GOP Sen. Steve Daines of Montana says he won't seek re-election  —  The two-term senator endorsed Kurt Alme, the U.S. attorney for Montana, as his successor.  —  Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., announced Wednesday that he will not seek a third term, making him the latest Republican in Congress to head for the exit this year.

Justice Dept., Under Pressure From Trump, Fails to Build Autopen Case Against Biden  —  Prosecutors in the U.S. attorney's office in Washington were unable to build a case, underscoring the department's increasing inability to follow through on the president's desire to indict his rivals.

House Oversight panel subpoenas Pam Bondi over Epstein files  —  The House Oversight Committee on Wednesday took the remarkable step of issuing a subpoena to Attorney General Pam Bondi, compelling her to appear to answer questions about the Epstein files.  —  The resolution to subpoena Bondi …

Israel expects weeks-long war against Iran  —  Officials and analysts say joint operation with US seeks to destroy key capabilities of Islamic regime  —  Israel is preparing for a multi-week military onslaught alongside the US to fully “dismantle” key pillars of Iran's theocratic state …

Crockett concedes to Talarico, says Texas ‘primed to turn blue’  —  Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett conceded to state Rep. James Talarico (D) on Wednesday in their competitive Democratic primary for Senate, pledging to help support his bid for the first statewide win for the party in decades.

‘Substantial reason to believe’ Tony Gonzales had sex with his staffer, House probe finds … Gonzales has denied wrongdoing and resisted calls from within his own party to resign as details of his relationship with the former staffer, Regina Santos-Aviles, continue to emerge.

Iraq plunged into nationwide blackout as US tells citizens to leave immediately  —  Iraq's Ministry of Electricity announced a complete shutdown of the national power system on Wednesday, with every governorate in the country losing electricity after all transmission lines …

Scoop: Trump officials broker massive U.S.-Venezuela gold deal … - The contract calls for 98% final gold content, the source said.  — Trafigura will shepherd the gold to U.S. refineries under a separate arrangement with the U.S. government, that source said.

Dem Candidate for Rep. Eric Swalwell's Seat Donated to Far-Right Republicans — Including Laura Loomer  —  A new Democratic candidate in California's 14th Congressional District primary raised eyebrows when she announced she raised $2 million in the first two weeks of her campaign.

ICE taking steps to close detention center at Fort Bliss, document shows  —  Preparations to shutter Camp East Montana in El Paso come less than eight months after facility's opening, according to an internal ICE document —  ending a tumultuous experiment in large-scale detention where three detainees died.

‘Nazi heaven’: Inside Miami campus Republicans' racist group chat  —  The secretary of Miami-Dade County's Republican Party started a group chat primarily for conservative students last fall — and within three weeks it was filled with racist slurs, someone wrote dozens of ways …

Pro-American Kurdish Forces Are Preparing Possible Iran Incursion  —  The C.I.A. has given small weapons to Iranian Kurdish forces in Iraq in a covert program that began before the current war.  —  Pro-American, Iranian Kurdish forces based in Iraq are preparing armed units that could enter Iran …

Statement of the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on Ethics Regarding Representative Tony Gonzales  —  Pursuant to Committee Rule 7, the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on Ethics (Committee) determined to release the following statement:

No Help and Few Options for Travelers Stranded by Mideast Conflict  —  Even far from hubs like Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the disruptions from the growing violence have left people jumping “from one cancellation to the next.”  —  Instead of sleeping last night, Dr. Eddine Saich, 38 …

Judge moves, cautiously, toward civil contempt in case over treatment of trans people in prison  —  U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth made clear on Wednesday morning that he had no problem holding Trump administration officials in contempt if needed.  —  “Once I issue an order …

Justice Dept. employee charged in child pornography case  —  Add CBS News on Google  —  A longtime Justice Department employee has been arrested and charged in a child pornography case, according to multiple sources who spoke with CBS News.  —  Timothy Parsons, a legal staffer …

U.S. attack on Iran echoes Russia's invasion of Ukraine  — 6 min Click here to listen to this article  —  It was beyond disconcerting to hear the Iranian foreign minister on Sunday sounding like Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky circa 2022.  But that's the comparison that instantly sprang …

US launches military operations in Ecuador … Since President Donald Trump took office, the U.S. has taken aggressive steps to curb the flow of drugs from the Southern hemisphere.  The administration has conducted about 45 strikes against suspected smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean, killing more than 150 people.

Sri Lanka rescues 30 people on board distressed Iranian ship, foreign minister says  —  A U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship off the southern coast of Sri Lanka, killing dozens of sailors and dramatically widening Washington's pursuit of the Iranian navy.

Man arrested in Virginia is latest in series of Jan. 6 riot defendants to face new charges  —  Add CBS News on Google  —  Jonathan Munafo is the latest pardoned U.S. Capitol riot defendant to again run afoul of the law.  Court records reviewed by CBS News said Munafo was arrested Tuesday in Richmond …