Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland announced Monday that he will run to become the top Democrat on the powerful House Judiciary Committee next year, directly challenging fellow Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler as the party prepares to fight a second Trump administration and an emboldened Republican majority. “House Democrats must stand in the breach to defend the principles and institutions of constitutional democracy,” Raskin wrote in a letter to colleagues. “That is our historic assignment now.

A defense lawyer asked jurors to put themselves in frightened subway riders’ shoes Monday at the trial of a Marine veteran charged with choking an irate, homeless man to death after an outburst on a New York underground train. Prosecutors countered that Daniel Penny was way too forceful and reckless in responding to Jordan Neely. Both sides gave closing arguments Monday at Penny’s trial on manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide charges. Penny, who gripped Neely’s neck for about six minutes, claims he was defending fellow passengers. He has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors say Penny was justified in using some physical force after Neely shouted in a crowded train about being willing to die, willing to go jail or — as Penny and some other passengers recalled — willing to kill.

A majority of Supreme Court justices didn’t seem convinced Monday that federal regulators misled companies before refusing to allow them to sell sweet-flavored vaping products following a surge in teen e-cigarette use. The conservative-majority court did raise questions about the Food and Drug Administration crackdown that included denials of more than a million nicotine products formulated to taste like fruit, dessert or candy. Teen vaping use has since dropped to its lowest level in a decade, but the agency could change its approach after the inauguration next month of President-elect Donald Trump, who has promised to “save” vaping.

Minnesota Republicans filed a lawsuit Monday to try to force a rerun of a state House race where the incumbent Democrat won by 14 votes — but in which investigators concluded that election workers probably destroyed 20 valid absentee ballots after failing to count them. It’s a race that could determine the balance of power in the Minnesota House, where leaders from both parties are working out the details of a power-sharing agreement that currently presumes a 67-67 tie when the Legislature convenes next month. A Republican victory in a special election could shift that balance to a two-vote, 68-66 GOP majority. Democrats have a one-vote majority in the state Senate.

President-elect Donald Trump has named billionaire investment banker Warren Stephens as his envoy to Britain, a prestigious posting for the Republican donor whose contributions this year included $2 million to a Trump-backing super PAC. Trump, in a post on his Truth Social site Monday evening, announced he was selecting Stephens to be the U.S. ambassador to the Court of Saint James. The Senate is required to confirm the choice. “Warren has always dreamed of serving the United States full time. I am thrilled that he will now have that opportunity as the top Diplomat, representing the U.S.A. to one of America’s most cherished and beloved Allies,” Trump said in in his post.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers returned to the state Capitol on Monday to begin a special session to protect the state’s progressive policies ahead of another Trump presidency. The Democratic governor, a fierce critic of President-elect Donald Trump, is positioning California to once again be the center of a resistance effort against the conservative agenda. He is asking his Democratic allies in the Legislature, who hold supermajorities in both chambers, to approve additional funding to the attorney general’s office to prepare for a robust legal fight against anticipated federal challenges.

Israeli fighter jets intercepted an Iranian aircraft suspected of transporting weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon, forcing it to reverse course over Syria late Saturday night, a defense source confirmed to *The Times of Israel*. The incident unfolded as Israeli Air Force jets confronted the plane mid-flight and instructed it to turn back. The aircraft complied shortly afterward, according to the source. The interception, first reported by Ynet, was part of Israel’s broader campaign to disrupt Iranian weapons shipments to Hezbollah. While Ynet included a screenshot of flight data, it mistakenly referenced an unrelated Iranian Mahan Air plane that landed in Latakia earlier on Saturday. This latest action occurred during a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

Incoming border czar Tom Homan is planning to meet with Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams as the Big Apple struggles with a skyrocketing migrant population that has crippled city resources and fueled a crime wave. “I’m willing to meet with him, and I’m willing to meet with anybody to help make their communities safer,” Homan said Monday on “America’s Newsroom” after being contacted by the Adams administration. “Prioritization out of the gate is public safety threats. Work with us on that. It makes your community safer. It keeps my officers safe. It keeps the community safe. Let’s work together and get this done.” Some blue cities and states have already pushed back publicly against Homan’s pledge to tighten border security and make communities safer across the U.S.

In a cautionary tale for online shoppers, a YWN reader recently fell victim to an elaborate scam involving fake Facebook accounts impersonating well-known jewelers, highlighting the growing risk of fraud in the digital marketplace. The victim, seeking a good deal, encountered what appeared to be legitimate social media pages for two high-profile jewelers known for their business on Manhattan’s 47th Street: Moses the Jeweler and Vookum. These jewelers are famous for selling high-end watches, and their Instagram and Facebook accounts are widely followed. However, scammers had copied their Instagram and Facebook content to create fraudulent Facebook profiles, tricking unsuspecting buyers into believing the accounts were authentic.