How Biden Destroyed His Legacy  —  During his four years in office, Joe Biden notched significant legislative victories with the narrowest of majorities in the Senate.  He presided over a virtuoso rollout of the COVID vaccines, the rapidity of which saved hundreds of thousands of lives …

1/17/25 ☀️ AM:  —  Freedom Caucus-backed freshmen aren't joining hardline group yet  —  Cocktails & Conversation: Inauguration 2025  —  Democrats' TikTok dilemma … Democrats thought they'd be able to back the Chinese government into a corner with legislation forcing the sale of TikTok …

Biden to Commute Sentences of Nearly 2,500 Drug Offenders  —  The action, aimed at inmates who received harsher sentences based on old disparities in drug laws, will be the broadest commutation of individual sentences ever issued by a U.S. president.  —  President Biden announced on Friday …

Eric Adams Heads to Mar-a-Lago to Meet With Trump  —  The New York mayor, who is under federal indictment, has spoken warmly about President-elect Donald J. Trump in recent weeks and has said he is open to receiving a pardon from him.  —  Mayor Eric Adams of New York City was on his way to Florida …

Pamela Paul Is Out at the Times Opinion Section  —  The New York Times Opinion section is negotiating the exit of columnist Pamela Paul, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.  Her impending departure is part of a handful of job cuts being made at the section.

Doris Kearns Goodwin: ‘The robber barons probably thought they were God too’  —  The presidential biographer on tech titans, what Trump could learn from Lincoln and why she remains optimistic about America  —  Doris Kearns Goodwin is already seated in the foyer, bantering with a well-wisher, when I arrive a few minutes early.

Statement from President Joe Biden on the Next Fifteen Drugs Selected for Medicare Drug Price Negotiation  —  Today, I'm proud to announce that my Administration has selected the next 15 drugs for Medicare drug price negotiation.  The drugs treat conditions such as diabetes and cancer, and seniors across the country rely on them.

Trump selections for top jobs advance, despite initial controversy  —  No lawmakers have said they will oppose Hegseth, though a handful have not made their intentions clear.

Jonathan Taplin on our new Trumpian oligarchy  —  “It's just people who are craven cowards bowing down and kissing the ring.”  —  ∙ Paid  —  🧑‍💻 Subscribe to Public Notice 🧑‍💻  —  As you've probably noticed by now, it's discount season on big tech billionaires.

Rudy Giuliani avoids trial by settling with Georgia election workers he defamed  —  Rudy Giuliani has reached an agreement with two Georgia election workers that he defamed to settle the nearly $150 million judgment against him, in a deal that will allow him to keep his home and most valuable possessions.

Far-right state senator arrested for trying to enter the Georgia House  —  State Sen. Colton Moore last year was banned from House chambers by the speaker.  —  A northwest Georgia senator was arrested Thursday after he refused to abide by a ban on entering the House chamber made by the speaker last year …

Trump Picks a Jet-Setting Pal of Elon Musk to Go Get Greenland  —  Negotiations over an 836,000-square-mile island may fall to a close friend of Elon Musk with experience in deal-making.  Just not that kind of deal-making.  —  Ken Howery is a quiet, unassuming tech investor who prioritizes discretion.

This Storm-Battered Town Voted for Trump.  He Has Vowed to Overturn the Law That Could Fix Its Homes.  —  Cynthia Robertson could be forgiven for feeling that the banner was aimed at her.  Its white-on-black lettering — “FUCK BIDEN AND FUCK YOU FOR VOTING FOR HIM” — hung from the wooden house right across the street from her own.

Trump's attorney general pick owned at least $3.9 million in Truth Social stock and made $1 million as a lobbyist last year  — Pam Bondi owned $3.9 million in Truth Social stock as of mid-December, per financial documents.  — She also earned more than $1 million last year from lobbying.

Scoop: Trump team sweats McConnell's vote on Tulsi Gabbard … - Gabbard's team isn't banking on McConnell's vote, sources tell Axios.  — McConnell is studiously avoiding public or private indications that he'll support Trump's nominees, three people familiar with the matter tell Axios.

FBI closed DEI office in December, agency says  —  EXCLUSIVE: The FBI has closed its DEI office, Fox News can confirm.  —  “In recent weeks, the FBI took steps to close the Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI), effective by December 2024,” the agency told Fox News Digital on Thursday.

An Expert in Grand Strategy Thinks Trump Is on to Something  —  Do you want a future in which Canada defects to the EU, Russia rules the Arctic and China runs Latin America?  That's the default outcome of non-action.  —  Our inbound president Donald Trump generates torrents of diplomatic angst …

Fetterman was elected to challenge convention.  Now, he's challenging his fellow Democrats  —  When Democrat John Fetterman got elected to Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate seat, many backers hoped he'd challenge convention and the status quo.  He did and has — just not in the way many had expected.

Trump inauguration signals a warmer tone than 2017 … - There's a “One America, One Light” prayer service for Trump donors and a “Candlelight Dinner,” also for donors. … - “Light signifies hope, it signifies a new beginning, it signifies a pathway forward.

Donald Trump taps Sylvester Stallone, Mel Gibson and Jon Voight to be Hollywood ‘ambassadors’  —  Lights, camera, action.  —  President-elect Donald Trump tapped a group of well-known actors to become “special ambassadors” − not to represent the U.S. overseas but rather at home.

Mike Johnson faces bipartisan shock, fury for ousting Intel chair … - Turner's replacement is Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.), who is closer to MAGA world on issues like Ukraine, Axios' Hans Nichols reported. … - “This is not a President Trump decision. … - “It's a new Congress.