Epstein files give Trump a taste of political mortality  —  It's too early to call President Trump a lame duck.  But Congress is ready to clip his wings over the Epstein files. … - The vote's inevitability led him to change tack, bless the vote — and look the weakest he's been since his inauguration.

Summers To Step Back from Public Commitments Amid Epstein Scandal  —  Former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers will step back from all public commitments in an effort “to rebuild trust and repair relationships with the people closest to me,” he wrote in a statement Monday evening.

Donald Trump Snaps at Female Reporter Who Asks About Epstein Files: ‘Quiet Piggy’  —  The president had several tense exchanges with the press over the weekend, including pointing in the face of a female reporter  — President Donald Trump had several tense exchanges with the press over the weekend

Judge Says Justice Dept. May Have Committed Misconduct in Comey Case  —  The magistrate judge raised the question of whether “government misconduct” in the case might require dismissing the charges against the former F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, altogether.

Pardoned Capitol Rioter Tried to Hush Child Sex Victim With Promise of Jan. 6 Reparation Money, Police Say  —  A pardoned January 6 rioter has been charged with sex crimes against two children.  Andrew Paul Johnson was arraigned in a Florida court in October on multiple charges …

In Major Breakthrough, U.N. Security Council Adopts U.S. Peace Plan for Gaza  —  Russia and China abstained in the vote, which provides a legal mandate for the Trump administration's vision of how to move past the cease-fire to rebuild the war-ravaged enclave after two years of war.

C.D.C. Links Measles Outbreaks in Multiple States for the First Time  —  If the outbreaks cannot be extinguished by January, the anniversary of the first cases in Texas, the United States will lose what is known as “elimination status” as determined by the World Health Organization.

Exclusive: Trump DHS Plans Immigration Raids on Churches Over Holidays  —  WORCESTER - Agencies within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) …

The White House Intervened on Behalf of Accused Sex Trafficker Andrew Tate During a Federal Investigation  —  Federal authorities were chided for seizing electronic devices from Tate and his brother, and told to return them, records and interviews show.  Experts said the intervention was highly inappropriate.

Part 1: How I Found Out  —  Olivia had just returned from a reporting trip—at least that's what she told me it was—and her Herschel backpack, the one with the flap that never quite closed properly, was tossed beside our bed, its contents scattered on the floor.

Trump's team tried to walk back these false claims.  He won't let them  —  The pattern has repeated itself for years.  —  Step 1: President Donald Trump makes a false or inflammatory claim.  —  Step 2: Trump's officials try to walk back the claim.  They'll say Trump meant something else …

FEMA head resigns.  Richardson had been hard to reach during Texas floods.  —  David Richardson resigned Monday after a brief tenure leading the Federal Emergency Management Agency.  —  David Richardson on Monday resigned as acting head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency …

EXCLUSIVE: How the Trump administration sparked a health crisis for ICE detainees  —  For more than two decades, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) played a limited but essential role in ensuring that people in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) received necessary medical care.

Pope Leo XIV calls for urgent climate action and says God's creation is ‘crying out’  —  Pope Leo XIV on Monday urged countries at United Nations climate talks to take “concrete actions” to stop climate change that is threatening the planet, telling them humans are failing in their response …

Ecuador voters rebuke pro-Trump president  —  President Daniel Noboa's plans to allow US base and rewrite constitution are rejected by large margins  —  Michael Stott in Rio de Janeiro and Joe Daniels in Port of Spain  —  Ecuadorean voters roundly rejected conservative President Daniel Noboa's plans …

Trump, Border Patrol Retreat in Failure from Chicago  —  Five important lessons of the first six months of Trump's immigration raids — and why CBP's Greg Bovino is the Nathan Bedford Forrest of the Trump era. … In the last few days, roving Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino decamped from Chicago …

Trump's business empire goes global while he's in the White House  —  Protests in Serbia last week over a planned Trump Tower in Belgrade were just the latest example of the president's business empire rubbing up against U.S. foreign policy. … But for some governments around the world …

Trump says Americans are ‘damn lucky’ he's in office in first affordability pitch … The speech reflected an effort by the president to showcase his administration's moves to bolster the economy with tax cuts and investment — and perhaps divert attention from the pursuit of the files related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

When the G.O.P. Medicaid Cuts Arrive, These Hospitals Will Be Hit Hardest  —  Republicans created a special $50 billion fund to help rural hospitals stay afloat, but the biggest impacts may be in cities.  —  In a typical year, more than 100,000 Medicaid patients depend on the emergency department …