The Hill reports: Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is looking at a plan B to fund the government ahead of Friday’s shutdown deadline as Republicans inside and outside the Capitol, including those from Trump world, slam his spending package. The back-up option Johnson is examining is a “clean” continuing resolution, two sources familiar with the matter told The Hill. That would …

The Sacramento Bee reports: Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Wednesday in response to rising cases of bird flu, the same day the U.S. Centers for Disease Control confirmed a person in Louisiana had been hospitalized with a ‘‘severe’’ case of the disease. “This proclamation is a targeted action to ensure government agencies have the resources and flexibility …

New York City’s NBC affiliate reports: Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old Ivy League grad arrested last week in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, is receiving mail while in jail in Pennsylvania awaiting an extradition hearing. The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections said Mangione has received 33 emails and six pieces of mail while in custody. When asked by NBC News …

Mediaite reports: Elon Musk issued a not-so-veiled threat to Republican lawmakers during a raging tweetstorm on Wednesday. At 4:15 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, Musk tweeted that “This bill should not pass,” and he’s gotten noticeably more strident as the day has gone along. In a raging tweetstorm over the last hour or so, Musk has called the bill a …

Via press release from the CDC: A patient has been hospitalized with a severe case of avian influenza A(H5N1) virus (“H5N1 bird flu”) infection in Louisiana. This marks the first instance of severe illness linked to the virus in the United States. The case was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday, December 13. Since …

“I think that he’s been transparent. You know, the problem that we had with the Bidens, they never were transparent with where their money came from. We know that Donald Trump owns properties in foreign countries. We know what he owns in the United States. “You know, I think the American people knew that when they voted to reelect. So …

Raw Story reports: Outgoing Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) is not taking news that the House Ethics Committee will release what is expected to be a highly damaging report on him before Christmas lightly, and has posted a warning to his soon-to-be ex-colleagues on X on Wednesday afternoon. After posting a long screed on X earlier professing his innocence while also …

Newsweek reports: The Senate approved a defense bill on Wednesday that includes substantial pay raises for junior enlisted service members and increases overall military spending to $895 billion. The legislation also eliminates coverage for transgender medical treatments for children of military personnel. The annual defense authorization bill, which has passed Congress without fail for nearly six decades, typically enjoys strong …

NBC News reports: Like many who took up new hobbies during the pandemic, Austin Rivers found comfort in knitting. But his craft took on a larger meaning when he realized his scarves and hats could also support his New York City queer community. He was particularly eager to help homeless LGBTQ youths, who comprise up to 40% of the country’s …

The Associated Press reports: Almost three dozen high-rise condos and luxury hotels along the beach in South Florida are sinking or settling in unexpected ways, in some cases because of nearby construction, according to a new study. The 35 buildings surveyed along an almost 12-mile (19 kilometer) stretch from Miami Beach to Sunny Isles Beach have sunk or settled by …

Punchbowl News reports: Two provisions that directly impact lawmakers were quietly added to the CR: a pay raise and an Obamacare opt-out. It’s complicated, but Congress has proactively blocked lawmakers from getting a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) since 2009. This was done by including language in spending bills specifically preventing such pay increases, although other federal employees get them. However, the …

Axios reports: Grubhub will pay a $25 million settlement after an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission alleged deceptive and unlawful business practices. The settlement will require the company to make major changes and is a part of the FTC’s ongoing targeting of junk fees. The complaint alleges that Grubhub deceived users about delivery costs, deceived workers about how much …

CBS News reports: The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it will take up a challenge to a new law that could lead to a ban on TikTok in the U.S, setting up a showdown over access to a widely popular app used by tens of millions of Americans. Arguments will be heard by the high court on Jan. 10, an …

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz writes on X: The Biden/Garland DOJ spent years reviewing allegations that I committed various crimes. I was charged with nothing: FULLY EXONERATED. Not even a campaign finance violation. And the people investigating me hated me. Then, the very “witnesses” DOJ deemed not-credible were assembled by House Ethics to repeat their claims absent any cross-examination or challenge …

The Daily Beast reports: James Carville might be onto something. Two weeks after the Democratic strategist suggested Tucker Carlson was behind Trump’s wild-card Cabinet nominees, the Wall Street Journal has reported that Carlson was indeed the one who killed Mike Pompeo’s chances in the new administration. Trump insiders originally believed Pompeo, who served as secretary of state during Trump’s first …

The Guardian reports: America’s political divide is likely to get even wider thanks to a new real-estate platform that lets potential buyers see the political affiliations of their future neighbors, as well as other social data and local demographics. Oyssey, a tech startup launching this month in south Florida and New York City, allows buyers access neighborhood political affiliations based …

CNN reports: The House Ethics Committee secretly voted earlier this month to release its report into the conduct of former Rep. Matt Gaetz before the end of this Congress, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the matter. The report is now expected to be made public after the House’s final day of votes this year as lawmakers leave Washington …

From the Justice Department: A Michigan man pleaded guilty today to one count of committing a hate crime by attempting to carry out a mass killing. According to court documents, Mack Davis, 22, of Owosso, admitted that he attempted to conduct a mass killing of individuals at a political party headquarters and a nearby bar in the Eastern District of …

Forbes reports: In an X post early on Wednesday, Elon Musk attacked the stop-gap spending bill unveiled by congressional leaders on Tuesday night that would keep the federal government funded until March and avert a government shutdown during the holidays, and called for its passage to be blocked. Musk reshared a post about the bill by Vivek Ramaswamy—who has been …

The Washington Post reports: A man convicted of killing his brother and three other men in 1997 was executed in Indiana early Wednesday — the state’s first execution in 15 years. A statement from the Indiana Department of Correction said Joseph Corcoran was pronounced dead at 12:44 a.m. at a state prison in Michigan City, Ind. His wife, Tahina Corcoran, …