Postcard From Peru: Why the Morality Plays Inside The Times Won't Stop  —  Other news organizations have their own personnel dramas.  But none attract the spotlight like The Times.  —  In 2012, when The New York Times was panicked about its financial future, this newspaper went into the travel business.

Now begins McConnell's project to shrink Trump's GOP influence  —  One of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's many admirable traits is that he is uninterested in being admired.  He uses his demeanor to disguise the fact that he has normal feelings and so might welcome public approbation for his decisions.

I voted to convict former President Trump because he is guilty.  —  The Articles of Impeachment charged President Donald Trump with inciting an insurrection.  He chose not to testify, and so guilt or innocence must be inferred by the timeline of events, tweets, and his actions during the invasion of the U.S. Capitol.

'What's the Point?'  Young People's Despair Deepens as Covid-19 Crisis Drags On  —  Experts paint a grim picture of the struggle with lockdown isolation — a “mental health pandemic” that should be treated as seriously as containing the coronavirus.  —  Life seemed promising last year …

Statement by the President Three Years After the Parkland Shooting … Three years ago today, a lone gunman took the lives of 14 students and three educators at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.  In seconds, the lives of dozens of families, and the life of an American community, were changed forever.

Trump impeachment lawyer Michael van der Veen's home vandalized  —  The word “traitor” was spray-painted on the front of the attorney's driveway.  —  Catch up on the developing stories making headlines.  —  Tyger Williams /The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP

The Taliban Close In on Afghan Cities, Pushing the Country to the Brink  —  The Taliban have positioned themselves around several major population centers, including the capital of Kandahar Province, as the Biden administration weighs whether to withdraw or to stay.

Trump's Defense Was an Insult to the Impeachment Proceedings and an Assault on Reason  —  Donald Trump's second impeachment trial was an artifact of his Presidency.  It was a battle of meaning against noise, against nothing-means-anything-and-everything- is-the-same nihilism—and nihilism won.

The New York Times Retracts the Sicknick Story  —  Like so many fake news stories about Donald Trump and his supporters, millions of Americans believe the Sicknick story as truth; even a correction won't change their minds.  —  In a quiet but stunning correction, the New York Times backed away …

The U.S.' vaccine rollout is world-beating  —  That doesn't mean it's good enough.  But let's take a moment to appreciate it.  —  4 hr ago  —  The U.S. vaccine rollout is not going fast enough.  Currently, about 1.7 million shots are being put into arms per day:

Biden Takes Center Stage With Ambitious Agenda as Trump's Trial Ends  —  The president plans to quickly press for his $1.9 trillion stimulus bill, and then move on to infrastructure, immigration, climate change and other major priorities.  —  WASHINGTON — President Biden's allies …

Biden's special Obamacare enrollment period opens Monday.  Here's what you need to know  —  Biden: Health care orders undo the damage Trump has done  —  (CNN)Uninsured Americans who want to buy Affordable Care Act coverage have another three months to do so, thanks to an executive order President Joe Biden signed last month.

Is the GOP's extremist wing now too big to fail?  —  SE Cupp: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene among Trump's awful legacies  —  (CNN)Congressional Republicans have crystallized an ominous question by rejecting consequences for Donald Trump over the January 6 riot in his impeachment trial …

What Was the Wing?  To the extent that it's remembered, it will be as an artifact of the Trump era.  —  Photo-Illustration: by the Cut; Photo Getty Images  —  I remember, over New Year's in 2017, trying to explain to a friend's boyfriend what the Wing was.

The Strategic Silence of Mike Pence  —  Complicity, cowardice, or nihilism?  —  On January 6, a horde of pro-Trump rioters breached the United States Capitol with one bloodthirsty mission in mind: to stop Vice President Mike Pence from carrying out his constitutional obligation to certify Joe Biden's 2020 presidential victory.

New report traces the history of conspiracy theories claiming COVID-19 is a bioweapon  —  Nine-month research collaboration by the DFRLab and AP analyzes how narratives propagated in Russia, the U.S., China and Iran  —  **DOWNLOAD THE FULL REPORT**  —  In December 2019 …

Ambassador sweepstakes underway as figures jockey for plum posts  —  Harry M. Reid's phone has been ringing a lot lately, with calls from interest groups, friends and potential candidates themselves, all craving one thing: an ambassadorship.  The former Senate majority leader then picks …

94 Percent Drop in Symptomatic COVID Cases Seen Among Vaccinated, Biggest Israeli Study Shows  —  The Pfizer COVID vaccine, the study found, was equally effective for all age groups, including people aged 70 and older  —  The Pfizer coronavirus vaccine has produced a 94 percent drop …

Pennsylvania G.O.P.'s Push for More Power Over Judiciary Raises Alarms  —  After fighting the election results, state Republicans are trying to increase their control of the courts.  Outraged Democrats and good government groups see it as a new kind of gerrymandering.

Slate Star Clusterfuck  —  On journalism, ideas, “ideas”, free speech, and tech.  —  2 hr ago  —  A while ago, I did a Q&A with a venture capitalist who had formerly worked in media.  The conversation took place on Clubhouse, the explosively growing audio-driven social network.

This Republican Prosecutor Stood Up For Black Lives Matter Protests.  Haters Ran Him Out of Office.  —  An anonymous Facebook page waged war against a GOP prosecutor after he supported local anti-racism protests and explored whether armed counterprotesters could be breaking the law.

Eric Metaxas Believes America Is Creeping Toward Nazi Germany  —  The PR pitch was brazen: Eric Metaxas, it declared, is “America's #1 Bad Christian.”  The Christian writer and radio host has been promoting doubts about the legitimacy of the 2020 election, including at a prayer rally he emceed on the National Mall in December.