Ohio's U.S. Sen. Rob Portman won't run for re-election; Republican cites ‘partisan gridlock’  —  Republican Rob Portman will not seek a third term in the U.S. Senate in 2022, he told The Enquirer - a move that will unsettle politics in both Greater Cincinnati and Washington D.C.

Rudy Giuliani Sued by Dominion Voting Systems Over False Election Claims  —  The suit against Mr. Giuliani, a lawyer for former President Donald Trump who pushed to overturn the election results, accuses him of carrying out “a viral disinformation campaign.”

Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Announces Initiation of Investigation  —  Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz announced today that:  —  The DOJ Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is initiating an investigation into whether any former …

Supreme Court dismisses Trump emoluments lawsuits as moot  —  The Supreme Court on Monday ordered lower courts to dismiss two cases that alleged former President Donald Trump unlawfully profited from his businesses while in office, in violation of the Constitution's emoluments clauses.

Fight over the rules grinds the Senate to a halt, imperiling Biden's legislative agenda  —  When President Biden took office last week, he promised sweeping, bipartisan legislation to solve the coronavirus pandemic, fix the economy and overhaul immigration.  —  Just days later …

It's time to stand up against the muzzling of America  —  Have you checked your social credit score lately?  You might want to.  Mine seems to have taken a nosedive this month.  You might want to see how yours is doing.  —  Everyone knows what a credit score is.  But social credit scores are new.

Some Trump aides stuck with him till the end.  Now they're screwed.  —  Four days into his post-presidency life, Donald Trump has insulated himself from the outside world.  —  Unseen by the public and unusually quiet as key parts of his policy legacy are dismantled by the new administration …

Liz Cheney Should Step Away From Leadership For The Sake Of GOP Voters  —  There is no reason to leave Cheney in her leadership position.  In fact, it's negligence for Republican leaders to keep her there.  —  Liz Cheney's problems are piling up, according to Politico.

Meet Trump's Pro-Insurrection “Intellectuals”  —  We should have known January 6 was coming, because Trumpism's “intellectual” wing called for it, for weeks.  —  Last December, Ross Douthat suggested that “there are two Republican Parties.”  One of them governs dutifully, “certifying elections …

“Fight for Trump”: Video Evidence of Incitement at the Capitol  —  How direct is the connection between what President Donald Trump communicated to his supporters and their actions in laying siege to the U.S. Capitol?  Videos recorded by many individuals over the course of the day provide some answers.

Newsom to lift stay-home orders across California  —  SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to lift stay-at-home orders statewide Monday, allowing restaurants to reopen for outdoor dining and salons to resume appointments indoors, according to two sources close to the governor and a restaurant industry email.

Twitter unveils ‘Birdwatch,’ a ‘community-driven approach’ to combat misleading information  —  ‘Birdwatch’ allows users to add notes to tweets they believe are false in an attempt to ‘add context’ for other users  —  Does Trump's Twitter ban set a dangerous precedent?

White House condemns riots in Portland, Seattle: ‘Smashing windows is not protesting and neither is looting’  —  ‘President Biden condemns ... any violence in the strongest possible terms,’ Psaki says  —  Protesters smash police vehicle windows in Tacoma  —  White House press secretary Jen Psaki …

Jim Acosta: I've never seen Trump this alone  —  New York (CNN Business)Donald Trump spent his last moments as President sad and alone, according to Jim Acosta, who led CNN's coverage of Trump during his presidency.  —  In his farewell to Washington on Wednesday morning …

White House staff welcomes new first family: ‘The residence has life again’  —  (CNN)The new President and first lady settled in at the White House this weekend, and did so with extended Biden family members.  —  “The residence has life in it again,” a White House source told CNN of the energy inside.

Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Retains Neutralizing Activity Against Emerging Variants First Identified in the U.K. and the Republic of South Africa  —  Out of an abundance of caution, Moderna launches clinical program to boost immunity to emerging variants  —  Manuscript posted to preprint server …

Undercounting of Covid-19 deaths is greatest in pro-Trump areas, analysis shows  —  Tens of thousands of Covid-19 deaths are going unreported in the U.S., with far more missed in counties that strongly supported former President Trump, according to new research.

MAGA media looks to turn White House briefing room into a battlefield  —  Eric Bolling, the conservative host of Sinclair Broadcast Group's “America This Week,” would travel regularly to Donald Trump's White House, interviewing the former president seven times and occasionally attending press briefings.

How growing up in Aynor prepared one of the nation's top reporters to cover Trump  —  AYNOR — Often when the former Trump Administration made international news, a byline recognizable to many in Aynor ran atop The Washington Post's coverage.  —  From big breaks like the former president calling …

In U.K., Concern Grows Over Vaccine Hesitancy Among Minority Groups  —  There are increasing calls to prioritize people of color, who have been harder hit by the coronavirus.  But for some of them, a mistrust of the authorities has fed into anxieties about the shots' safety.

POLITICO Playbook: Republicans feel the squeeze on impeachment  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  REPUBLICANS ARE UNDER INTENSE PRESSURE to acquit DONALD TRUMP — whether they think he committed an impeachable offense or not.  At this point, it's all about self-preservation.

Mike Lindell moves the goalposts on a run for Minnesota governor  —  The will-he-or-won't-he speculation surrounding a possible gubernatorial run by MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell is destined to continue at least a bit longer.  —  What he's saying: Lindell told Axios that his focus is currently on proving his …