Can the GOP ever come to grips with the lies of 2020?  —  Mike Johnson's election, and the process getting there, showed a party not willing to address the fundamental question facing it.  —  Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) was hours away from winning the speakership when a reporter asked …

Before Mike Johnson Was Speaker, He Was Blaming Abortion for School Shootings  —  What is it about Representative Mike Johnson that ended Republicans' spasms of disunity, electing him Speaker of the House on Wednesday?  The initial response was befuddlement, a collective who?

Family Reveals Suspected Gunman's Link to Maine Massacre Sites  —  “He just has to reach out and do the right thing,” Robert Card's sister-in-law told The Daily Beast. … The family of Robert Card—who is suspected of killing 18 people in double mass shootings in Maine on Wednesday night …

At least 16 dead, dozens wounded in Lewiston shootings; police give few details on overnight search for gunman  —  A commercial man lift falls off trailer and blocks Route 4 in Rangeley  —  Hundreds of new laws take effect in Maine Wednesday.  Here's what you need to know

The inmates elect their new asylum leader  —  Also: Bellingcat's Eliot Higgins on the golden age of Twitter disinformation.  —  ∙ Paid … The latter part of this newsletter features a Q&A with Bellingcat's Eliot Higgins.  But before we get to that, I want to share some quick thoughts on the new House speaker.

DeSantis sending drones, weapons, ammunition to Israel  —  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has sent drones, weapons and ammunition to Israel to support its war against Hamas, a move that bolsters his pro-Israel stance in the battle for the GOP presidential nomination.

U.S., Qatar to revisit Doha's ties to Hamas after Gaza hostage crisis  —  The agreement strives to balance the Biden administration's goal of rescuing as many captives as possible with its desire to isolate the militants after their rampage in Israel  —  The United States and Qatar have agreed …

Senate Voted to Let Vets With Mental Issues Keep Guns Hours Before Maine Shooting  —  Five senators who caucus with Democrats joined Republicans in voting to adopt the amendment  —  ROBERT CARD, AN Army reservist with a history of mental health issues, is suspected of killing at least 18 people …

Charlottesville's Lee statue meets its end, in a 2,250-degree furnace  —  Melted down in secret, the divisive Confederate monument will be turned into a new piece of public art … SOMEWHERE IN THE U.S. SOUTH — It was a choice to melt down Robert E. Lee.  But it would have been a choice to keep him intact, too.

New York Republicans Offer Motion to Expel George Santos From Congress  —  His fellow New York Republicans in Congress have seen enough.  They want him gone.  —  New York Republicans have finally had enough of Rep. George Santos (R-NY).  —  A group of GOP lawmakers from the state started …

Numerous verified X accounts are claiming that the Maine mass shootings were a “false flag”  —  When X (formerly Twitter) owner Elon Musk changed his platform's verification system, he ushered in a new reality where fringe conspiracy theorists could easily promote false claims about breaking news.

Thomas lawyer disputes Senate Democrats' claim on loan forgiveness  —  An attorney for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is disputing Senate Democrats' claim that his client did not pay back a “significant portion” of a loan used to purchase a luxury motorcoach.