Exclusive: Justice Department launches a criminal investigation into Trump accuser E. Jean Carroll  —  The Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll, the former magazine columnist who accused President Donald Trump of sexual assault, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.

The Mideast Is Baffled by Trump's Call to Expand Abraham Accords  —  The president said more countries should be required to recognize Israel as part of a deal to end the war with Iran.  Analysts say the chances of that happening are close to zero.  —  The social media post by President Trump made it sound straightforward.

Cornyn's Defeat Fuels Tensions With President Trump in Senate G.O.P.  —  Senators are angry President Trump turned on a respected former leader whom they consider a loyal Republican.  Now Mr. Trump faces resistance from his own embittered ranks.  — 1.2k

The White House Intervened to Get a $620 Million Deal for a Company Tied to Donald Trump Jr.  —  When the Pentagon announced a $620 million loan last year to a small North Carolina startup linked to Donald Trump Jr., defense officials and the company tried to tamp down suspicions of cronyism.

Trump appointees push $250 banknote with his portrait  —  The printing director who resisted the effort said she was reassigned last month.  “The buck stopped here,” she wrote in her goodbye.  —  Summary  —  Trump administration officials have pressed the office responsible for printing …

F.B.I. Arrests C.I.A. Official With $40 Million in Gold Bars in His Home  —  The only charge lodged against David Rush is that he inflated his academic credentials and obtained military leave pay worth tens of thousands of dollars.  —  A senior C.I.A. official was arrested last week …

Newsom vows 100 percent tax on DOJ ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’ payouts … Democratic state lawmakers in New York are pushing for a vote by next week to fully tax payouts from the fund.  Queens state Sen. Mike Gianaris in an interview said his measure was in the process of being introduced in the Democratic-dominated Legislature.

AP Exclusive: Trump administration tells prosecutors to stand down on Venezuela leader, sources say  —  The Trump administration has quietly instructed federal prosecutors in Miami to avoid pursuing criminal investigations into Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez …

Jill Biden says she was “frightened” by Joe Biden's 2024 debate performance, thought he was having a stroke  —  Add CBS News on Google  —  Former first lady Jill Biden said she was “frightened” by her husband Joe Biden's 2024 debate performance and thought he was having a stroke.

Pentagon puts building blocks in place for Cuba invasion … Cuba is “in a lot of trouble,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday at a full Cabinet meeting.  “Having a failed state 90 miles from our shores is a threat to the national security of the United States.”

Entertainers unveiled for 250th US birthday bash on National Mall  —  An eclectic mix of entertainers is poised to join a massive bash on the National Mall marking America's 250th birthday that's being billed as a “once-in-a-generation celebration.”  —  Country music star Martina McBride …

Mullin ‘drawing up plans’ to halt international flight processing in ‘sanctuary cities’  —  Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said late Tuesday he is “drawing up plans” to end the processing of international flights in left-leaning cities, pointing to protests outside …

Judge allows Trump to implement mail-in voting executive order  —  A U.S. judge on Thursday declined to block President Donald Trump's executive order tightening rules on mail-in voting in a loss for the Democratic Party, whose lawyers argued that it could disenfranchise millions of voters.

Samuel Alito's Son Has Been Quietly Working for Trump's Treasury Department  —  Philip Alito has been working as an attorney with the Treasury's office of the general counsel for months even as the Supreme Court takes up cases involving the department.  — Copy

Former Judges Urge Inquiry Into Deal Trump Struck With I.R.S.  —  The motion was particularly significant because it asked the judge overseeing the initial suit against the I.R.S. to examine the terms of the deal.  —  A bipartisan group of 35 former federal judges on Wednesday asked the judge …

U.S., Iran in fresh clashes amid peace talks … - The U.S. military shot down the drones and attacked another Iranian drone launching unit on the ground before, the official added. … - The statement added: “U.S. forces also struck an Iranian ground control station in Bandar Abbas that was about to launch a fifth drone.

California ‘Class Traitor’ Tom Steyer Wants to Tax His Fellow Billionaires  —  The former hedge fund titan is waging one of the most expensive gubernatorial campaigns in US history — on a platform the business community hates.  —  Tom Steyer rolled into working-class East San Jose in a pale blue bus …

Democrats Can't Avoid a Reckoning With Gaza  —  We can't defend democracy while upholding elite impunity  —  As Democrats continue to struggle to coalesce around a shared message for the future, last week offered some troubling examples of their refusing, once again, to learn from the mistakes of the past.

Trump visited soldiers at Walter Reed — but not the 14 injured in the Iran war  —  Add CBS News on Google  —  President Trump made time to visit with U.S. service members during his trip Tuesday to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, but he did not see any of the 14 troops injured …

Exclusive: US carries out new strikes in Iran against military site, official says  —  The U.S. military has carried out new strikes in Iran targeting a military site that officials believed posed a threat to U.S. forces and commercial maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a U.S. official told Reuters on Wednesday.

Dell Wins $9.7 Billion Defense Deal to Streamline Software Buys  —  A unit of Dell Technologies Inc. won a $9.7 billion contract to help the US military handle its licenses for Microsoft Corp. software related to email, spreadsheets and other needs across classified and unclassified systems, the Pentagon said.

The YOLO Caucus Is Growing.  What Does It Have Planned?  —  Plus, President Trump says Iran is miscalculating his urgency to end the war, and the administration's new bank accounts for children goes live  —  Good morning.  Sen. John Cornyn (R., Texas) won't be a U.S. senator after Jan. 3, 2027.

Exclusive: NSF puts new research grants to top universities on hold … - Dan Garisto  —  Search author on:  —  PubMed Google Scholar  —  The US National Science Foundation (NSF) — a major funder of basic research — has restricted the flow of new research grants to a group of elite universities, Nature has learnt.