Text of the Email That Pete Hegseth’s Mother Sent Him Penelope Hegseth sent the email to her son in 2018 as he was in the middle of divorcing his wife, Samantha.

J. Stanley Pottinger, 84, Dies; Official Figured Out Identity of ‘Deep Throat’ A former Nixon official (and later a novelist), he led an investigation in which a shadowy Watergate figure squirmed when asked if he had been an anonymous whistle blower.

Trump Disavowed Project 2025 During the Campaign. Not Anymore. President-elect Donald J. Trump has filled his administration with people who have ties to the right-wing manifesto.

Kennedy’s Inheritance: How Addiction and Trauma Shaped a Turbulent Life Donald Trump’s pick to be health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has reached a pinnacle of power after a life of fame and addictions and a career intertwined with conspiracy theories.

Trump May Find Things to Like About Biden’s ‘Horrible’ Foreign Policy The world is braced for disruption from the president-elect, but he may find more common ground with President Biden than many assume.

Trump’s Cabinet Picks Have a Familiar, Traditional Look The Trump cabinet is mostly complete — at least until the official nomination and confirmation process — and it is quite a picture.

Nursing Home Industry Wants Trump to Rescind Staffing Mandate A Biden administration rule that imposed minimum rules on nursing levels may not survive, even though many homes lack enough workers to maintain residents’ care.

Justice Dept. Girds for a Test of Its Independence President-elect Donald Trump’s plans to install loyalists have left officials fearful that he intends to carry out his threats of retribution but hopeful that rule-of-law norms can hold.

Dr. Dave Weldon, Trump’s CDC Pick, Wasn’t on Anyone’s Radar But over the years, the former congressman’s views have often aligned with those of his potential boss, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — particularly on vaccine safety.

Biden Makes a Final Nantucket Visit as President The president made his usual stops, expressing gratitude for progress toward peace in the Middle East and urging Americans to stay hopeful.

Defense Secretary Takes Control of Plea Deals in War Crimes Cases Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III stripped his appointee of plea deal authority in a memo on Monday, which the Pentagon has not yet made public.

Who Might Be the Next Chair of the Democratic Party? The current leader of the Democratic National Committee, Jaime Harrison, won’t seek re-election. His successor will need to revive a distressed party.

Hamas Faces a Future Without Its Most Important Ally Israel’s offensive against Hezbollah and the cease-fire to stop the fighting in Lebanon have left Hamas increasingly isolated.

Republicans Built an Ecosystem of Influencers. Some Democrats Want One, Too. Democrats were badly outflanked online in the election, and progressive influencers are now trying to create networks to be a left-wing answer to Turning Point USA.

Donald Trump Jr. Emerges as a Loyal Enforcer His siblings have long retreated from the inner circle, but the president-elect’s eldest son has made a name for himself as the person who can best assess loyalty to the Trump political brand.

How Will Trump’s Covid Contrarians Handle the Next Pandemic? President-elect Donald J. Trump’s selections to run the nation’s health agencies are alarming infectious disease experts.

John Fetterman Has a Message for Democrats in New Interview “Buckle up and pack a lunch, because it’s going to be four years of this,” the Democratic senator from Pennsylvania said.

Trump Picks Keith Kellogg to Be Envoy to Ukraine and Russia The retired Army lieutenant general could play a key role in any negotiations to end the yearslong war between the countries.

Tran Defeats Steel in House Pickup for Democrats Derek Tran, a consumer rights lawyer and Army veteran, defeated Representative Michelle Steel, a Republican two-term incumbent, flipping a seat in Orange County, Calif.

What’s a Democratic Billionaire to Do Now? The party’s donor class is still wrestling with Donald Trump’s victory, worried about retribution and sluggish liberal energy. Some rich Democrats are even pondering leaving the country.