Politico reports: Trump’s pick of longtime loyalist Kari Lake to lead Voice of America has some Arizona Republicans breathing a sigh of relief. Lake has for the last two election cycles dominated Republican politics in Arizona, running and losing back-to-back races for governor and Senate — and earning her the ire of some of her fellow conservatives in the state. …

“I was in the legislative branch. We were investigating, as per the request from Congress to do that. We obviously came up with answers that embarrassed Trump. He was embarrassed by it. It showed that he was completely complicit for 187 minutes while violence happened. He frankly wanted his vice president to be– to have violence against him. And that …

The Washington Post reports: Elon Musk revealed on Thursday that he had received an offer to settle a federal investigation into potential securities fraud stemming from his 2022 purchase of Twitter, now known as X, which his lawyer appeared to dismiss on grounds that the probe was politically motivated. The private talks burst into public view after Musk — now …

Tampa’s NBC affiliate reports: A Lakeland woman was charged Tuesday after police said she ended a call to an insurance company with the words, “Delay, Deny, Depose.” In an arrest affidavit, the Lakeland Police Department said officers were contacted by the FBI on Tuesday, Dec. 10 regarding an alleged threat made over the phone. Briana Boston, 42, had reportedly placed …

Variety reports: The first trailer for Sony’s horror tentpole “28 Years Later” went viral not only because it marked the return of the zombie horror franchise after 17 years but also because of a one-second shot of an emaciated zombie that looked awfully like Oscar winner Cillian Murphy, who starred in 2002’s “28 Days Later” and is rumored to be …

CNN reports: Amazon is planning to donate $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is expected to visit with Trump in person in the coming days, as he and other tech founders seek closer relationships with the incoming president. Bezos and Trump spoke over the summer after the first assassination attempt. Bezos publicly praised Trump at …

The Washington Post reports: The pool of money, which includes $50,000 from the FBI and $10,000 from New York Police Department Crime Stoppers, could be awarded to an unidentified fast food worker, who called 911 after recognizing 26-year-old Luigi Mangione inside a McDonald’s restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Federal agencies require a conviction before payment, but local Crime Stoppers units might offer …

Politico reports: Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s embattled pick for Defense secretary, is shifting his stance on LGBTQ+ service members. The former Fox Host has previously labeled policies allowing gay and transgender troops a “Marxist agenda.” But when asked by reporters on Thursday during a meeting with Sen. Rand PaulRand Paul (R-Ky.) whether he supports gays serving in the military, he …

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports: Senate Republicans on Wednesday passed legislation that would enable patients to force hospitals into administering drugs for off-label use if the hospital’s own physicians refuse. The legislation comes after a COVID-19 pandemic when conservatives came to believe that drugs like hydroxychloroquine or ivermectin, neither of which have been proven to benefit COVID-19 patients, would cure, …

St. Louis’s Fox affiliate reports: A Missouri representative is proposing a repeal of a state law that currently prevents citizens with a felony history from running for a local and state office. Republican Rep. Michael Davis of Belton, a suburb of Kansas City, pre-filed House Bill 318 on Dec. 3. The bill, named the “Donald J. Trump Election Qualification Act,” …

CBS News reports: Chinese President Xi Jinping is not expected to travel to Washington next month as an inauguration guest of President-elect Donald Trump, according to two sources familiar with the planning. CBS News was first to report that Trump had personally invited Xi to the swearing-in ceremony shortly after Election Day. China’s ambassador to the U.S. and his spouse …

The New York Times reports: President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming Middle East adviser, Massad Boulos, has enjoyed a reputation as a billionaire mogul at the helm of a business that bears his family name. Mr. Boulos has been profiled as a tycoon by the world’s media, telling a reporter in October that his company is worth billions. Mr. Trump called him …

Lone Star Live report: Hillary Hickland, member-elect of the Texas House of Representatives’ District 55, is determined to “protect the children” by moving to ban the sale of “obscene devices” in stores that are not considered “sexually oriented businesses.” Hickland recently proposed legislation to be considered in the next legislative session, in 2025, that would prevent major retailers such as …

Mediaite reports: Fox News’ Lisa Kennedy mocked Justin Trudeau as a “soy boy” on Thursday after he took a jab at Trump. Earlier this week, Trump sent out a post on Truth Social referring to Trudeau as the “governor of Canada.” Trudeau responded by claiming the 2024 election result was a setback for women in politics. During an Outnumbered panel …

“I’m going to call it total bullshit that no one knows what these are. They can track down a guy that just killed a CEO, but they can’t identify what these nightly drones are and where they’re coming from. I think the Pentagon absolutely knows, but they’re full of crap. “Secondly, if they’re telling the truth, then this country is …

The Associated Press reports: A newly elected state lawmaker in West Virginia is facing at least one felony and is accused of making terroristic threats. Joseph de Soto, 61, was arrested by state police Thursday in Martinsburg following an investigation that found he made “several threatening/intimidating threats against government officials,” according to a statement from Lt. Leslie T. Goldie Jr. …

The Huffington Post reports: Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) says she was assaulted at a foster youth advocacy event earlier this week; witnesses say it was just a handshake. Whatever the truth, the South Carolina Republican sure would be a lot happier if the media stopped reporting on it. Mace told far-right influencer Benny Johnson Thursday she believes the reporting amounts …

The BBC reports: LGBT veterans who were dismissed from the armed forces for being gay will be eligible to receive up to £70,000 in compensation, the government has said. The Ministry of Defence said the move followed extensive engagement with LGBT veterans and campaigners. Veterans can apply to have their rank restored and discharge reason amended. The total amount available …

Courthouse News reports: A former FBI informant agreed to plead guilty to lying to his handler in 2020 about President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden receiving $5 million in bribes each from a Ukrainian energy company. Alexander Smirnov admitted to causing the creation of a false and fictitious record in a federal investigation as well as to three …

NBC News reports: Asked whether his presidency would be a “failure” if grocery prices don’t come down, Trump responded it would not, while blaming the current administration for the way it handled inflation that led to higher food prices in the first place. “Look, they got them up. I’d like to bring them down. It’s hard to bring things down …