a mass shooting in Monterey Park Saturday night, according to police.

How Kevin McCarthy Forged an Ironclad Bond With Marjorie Taylor Greene  —  The close alliance that has developed between the speaker and the hard-right Georgia Republican explains his rise, how he might govern and the heavy influence of the extremes on the new House G.O.P. majority.

Biden Lawyers Initially Thought Official Files Went to Think Tank Only  —  The mistaken premise helps explain why nearly two months elapsed before Mr. Biden's lawyers searched the garage of his Delaware home for classified records.  —  WASHINGTON — President Biden's lawyers told …

1/23/23 ☀️ Punchbowl News AM … Biden administration officials anticipate McCarthy will visit the democratic island nation sometime in the spring, as House Republicans look to make countering China a major focus of their majority.  —  Planning a McCarthy trip to Taiwan …

Poland pushes for more tanks for Ukraine, asks for German OK  —  Poland will ask Germany for permission to send some of the Polish army's Leopard tanks to Ukraine, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said Monday, as he pushes Europe to send more military hardware to Kyiv amid complaints …

Former President Donald Trump posed for picture with former Philly mob boss Joey Merlino at South Florida golf club  —  They share an affinity for golf and an aversion to cooperating witnesses who “flip” to help federal investigators.But former president Donald Trump and former Philly mob boss Joseph …

Pennsylvania Republicans Quietly Plot Their Revenge After 2022 Wipeout  —  Bad candidates cost Pennsylvania Republicans big in 2022.  They're already working to lock down better ones for 2024.  —  The last election couldn't have gone any worse for Pennsylvania Republicans: the top of their ticket …

Borrow the opposition playbook?  House GOP weighs the ultimate ‘tit for tat’  —  Republicans are confronting a strategic dilemma as they prepare to unleash their new investigative powers on the Biden White House: Should they take a page from the Democrat-run Jan. 6 select committee?

Fox News' defense in defamation suit invokes debunked election-fraud claims  —  Fox News' attorneys have set out the starkest defense yet against the accusation the network defamed an election-technology company when it broadcast false claims that the company had cheated then-President Donald Trump of victory in the 2020 election.

Florida teachers told to remove books from classroom libraries or risk felony prosecution  —  Teachers in Manatee County, Florida, are being told to make their classroom libraries — and any other “unvetted” book — inaccessible to students, or risk felony prosecution.

Trump Looks to Ditch His Own Social Media Site  —  The ex-president is planning his first tweets with a few months to go on his Truth Social contract  —  IN THE MONTHS ahead of what's likely to be a brutal Republican presidential primary, Donald Trump and his 2024 campaign are laying …

Ruben Gallego announces run for Arizona Senate seat held by Kyrsten Sinema  —  Gallego's entry could make a three-way race in the battleground state in 2024; it's unclear currently if Sinema plans to run for reelection  —  Rep. Ruben Gallego announced he will run for Senate in Arizona on Monday …

Rep. Katherine Clark's adult child arrested in assault on officer during protest in Boston  —  The adult child of House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, Massachusetts Democrat, was arrested during protests Saturday night in Boston and charged with assaulting a police officer and other crimes.

George Santos' lies are casting a harsh spotlight on a powerful Republican who endorsed and raised money for him  —  Cascading revelations about New York Rep. George Santos' pattern of lies and deception are putting increased scrutiny on powerful New York Rep. Elise Stefanik …

Trump's MAGA forces threaten to upend vote for RNC chair  —  By week's end, the Republican National Committee is set to resolve a bitter leadership feud that has exposed perilous divisions within the institution charged with electing the next GOP president.  Those inside the fight believe …

How the Freedom Caucus Hopes to Defund the Police  —  The Holman Rule is a potent tool for targeting civil servants.  —  Much of the country watched the opening of the 118th Congress descend into chaos earlier this month as Rep. Kevin McCarthy struggled to consolidate support for his bid to become speaker of the House.

Finally: A Bain Man Makes It To The White House … Zients will take over for Ron Klain in February.  The former head of the White House's COVID response, Zients amassed a vast fortune working for Bain & Company and other management consulting firms.  But at Bain, according to the Wall Street Journal …