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.

Trump Has the Power to Release the Epstein Files, With or Without Congress  —  The president has reversed himself and encouraged lawmakers to vote for compelling the Justice Department to turn over investigation documents, but he never really needed their approval.

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 …

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) …

U.N. Security Council approves Trump's 20-point peace plan for Gaza  —  The U.S.-sponsored resolution turns Trump's plan into an international mandate, allowing stalled security and reconstruction measures to move forward.  —  just now  —  A U.S.-drafted U.N. resolution endorsing President …

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.

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.

The Case for Overthrowing Maduro  —  Donald Trump said Friday that he had “sort of” made up his mind about his plan for Venezuela, but he “can't tell you what it would be.”  With an aircraft carrier strike group and some 15,000 service personnel deployed to the region, it's sort of hard …

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 …

Trump administration sues California over law banning masked federal agents  —  The Trump administration filed a lawsuit Monday over California's new laws banning federal agents from wearing masks and requiring them to have identification while conducting operations in the state.

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.

'I don't want to get jammed by the Senate': House Republicans race to develop a health care plan … According to two people granted anonymity to share internal party strategy, GOP leadership will lead a high-level discussion in their closed-door meeting focused on how to address rising health care costs …

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 …

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 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.

Trump revives policy penalizing immigrants for using safety net programs … The Department of Homeland Security will accept public comment on the rule over the next 30 days, and will review the feedback before issuing a final rule.  —  Some health policy experts and immigrant rights advocates …

Fascist club woos ‘white youth in revolt’  —  Active Clubs England, a network of neo-Nazi fight clubs, promotes Albion Youth Club as a route into militant fascism for next generation  —  A network of neo-Nazi fight clubs is promoting a group aimed at children as young as 15 as part of an attempt …

Poll: Majorities across parties say ‘extreme political rhetoric’ was a contributor to Charlie Kirk's killing  —  It's the first time in NBC News polling across five different violent incidents that there has been bipartisan agreement blaming extreme rhetoric from political and media figures.

Furious progressives swarm Schumer's job as Democratic leader  —  The Democrats who want Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer gone are striking out in their early search for who could replace him.  —  Why it matters: Progressive critics are united in their fury at Schumer (D-N.Y.), who's led Senate Democrats since 2017.

Hundreds of federalized National Guard members are set to leave Illinois and Oregon  —  The Democratic-led states have been engaged in monthslong legal fights with the Trump administration over the use of guards from California and Texas.  —  Hundreds of federalized National Guard members sent …

Exclusive: AOC says Jeffries primary challenge not a “good idea”  —  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) signaled in an interview with Axios on Monday that she would not support New York City Council member Chi Ossé in a primary challenge against House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.).

Democrats: Don't Fail the ‘SOB Test’  —  Which Democratic leaders have learned the right lessons about how to compete in a post-Trump political environment?  —  The Big Picture and Jill Lawrence  —  ∙ Paid  —  Can you be “a son of a bitch”?  That voter question to Jeb Bush …