• Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema said she is leaving the Democratic Party to become an independent after informing Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) of her decision yesterday. Sinema would not say whether she will run for re-election in 2024, but suggested her decision would not affect power in the Senate because she will not caucus with Republicans and her voting behavior won’t change. (Politico)
• In a 258-169 vote, the House sent President Joe Biden legislation that would recognize same-sex and interracial marriages nationally in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. The measure received 39 Republican votes in the House, highlighting the country’s cultural shift regarding LGBTQ rights, though that figure is down from the 47 who voted in favor of the legislation earlier this year. (The New York Times)
• The House’s Jan. 6 committee is reportedly considering recommending the Justice Department pursue criminal charges against former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark and lawyers John Eastman and Rudy Giuliani. Lawmakers on the panel are expected to make a final decision on criminal referrals during a meeting on Sunday ahead of a public hearing on Dec. 21. (CNN)
• Former President Donald Trump’s lawyers failed to challenge a federal court’s ruling that barred a special master’s oversight of sensitive government materials seized at his Mar-a-Lago resort, allowing the Justice Department’s criminal probe to move forward undeterred. (Bloomberg) Meanwhile, federal prosecutors are said to have urged a U.S. district court judge to hold the GOP 2024 front-runner’s office in contempt of court for failing to comply with the government’s demands that he return all classified materials ahead of a hearing set for today. (The Washington Post)

Happening today (all in ET):

• 11:45 a.m. Jill Biden participates in White House town hall event on COVID-19 vaccines.

• 1 p.m. White House press secretary holds briefing.

How Kevin McCarthy Could Lose The Election For Speaker Of The House
FiveThirtyEight

Biden insists Brittney Griner prisoner swap ‘not a choice’ between Paul Whelan
Libby Cathey, ABC News

In celebrating WNBA star Brittney Griner’s release, President Joe Biden made a point on Thursday to say the prisoner swap was “not a choice” between Griner and Paul Whelan, the American former Marine who is still detained in Russia.

Pentagon concerned Bout could return to arms trafficking after Griner exchange
Lara Seligman, Politico

Some Pentagon officials are concerned that convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who was released on Thursday in a prisoner swap for American basketball star Brittney Griner, could return to illegally trafficking weapons, potentially fueling conflicts across the world.

Biden’s Hopes for Sweden and Finland in NATO Are Stuck on Erdogan’s Demands
Michael Crowley, The New York Times

The Turkish leader is complicating a major step in the showdown with Russia, looking to extract concessions from NATO and the United States.

U.S. to Levy Human-Rights Sanctions on Russia, China
Vivian Salama and Ian Talley, The Wall Street Journal

Friday’s planned action also set to target Russia for its use of Iranian drones in Ukraine.

The U.S. wants Iran off a U.N. panel. Other countries are wary.
Nahal Toosi and Ryan Heath, Politico

The Biden administration is facing wariness even from some traditional global partners as it tries to get Iran kicked off a United Nations panel that promotes women’s rights, according to four people monitoring the effort.

Parties play chicken on omnibus as shutdown deadline approaches
Aidan Quigley et al., Roll Call

Top Democrats are playing hardball on government funding with just over a week before federal agencies run out of budget authority after next Friday night.

House passes defense bill with more Taiwan, Ukraine security aid
Bryant Harris, Defense News

The House on Thursday passed 350-80 the fiscal 2023 National Defense Authorization Act after making several concessions to the Senate, which did not pass its own version of the bill for the second straight year in a row.

It’s do-or-die time on an immigration deal
Kadia Goba and Joseph Zeballos-Roig, Semafor

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz. has been burning up the phones reaching out to Republicans on a last-second immigration deal, her colleagues say. A draft of the bill, which she’s co-sponsoring with Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., could be released as soon as today.

Sam Bankman-Fried Says He’ll Testify to House Committee About FTX Collapse After All
Caitlin Ostroff, The Wall Street Journal

Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of the collapsed crypto exchange FTX, said that he will testify next week before the House Committee on Financial Services.

America’s allies are furious over trade rules. Democrats don’t care.
Gavin Bade and Steven Overly, Politico

The Democratic lawmakers who created tax incentives for electric vehicles make no bones about their intention to benefit North American manufacturers and not their overseas competitors.

Dozens of Washington Commanders employees hurt by ‘toxic work culture,’ team owner intimidated witnesses, House Oversight Committee finds
Antonio Planas et al., NBC News

Dozens of employees of the Washington Commanders were harmed for more than two decades because of a “toxic work culture,” according to a scathing report released Thursday by the House Oversight Committee that also found team owner Daniel Snyder intimidated cooperative witnesses. 

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s MAGA power play
Alayna Treene, Axios

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is making a new play for influence, becoming a surprising yet crucial defender of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

House GOP’s help-wanted sign: One border funding chief
Sarah Ferris, Politico

The sitting Republican who oversees funding for the Department of Homeland Security says he’s done with it. And it’s not clear who wants it next.

Schumer reelected as Senate majority leader
Alexander Bolton, The Hill

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) was reelected Thursday morning to serve another term as Senate majority leader, capping a successful two years for the veteran lawmaker, who was just reelected to a fifth Senate term.  

Maxwell Frost, future Gen Z congressman, denied D.C. apartment over bad credit
Azi Paybarah, The Washington Post

Rep.-elect Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), the first member of the Gen Z generation elected to Congress, said Thursday that a company in Washington rejected his application to rent an apartment because of his bad credit score.

