Slate Suspends Podcast Host After Debate Over Racial Slur  —  Mike Pesca of “The Gist” said he was suspended after defending, in a Slack discussion with colleagues, the use of the slur in some contexts.  —  The online publication Slate has suspended a well-known podcast host after he debated …

‘A double standard going on’: Democrats accuse GOP and Manchin of bias on Biden nominations  —  Women's rights activists and allied Democrats are growing increasingly vocal about what they call the unfair targeting of women and people of color nominated by Joe Biden to top posts in his administration.

AG Ken Paxton and wife Sen. Angela Paxton went to Utah during Texas freeze  —  While millions of Texans languished in their homes last week without heat, many of them racking up astronomical electricity bills, the state official in charge of consumer protection left to take an out-of-state trip.

Fauci says U.S. political divisions contributed to 500,000 dead from COVID-19  —  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, said political divisiveness contributed significantly to the “stunning” U.S. COVID-19 death toll, which on Monday surpassed 500,000 lives lost.

Key Capitol security officials to be grilled about what went wrong on Jan. 6  —  Six weeks after an angry mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol, some of the key figures who were in charge of keeping the building secure on Jan. 6 will answer questions under oath about how the highly secure facility …

Featured CPAC speaker said Judaism is a “complete lie” and referred to Jewish people as “thieving fake Jews”  —  Leading Republican officials are set to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) this week along with a virulently anti-Semitic speaker named Young Pharaoh.

Donald Trump Is Extremely Mad Prosecutors Will See His Tax Returns  —  Donald Trump's yearslong quest to prevent the public, Congress, or law-enforcement officials from seeing his tax statements came to a resounding end with a unanimous Supreme Court ruling.  He did not take the defeat in stride.

Trump taunts don't shake McConnell's hold on Senate GOP  —  Sen. Rick Scott challenged the certification of Donald Trump's reelection loss, bashed Trump's second impeachment trial and recently spoke with the former president about Senate races.  But don't take that as the Florida Republican siding with Trump over Mitch McConnell.

Scoop: Allies worried Biden shaky on Putin's pipeline  —  Russia's adversaries in central and Eastern Europe are worried President Biden isn't willing to fight hard to stop the Russia-Germany gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 — one of Vladimir Putin's core priorities.

Oath Keeper now says she didn't meet with Secret Service around the January 6 rally  —  (CNN)Jessica Watkins, a leader in an alleged Oath Keepers conspiracy in the US Capitol insurrection, changed her story Monday about meeting with Secret Service agents in describing her actions on January 6.

Vaccine access codes for Black, Latino communities improperly used in affluent L.A. areas  —  A California program intended to improve COVID-19 vaccine availability to people in hard-hit communities of color is being misused by outsiders who are grabbing appointments reserved for residents of underserved Black and Latino areas.

We identified the 125 people and institutions most responsible for Donald Trump's rise to power and his norm-busting behavior that tested the boundaries of the US government and its institutions … - Insider compiled this database of the 125 people and institutions essential to Donald Trump's rise …

Cuomo's office terrorized me for doing my job as a journalist  —  It was 4:30 a.m., so I pulled the bathroom door shut in my one-bedroom Brooklyn apartment to answer the phone without waking my then-5-year-old.  On the line was Melissa DeRosa, Gov. Cuomo's then-communications director, now his second-in-command.

Missing Marine sparks White House questions  —  The absence of a Marine sentry outside the West Wing on Monday raised questions about whether President Biden was keeping the schedule publicly outlined by his aides.  —  Why it matters: A sure way to tell if the president is inside the Oval Office …

First migrant facility for children opens under Biden  —  CARRIZO SPRINGS, Tex. — Dozens of migrant teens boarded vans Monday for the trip down a dusty road to a former man camp for oil field workers here, the first migrant child facility opened under the Biden administration.

Facebook Strikes Deal to Restore News Sharing in Australia  —  The agreement means users and publishers in Australia can once again share links to news articles, after Facebook had blocked the practice last week.  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook said on Monday that it had struck a deal …

Why Merrick Garland deserves to become the new attorney general  —  There have been few moments in history when the role of attorney general, and the person filling that post, has mattered more.  Once Judge Merrick Garland is confirmed by the Senate as the next attorney general of the United States …

Trump reported making more than $1.6 billion while president … Donald Trump reported making more than $1.6 billion in outside revenue and income during his four years as President of the United States, according to a review of his financial disclosures by CREW.

Democrats Are Waltzing Toward an Easily Avoidable Political Disaster With Their COVID Bill  —  At the moment, Democrats in Washington appear to be in danger of sleepwalking their way toward a major policy and public relations debacle.  —  The problem?  With tax season underway …

Bloomberg's 2020 aides got an unwelcome surprise in their tax forms  —  Nearly a year after Mike Bloomberg's $1 billion presidential campaign crashed into Super Tuesday, his staffers are still dealing with the aftershocks.  —  In recent weeks, aides to the former Democratic candidate started …

Clarence Thomas Promotes Trump's Voter Fraud Lies in Alarming Dissent  —  Justice Clarence Thomas is not backing down from the fight to legitimize Donald Trump's claims that the 2020 election was rife with fraud.  On Monday morning, Thomas issued a startling opinion ranting against the alleged dangers …

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell says he's losing $65 million over election-fraud claims and it proves he's not pushing conspiracy theories for the money  — Dominion Voting Systems sued MyPillow and its CEO, Mike Lindell, seeking $1.3 billion in damages.  — The defamation lawsuit claims …

What About Joe?  —  Why can't anti-Trump become work-with-Biden?  —  There's an interesting piece in Politico today which raises interesting questions.  Its headline: “Anti-Trumpers are done with the GOP.  Where do they go now?”  The subhed: “Scores of Republicans are bolting the party in the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

‘She became an easy target’: GOP opposition to Haaland rankles Native Americans  —  Republican senators opposed to Rep. Deb Haaland's nomination to be President Joe Biden's leader of the Interior Department are centering their resistance on what they call the New Mexico Democrat's “extreme views” …

Former Trump officials eye bids for political office  —  Former Trump administration officials are testing the waters for political office, underscoring the former president's lasting influence on the Republican Party as it searches for a post-Trump identity.

Artemi Panarin taking Rangers leave of absence after Russian hit piece  —  New York Rangers star Artemi Panarin is taking a leave of absence from the team in wake of a politically motivated article from Russia, in which his former Vityaz head coach alleges that the ex-forward …

Biden health secretary pick Xavier Becerra braces for contentious Senate hearings  —  WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden's nominee to lead the powerful Department of Health and Human Services is preparing for two days of contentious hearings in a divided Senate, with allies fanning out to defend …

Aurora Police did not have basis to stop, frisk or restrain Elijah McClain, investigation finds  —  (CNN)The Aurora, Colorado, police officers involved in the fatal confrontation with Elijah McClain in August 2019 did not have a legal basis to stop him, frisk him or physically restrain him …

Biden Gets High Marks for COVID-19 Response  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Several weeks into his first term in office, 67% of Americans approve of President Joe Biden's handling of the coronavirus.  Although not as high as his rating on the pandemic, approval of Biden is at the majority level on his overall job …