The Tallahassee Democrat reports: Following other Southern state governors, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that U.S. and state flags across the state – now at half-staff in honor of the late President Jimmy Carter – will fly at full-staff when President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated next Monday. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson already has suspended Carter’s 30-day mourning period to allow …

NBC News reports: Iran “never” plotted to assassinate Donald Trump during last year’s U.S. election campaign and never will in the future, President Masoud Pezeshkian told NBC News’ Lester Holt in an exclusive interview in Tehran. Asked about the reported plot against Trump outlined by U.S. authorities, Pezeshkian said: “This is another one of those schemes that Israel and other …

Politico reports: Former Vice President Mike Pence’s organization, Advancing American Freedom, is calling for senators to vote against Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s nomination for Health and Human Services secretary over his past support for abortion access. The letter from the conservative advocacy group Advancing American Freedom criticized Kennedy as being “pro-abortion,” specifically over his past support for abortions later in …

The New York Times reports: Several members of the Supreme Court’s conservative majority seemed deeply skeptical of a challenge to a Texas law that seeks to limit minors’ access to pornography, peppering a lawyer for the challengers with exceptionally hostile questions. The lawyer, Derek L. Shaffer, said the law violated the First Amendment by requiring age verification measures like the …

The Roys Report reports: The former pastor of a now-shuttered Calvary Chapel congregation in south-central Texas has been sentenced to two years in prison for possessing child sex abuse material. On Tuesday, Judge Phil Grant of the 9th District Court of Texas sentenced Bruce Hollen, 63, to two years in state prison, according to court records. For several years, Hollen …

“Senator, to cut to the chase, you’re clearly talking about Kash Patel. I don’t believe he has an enemies list. He made a quote on TV, which I have not heard. I saw your sign, or Senator Durbin’s sign, about Kash, but I know that Kash Patel has had 60 jury trials as a public defender, as a prosecutor. He …

NOTUS reports: Early on in his latest campaign for president, Donald Trump unveiled a headline-grabbing campaign promise on Ukraine. “If I’m president, I will have that war settled in one day,” Trump told CNN at a candidate town hall in May 2023. “Twenty-four hours,” he said. It was a bold declaration. And it became so ubiquitous on the campaign trail …

“This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies. I am thrilled American and Israeli hostages will be returning home to be reunited with their families …

Reuters reports: Aides to President-elect Donald Trump have asked three senior career diplomats who oversee the U.S. State Department’s workforce and internal coordination to step down from their roles, two U.S. officials familiar with the matter said, in a possible signal of deeper changes ahead for the diplomatic corps. The team overseeing the State Department’s transition to the new administration …

“People have lost everything. A lot of people are asking ‘Why?’ and that’s a hard question to answer. We want to reassure them of God’s love — that He cares for them and that He hasn’t turned His back on them. Could God be judging Hollywood? I don’t know, but I don’t think so. The question is, do we know …

The New York Times reports: Mr. Vought would bring a partisan and ideological viewpoint to the agency. A longtime fiscal hawk and self-described Christian nationalist, he previously worked for groups such as Heritage Action for America, the House Republican Conference and the Republican Study Committee. Mr. Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a conservative think tank, and was an …

The Guardian reports: Hamas has told multiple outlets that its delegation has handed its approval of the proposed ceasefire deal to mediators in Qatar and Egypt. A Hamas official said the group’s leader, Khalil al-Hayya, has delivered approval of the ceasefire agreement to mediators in Doha, Al Jazeera Arabic and Sky News are reporting. BBC is also reporting that a …

The Texas Tribune reports: Two hours after Rep. Dustin Burrows of Lubbock was elected Texas House speaker on Tuesday, Christian worshippers gathered in a Capitol meeting room to prepare for “spiritual war” and protect lawmakers from demonic forces. “Pray for the fear of the Lord to come into this place,” Landon Schott intoned from the stage as a small band …

The Hill reports: Attorney general nominee Pam Bondi dodged a question from Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) on Wednesday about whether President-elect Trump lost the 2020 election. Bondi echoed other Republicans in stating President Biden is now the president, but she would not say Trump lost, and she described the post-2020 transition as peaceful despite the events of Jan. 6, 2021. …

“President Trump’s strong-willed, experienced, and talented nominees reflect not just his bold agenda, but the political diversity of the coalition that elected him. Like Trump himself, none of them are wallflowers; they are all coming to Washington energized and on a no-fail mission to put power back in the hands of the people. “It’s also the youngest, most modern & …

Law & Crime reports: A Jan. 6 rioter from Virginia who claimed he was “part of the revolution” and swung a pocketknife in the U.S. Capitol during the insurrection is going to prison. Jay Matthew Kenyon, 47, was sentenced to 15 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, a Barack Obama appointee, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced …

The Washington Blade reports: Far-right U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) leveled the baseless and false accusation that U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.) a “groomer” and “child predator” in a post on X, responding to a video shared by the anti-LGBTQ account Libs of TikTok in which the freshman congresswoman is seen reading to kids in a classroom. According to …

USA Today reports: Sean Duffy, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Department of Transportation secretary, will appear before the Senate for his Wednesday confirmation hearing. From MTV reality star to former Wisconsin Republican congressman to Fox host, Duffy has accrued various job titles in entertainment and politics over the years. He, like other nominees, is an ardent Trump supporter and defender. …

Politico reports: Congratulations, Marco Rubio! You’ll soon be secretary of State. Condolences, too. You’re not likely to last long in the job. Unlike many of President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees, Rubio is a shoo-in for Senate confirmation, having already nabbed some Democratic support. U.S. diplomats and foreign officials, too, view the GOP senator from Florida as a knowledgeable, not-insane, well-behaved person …

The New York Times reports: Pam Bondi, President-elect Donald J. Trump’s choice for attorney general, will head into her confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday with a solid reputation as a prosecutor and a critical question looming: Would she stand up to Mr. Trump? An emboldened Mr. Trump, embittered by the two federal prosecutions against him, has …