Paul Whelan tells CNN he is ‘disappointed’ that more has not been done to secure his release
Jennifer Hansler, CNN

Detained American Paul Whelan expressed his frustration that more has not been done to secure his release in an exclusive CNN interview hours after another detained American, Brittney Griner, was freed.

Trump turned down Viktor Bout-for-Paul Whelan prisoner swap, John Bolton says
Caitlin Doornbos, New York Post

Former President Donald Trump shot down Russian attempts to trade former Marine Paul Whelan for “Merchant of Death” arms dealer Viktor Bout, former national security adviser John Bolton said Thursday — as Trump ripped his successor for agreeing to send Bout home in exchange for the return of WNBA star Brittney Griner.

FTC sues to block Microsoft’s acquisition of game giant Activision
Cat Zakrzewski and Shannon Liao, The Washington Post

Lawsuit marks Lina Khan’s most significant effort to date to address tech industry consolidation, and it could upend Microsoft’s gaming ambitions.

Oil leak shuts down Keystone Pipeline
Jesse Fray, The Hill

The massive Keystone Pipeline has been shut down after oil was found to be leaking into a Kansas creek.

Critics Call It Theocratic and Authoritarian. Young Conservatives Call It an Exciting New Legal Theory.
Ian Ward, Politico

‘Common good constitutionalism’ has emerged as a leading contender to replace originalism as the dominant legal theory on the right.

Trump cash haul spiked after 2024 launch — but not as high as in the past
Jessica Piper, Politico

The former president’s joint fundraising committee raised more than $4.1 million online in the weeks after his launch.

Private RNC member emails reveal anger to Trump, frustration with McDaniel’s response to him
Meridith McGraw, Politico

In missives sent to all 168 members, several committeemen expressed horror with the Nick Fuentes dinner. One wanted the chair to speak out.

Biden earned political capital this fall. He’s quietly spending it.
Christopher Cadelago et al., Politico

White House officials and senior Democrats believe the party’s better-than-expected fall has relieved considerable pressure on Joe Biden to act quickly on a reelection bid. But they’re still making moves.

Top Bernie Sanders adviser believes Sanders will give 2024 “a hard look” if Biden doesn’t run
Robert Costa, CBS News

Faiz Shakir, the longtime adviser to Senator Bernie Sanders, told CBS News on Thursday that he believes the Vermont lawmaker will seriously consider a bid for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination if President Joe Biden does not run.

The Georgia Republican Unscathed by Walker’s Defeat
Richard Fausset and Lisa Lerer, The New York Times

Gov. Brian P. Kemp of Georgia — once derided by some of his fellow Republicans — has emerged in the aftermath of Tuesday’s Senate runoff as a savvy political operator.

Florida lawmaker behind “Don’t Say Gay” bill resigns after COVID aid fraud charges
Sareen Habeshian, Axios

The Florida lawmaker who sponsored the state’s controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill resigned Thursday — a day after the Department of Justice announced he was indicted for COVID-19 relief fraud.

Ex-Trump advisor Flynn testifies amid heightened security
Tamar Hallerman and Bill Rankin, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Amid heightened courthouse security with law enforcement officers carrying automatic weapons, former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn testified Thursday before the Fulton County special purpose grand jury.

DOJ: Barrack, Wynn losses won’t derail foreign influence crackdown
Caitlin Oprysko, Politico

The head of the Justice Department’s counterintelligence division vowed Thursday that the department would not be deterred by a string of recent legal setbacks in its attempts to crackdown on foreign influence efforts in the United States.

Big oil talks ‘transition’ but perpetuates petroleum, House documents say
Steven Mufson, The Washington Post

A House oversight committee is expected Friday to release a trove of documents on oil companies and their internal communications. The Post obtained a portion of them.

Sam Bankman-Fried gave $2.5 million to a leading political ethics watchdog. The group says it can’t give the money back because officials already spent it.
Dave Levinthal, Insider

The nonprofit Campaign Legal Center — a leading nonpartisan political watchdog that’s hounded Donald Trump and scores of other politicians with legal challenges and ethics complaints — recently accepted more than $2.5 million in contributions from embattled “crypto-king” Sam Bankman-Fried.

The Crypto Scandal Is Missing a Secret Ingredient
Michael Schaffer, Politico

The crypto industry contributed to both parties and got what it wanted. With no partisan benefit, will anyone in Congress complain?

Advocate tells lawmakers of ‘stealth’ efforts to influence Supreme Court
Ann E. Marimow and Emma Brown, The Washington Post

The Rev. Robert Schenck, a former antiabortion activist, testified as Democrats and transparency advocates seek ethics overhaul.

Why I’m registering as an independent
Kyrsten Sinema, The Arizona Republic

There’s a disconnect between what everyday Americans want and deserve from our politics, and what political parties are offering.  I am privileged to represent Arizonans of all backgrounds and beliefs in the U.S. Senate and am honored to travel to every corner of our state, listening to your concerns and ideas.

I Ran for President as an Insurgent. I Support the DNC’s New Primary Calendar.
Howard Dean, Politico

I know what it’s like to run for president as the insurgent candidate. I know what it’s like to not have all of the resources you need, to fight for every dollar, for every vote, not knowing if your campaign will survive to the next state.

Fear Was More Powerful Than Anger This Year
Charlie Cook, The Cook Political Report

Republicans have been effectively stuck in an abusive relationship, unwilling or unable to extricate themselves from a toxic situation. Donald Trump and his MAGA movement have had a virtual stranglehold on the GOP for six years, and now the consequences for the party are becoming increasingly apparent.