McConnell says Taylor Greene's embrace of conspiracy theories a ‘cancer’ to GOP, country  —  Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Monday blasted Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's embrace of “loony lies and conspiracy theories” as a “cancer for the Republican Party.”

Dolly Parton turned down the Presidential Medal of Freedom twice  —  Besides being East Tennessee's songbird, country superstar Dolly Parton has always had a philanthropic side and it turns out even presidents have noticed!  —  The queen of country, 75, told TODAY in an interview …

Trump pollster's campaign autopsy paints damning picture of defeat  —  Former President Donald Trump has blamed the election results on unfounded claims of fraud and malfeasance.  But at the top levels of his campaign, a detailed autopsy report that circulated among his political aides paints …

Bonus episode: Inside the craziest meeting of the Trump presidency  —  Last month, Axios published “Off the rails,” a series taking you inside the end of Donald Trump's presidency, from his election loss to the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection that triggered his second impeachment — and a Senate trial set to begin next week.

Trump's Sleight of Hand: Shouting Fraud, Pocketing Donors' Cash for Future  —  With breathless, often misleading appeals, the former president promised small donors that he was using the money to fight the election results, but in fact stored much of it for future use.

Scoop: Fees — not just strategy — blew up Trump's legal team  —  Disagreements over legal strategy weren't the only reason Donald Trump's defense team collapsed just days before his second impeachment trial, Axios has learned.  —  What we're hearing: The notoriously stingy former president …

Are acronyms a symptom of ‘white supremacy culture?’  SFUSD makes another disputable decision  —  SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — First the San Francisco School Board decided to rename 44 schools because they are named after people with ties to racism or slavery.  Now the Arts Department has taken …

D.C. Claims Eminent Domain To Seize Infamous NoMa Wendy's Site  —  D.C. is using eminent domain to seize the Wendy's property in NoMa as part of a plan to transform the notorious “Dave Thomas Circle” intersection.  —  The District government filed an eminent domain case in D.C. Superior Court …

A Pennsylvania Mother's Path to Insurrection  —  How claims from Rudy Giuliani and Alex Jones spurred a parent of eight to become one of the Capitol riot's biggest mysteries and a fugitive from the F.B.I.  —  Before the pandemic, Rachel Powell, a forty-year-old resident of a small town …

Democrats will expand their Senate majority in 2022  —  With the announcement last week that Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) will forgo seeking a third term representing the Buckeye State, Democrats are increasingly bullish about expanding their slim majority in the midterm elections.

The Brazil Variant Is Exposing the World's Vulnerability  —  Editor's Note: The Atlantic is making vital coverage of the coronavirus available to all readers.  Find the collection here.  —  Even in a year of horrendous suffering, what is unfolding in Brazil stands out.

White House Reporters: Biden Team Wanted Our Questions in Advance  —  “It pissed off enough reporters for people to flag it” for the White House Correspondents' Association, one of The Daily Beast's sources said. … If you're a reporter with a tough question for the White House press secretary …

Dare Trump to Testify  —  He should be called out as a coward if he refuses to take the stand in his own defense.  —  Donald Trump attempted to overthrow an election and install himself as an autocrat.  —  This is an inconvenient truth for congressional Republicans who were complicit in the scheme …

Officer Who Shot Capitol Rioter Ashli Babbitt Shouldn't Be Charged, Investigators Advise  —  Ms. Babbitt died after being shot by Capitol Police officer on Jan. 6  —  WASHINGTON—Investigators have made a preliminary determination that the police officer who shot and killed Ashli Babbitt during …

Russian Covid-19 Vaccine Was Highly Effective in Trial, Study Finds, Boosting Moscow's Rollout Ambitions  —  Sputnik V shot achieved 91.6% efficacy against coronavirus symptoms, says paper in U.K.'s Lancet  —  MOSCOW—Russia's homegrown Sputnik V vaccine showed high levels of efficacy …

The Robinhood Non-Conspiracy  —  A margin call is not a Wall Street plot to fleece Reddit traders.  —  By The Editorial Board  —  So much for the “rigged” market, the supposed conspiracy to fleece Reddit traders, and other nonsense spouted about last week's stock market ructions involving GameStop and other companies.

Trump Official's Last-Day Deal With ICE Union Ties Biden's Hands  —  A whistle-blower accused Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II of an abuse of power in making sweeping concessions to pro-Trump Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.  —  WASHINGTON — A whistle-blower complaint filed on Monday …

Biden administration eyes Rahm Emanuel for ambassadorship  —  WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is considering former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel for a high-profile ambassadorship, potentially to China, three people with knowledge of the discussions said.  —  Becoming the U.S. ambassador …

Ga. bills would end no-excuse absentee voting, automatic registration  —  Republican state senators introduced a package of bills Monday to ban automatic voter registration, ballot drop boxes and no-excuse absentee voting in Georgia.  —  The proposals amount to an overhaul of Georgia's election laws …

Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump's final financial disclosures … Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner disclosed receiving between $23,791,645 and $120,676,949 in combined outside income in their final financial disclosure reports.  The disclosures cover the entirety of 2020 through January 20, 2021.

Anti-vaccine protest at Dodger Stadium was organized on Facebook, including promotion of banned ‘Plandemic’ video  —  The activity shows how the social media site remains a critical organizing tool of the anti-vaccine movement  —  The Washington Post is providing this important information about the coronavirus for free.

Texas GOP fires staffer after he posted video from Capitol riot and spread false conspiracy theories at D.C. pizzeria  —  The field organizer was fired after The Texas Tribune asked about the posts on social media, which also included him praising the far-right Proud Boys.  —  Copy link

Democrats risk unintended Medicare cuts if they pass partisan Covid relief … WASHINGTON — Democrats considering a maneuver to forgo bipartisan support to pass Covid-19 relief are confronting an unintended consequence: doing so could automatically cut Medicare.

Dustin Diamond Dead at 44 After Battle with Stage 4 Lung Cancer  —  REMEMBERING DUSTIN DIAMOND  —  Dustin Diamond — best known for playing the lovable Samuel “Screech” Powers on the hit NBC sitcom, “Saved by the Bell” — has died ... TMZ has learned.  —  A rep for Dustin tells us he died Monday morning.

Biden to Free Up Billions in Delayed Puerto Rico Storm Aid  —  The administration plans to release $1.3 billion that was meant to help Puerto Rico rebuild after Hurricane Maria in 2017, and will remove restrictions on another $4.9 billion.  —  WASHINGTON — The Biden administration …