The Pressure Campaign to Get Pete Hegseth Confirmed as Defense Secretary  —  Supporters of Donald Trump's nominee have intimidated potential witnesses and suppressed the F.B.I. background check of the former Fox News host in the run-up to his Senate hearing.

Special Counsel Report Says Trump Would Have Been Convicted in Election Case  —  “But for Mr. Trump's election and imminent return to the presidency, the office assessed that the admissible evidence was sufficient to obtain and sustain a conviction at trial,” the report said.

GOP Senator Flames Dems for ‘Cheating’ and Voting ‘Drunk’  —  “And don't tell me you haven't seen it, because I know you have,” the Republican senator said.

Michelle Obama will skip Trump inauguration, but ex-Presidents Obama, Clinton and Bush will be there  —  Former first lady Michelle Obama will skip the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, the second time in two weeks that she is not attending a gathering of former U.S. leaders and their spouses …

Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg to attend Trump's inauguration  —  The three will be seated together on the inauguration platform with other prominent guests.  —  Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg will attend President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on Monday …

House passes ban on transgender students in girls sports  —  Washington — The House on Tuesday passed a Republican measure banning transgender girls and women from competing on school sports teams that match their gender identity after the party leaned into the issue during the 2024 campaign.

Certification of Rescission of Cuba's Designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism  —  Certification of Rescission of Cuba's Designation  —  Pursuant to the Constitution and the laws of the United States, and consistent with sections 1754(c) and 1768(c) of the National Defense Authorization Act …

Vice Is a Moat  —  1. Secretary Pete  —  Here is the thing about Pete Hegseth:  —  Imagine that his character was sterling.  That he was a fine, upstanding man, admired by all who know him.  That he had dedicated his life to service and been judged to be as good a human being as Mister Rogers or Dolly Parton.

Jan. 6 committee members talk to White House about pardons … In an interview, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), who chaired the Jan. 6 committee, said he spoke to the White House counsel's office last month about the issue.  Thompson noted that he hadn't talked directly with President Joe Biden on the topic …

Israel and Hamas agree in principle to ceasefire and hostage deal, sources say  —  A draft deal for a ceasefire in Gaza and hostage release has been agreed to in principle and, if all goes well, will be finalized by Israel and Hamas this week, Arab, U.S. and Israeli officials told CBS News.

Hegseth's Drinking, Once ‘Self-Medication,’ Could Prompt Questions at His Hearing  —  President-elect Donald J. Trump's pick for Defense Secretary has spoken candidly about his alcohol use in interviews over the past few years.  —  In August 2021, Pete Hegseth said on Will Cain's podcast that slowly …

Trump and DeSantis golf, with Rubio replacement looming  —  President-elect Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are meeting over a round of golf on Tuesday, as key decisions loom in the state they both call home.  The meetup is taking place as Trump backed DeSantis' recent call …

I was fully indoctrinated into the Democrat ‘cult.’ Here's why I left my liberal influencer life behind to raise money for Trump  —  A former high energy Democratic fundraiser, failed congressional candidate and social media influencer is now raising money for President-elect Donald Trump's inaugural committee.

Speaker Orders Capitol Hill Flags Raised for Inauguration  —  President-elect Donald J. Trump had complained that flags were scheduled to fly at half-staff — a symbol of mourning for former President Jimmy Carter — on the day of his inauguration.  —  Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday announced …

Iran ‘never’ plotted to kill Trump during campaign, Iran's president tells NBC News  —  The Justice Department in November charged an Iranian man in an alleged murder-for-hire plot to assassinate then-candidate Donald Trump and two others.  —  Iran “never” plotted to assassinate Donald Trump during …

I have struggled with how to respond to Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook's descent into toxic masculinity and Neo-Nazi madness.  While I have thought about quitting Facebook, I find great value in the connections and friends I have here, and it doesn't seem fair that I should lose that because Zuckerberg is having a mid-life crisis.

‘Days of thunder’: Steve Bannon on the second coming of the Trump administration  —  The former adviser sat for a wide-ranging interview with POLITICO this week.  —  Steve Bannon had some thoughts on what the next four years have in store for Donald Trump as he returns to the White House.

Texas House elects new speaker in blow to far-right wing  —  The Texas House on Tuesday elected state Rep. Dustin Burrows (R) to lead the chamber in a blow to the rising far-right wing of the party, defeating a candidate supported by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) and other top state figures.

The Washington Post just endorsed 19 Trump nominees.  Here are the 5 worst.  —  Remember when Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos spiked the paper's planned editorial board endorsement of Kamala Harris and then Bezos piously insisted that endorsements demonstrate bias and his publisher William Lewis claimed …

Kaine clashes with Hegseth over infidelity, drinking, scandals  —  Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) clashed sharply with secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth over his infidelity and reports of public drunkenness and drunkenness on the job, repeatedly pressing Hegseth on his character and judgment.