POLITICO Playbook: Larry Summers plays the skunk at the Covid relief party  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  LITERALLY BREAKING OVERNIGHT — Vote-a-rama as of 5:35 a.m. ... @caitlinzemma: “Senate PASSES the budget resolution Democrats can use to speed passage of Biden's $1.9T coronavirus plan, 50-51, with VP Harris breaking the tie.

Senate approves budget bill to pass Biden economic relief plan  —  Vice President Harris breaks tie on budget resolution after all-night Senate session  —  The Senate approved a budget bill early Friday that paves the way for passage of President Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package …

Trump's allies fear the impeachment trial could be a PR nightmare  —  Allies of former President Donald Trump are imploring his impeachment team to avoid one specific topic when they defend the ex-president at his Senate trial next week: the deadly riot that unfolded at the U.S. Capitol.

The Misogynistic ‘Dating Coach’ Who Was Charged in the Capitol Riot  —  Samuel Fisher left a long trail of videos and social media posts that reflect the views of a fringe faction of disgruntled men who became fixated on President Donald J. Trump.  —  For $150, Brad Holiday's customers …

FBI Raids Home Of Rachel Powell, Mercer County Mother Of 8 Suspected In Capitol Attack  —  Powell has become known as the lady with the bullhorn, seeming to have knowledge of the Capitol building's floor plan, instructing insurrectionists where to go.  —  SANDY LAKE, Pa. (KDKA) …

Mike Pence is starting a podcast  —  Mike Pence is returning to his radio roots after a 22-year hiatus from the airwaves.  —  The former vice president will launch a podcast in the coming months hosted by the Young America's Foundation, a conservative youth organization dating back to the1960s.

Israeli hospital claims may have found cure for COVID-19  —  Preliminary testing shows that 29 out of 30 virus patients in serious condition that were administered the drug, dubbed EXO-CD24, once a day made a full recovery within five days; similar treatment announced by Hadassah Medical Center

They Stormed the Capitol.  Their Apps Tracked Them.  —  Times Opinion was able to identify individuals from a trove of leaked smartphone location data.  —  Mr. Warzel and Mr. Thompson are writers in Opinion.  They previously reported on smartphone tracking for the series “One Nation, Tracked.”

At least 1M have filed for unemployment every week for 46 weeks  —  More than 1 million Americans filed first-time unemployment claims for the 46th consecutive week last week, the Labor Department reported.  —  Why it matters: There is no historical precedent for the ongoing rate of job losses in the U.S.

Russian doctor who treated Navalny after poisoning has died  —  (CNN)A top doctor at the Russian hospital where opposition leader Alexey Navalny was treated immediately after his poisoning last summer has died, the hospital said on Thursday.  —  Sergey Maximishin, who was the deputy chief physician …

The QAnon Rep Isn't Owning the Libs.  She's Leading the GOP's Space-Laser Suicide March.  —  NO HILLBILLY … Marjorie Taylor Greene is Sarah Palin, but not occasionally charismatic.  Steve Bannon, but not occasionally smart.  Donald Trump, but not occasionally funny.

No, Ocasio-Cortez Didn't Make Up Her Capitol Riots Experience  —  Since Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the New York Democrat, took to Instagram Live on Monday to describe what the Jan. 6 riot was like from inside the Capitol complex, critics have claimed that she wasn't where she said she was …

Third North Texas real estate professional is charged with storming U.S. Capitol building  —  Jason Hyland, 37, of Frisco arranged a flight to D.C. on a private plane with others to protest the election results and ended up inside the Capitol building with a mob of rioters, the feds say.

Sen. Ben Sasse slams Nebraska GOP committee's plans to censure him for criticizing Trump  —  Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) on Thursday released a pointed, 5-minute video directed at leading members of the Nebraska Republican Party, on the heels of reports that the party planned to censure Sasse …

The Secret History of the Shadow Campaign That Saved the 2020 Election  —  A weird thing happened right after the Nov. 3 election: nothing.  —  The nation was braced for chaos.  Liberal groups had vowed to take to the streets, planning hundreds of protests across the country.

Joe Biden's Fast 15 Days  —  He is working to untie—or cut through—the political knot of the economic relief bill, even as his team moves swiftly on several other fronts.  —  In his first 100 days, Franklin Roosevelt jammed a transformative agenda through Congress—combating mass immiseration …

Trump is plotting a campaign revenge tour targeting GOP defectors after Senate impeachment trial … - Donald Trump is plotting a comeback revenge tour targeting GOP defectors after his Senate impeachment trial.  — Trump is talking with aides about a road trip to campaign against Republicans who supported his removal.

Biden flying to Delaware despite CDC warnings to avoid travel  —  The CDC issued guidance this week urging against non-essential travel amid the coronavirus pandemic.  —  CDC issues sweeping mask mandate for travelers  —  President Biden is expected to travel to Delaware this weekend …

Turkish minister says U.S. behind 2016 failed coup - Hurriyet  —  ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's interior minister accused the United States on Thursday of being behind a 2016 failed coup that Ankara has blamed on a U.S.-based Muslim preacher, the Hurriyet daily reported, at a time when Turkey is seeking improved ties with its NATO ally.

'We've learned to love the guy': How Biden charmed the left  —  During a call with House Democrats on Wednesday, President Joe Biden used data from a three-year-old progressive think tank to argue his case for a massive Covid-relief plan.  —  The think tank, Data for Progress …

The Pandemic Is in Tenuous Retreat  —  Editor's Note: The Atlantic is making vital coverage of the coronavirus available to all readers.  Find the collection here.  —  The good news in COVID-19 data continued this week, as new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths all dropped.

Special Report: Stolen election?  Republican lawmakers paralyzed by Trump's false fraud claims  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - On Jan. 6, right after the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, 147 Republican lawmakers voted the way then-president Donald Trump and the rioters had demanded …

Rep. Boebert paid off nearly $20K in state tax liens in 2020  —  Delinquent unemployment insurance premiums dated back to restaurant opening in 2013  —  Less than two weeks before being elected to represent Colorado's 3rd District in Congress, Rep. Lauren Boebert paid off the last of nearly $20,000 …

The Rush to Reconciliation  —  It's fascinating to watch Democrats in Washington talking themselves in real time into what seems like a serious error.  —  The argument they are working themselves into accepting is straightforward: The big pandemic-relief bill the president has outlined is urgently needed …