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 …

Rudy Giuliani tried dodging getting served with $1B Dominion Voting Systems suit: source  —  Rudy Giuliani spent a week dodging service of a $1.3 billion lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems after publicly declaring he was ready for the legal fight, a source told the Daily News.

‘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.

Al Jazeera to launch rightwing media platform targeting US conservatives  —  Rightly will be led by a former Fox News journalist and is aimed at Republicans who ‘feel left out of conservative media’  —  Al Jazeera, the Qatar-based news network that has previously sought to become …

Security officials in charge on Jan. 6 tell Congress conflicting stories  —  The officials in charge of securing the Capitol on Jan. 6 say a tangled mess of conflicting orders and unanswered calls culminated in an hourslong delay by the Pentagon in deploying National Guard troops to quell …

Amazon Pulls Bestseller on Transgender Issues From Store Without Explanation  —  Amazon steps up censorship campaign against conservative content  —  Amazon pulled a bestseller on transgender issues from its online store on Sunday without explanation.  —  Author Ryan T. Anderson tweeted …

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 …

Ted Cruz's latest Cancún spin shows the rot of GOP victimization runs deep  —  Mark it down.  Republicans have hit on a new way to spin away their own screw-ups and scandals: By claiming the media focus on their political travails is driven by the press' search for a new Republican victim …

Vaccine makers Pfizer and Moderna pledge massive boost to U.S. supply after sluggish rollout  —  The increases needed to meet March delivery targets will be steep, however, and Biden administration officials expect the companies could come up slightly short  —  Drug companies told lawmakers Tuesday …

David Perdue pulls himself out of 2022 Georgia Senate race  —  Former Sen. David Perdue has opted not to mount a comeback in Georgia, with the Republican saying in an email to supporters that he will not challenge Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock in 2022.  —  Perdue, 71, was ousted …

The Future of Conservatism Is Flight 93 Elections Forever  —  Michael Anton has been confronted with a dilemma few writers have ever contemplated: how to handle catastrophic success.  Anton's 2016 essay, “The Flight 93 Election,” made a then-shocking case to the right-wing intelligentsia in favor of Donald Trump's election.

The battle over climate change is boiling over on the home front  —  Municipalities want new buildings to go all electric, spurning gas-fired stoves and heating systems.  The gas industry disagrees  —  A new front has opened in the battle over climate change: The kitchen.

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 …

California's coronavirus strain looks increasingly dangerous: ‘The devil is already here’  —  A coronavirus variant that emerged in mid-2020 and surged to become the dominant strain in California not only spreads more readily than its predecessors, but also evades antibodies generated …

Wisconsin Republicans Refuse To Condemn Political Violence  —  Nothing that might be taken as criticism of Donald Trump can be allowed.  —  We are long-time Republicans who have served in GOP leadership at the county, district, and state levels in Wisconsin.

Biden administration preparing to sanction Russia for SolarWinds hacks and the poisoning of an opposition leader  —  The Biden administration is preparing sanctions and other measures to punish Moscow for actions that go beyond the sprawling SolarWinds cyber espionage campaign to include …

For Women in Economics the Hostility is Out in the Open  —  Studies have found that the field is plagued by a singular problem of gender bias.  The latest evidence comes from the types of questions posed at seminars.  —  A few years ago, the economists Alicia Sasser Modestino and Justin Wolfers sat …

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.

Does Merrick Garland Even Know What Day It Is?  —  Merrick Garland had his confirmation hearing yesterday.  The formerly deceased (ok, not really) Supreme Court nominee from the Obama era is being seen as a shoe-in for Attorney General.  The expectation is that many Republican Senators will vote to confirm …

Scoop: Biden's OMB Plan B  —  House Democratic leaders are quietly mounting a campaign for Shalanda Young, a longtime congressional aide, to replace Neera Tanden as nominee for director of the Office of Management and Budget, people familiar with the matter tell Axios.

Blinken asks for Israeli help in facilitating COVID vaccines to the Palestinians  —  Secretary of State Tony Blinken asked his Israeli counterpart in their phone call on Monday for Israel to facilitate the transfer of COVID-19 vaccines to the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, Israeli officials told me.

Woke Me When It's Over  —  In the humorless world of Woke, the satire is never funny and the statute of limitations never expires, even when it comes to hamantaschen.  —  In 2015, Bon Appétit ran an article by the food writer Dawn Perry about hamantaschen, the triangular cookies …

Trump's former treasury secretary expected to launch investment fund, seeking backing of Persian Gulf state funds  —  Steven Mnuchin has begun hiring staff for an investment fund likely to focus on the financial technology and entertainment sectors, people familiar with the plans said.

President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden to travel to Houston on Friday  —  WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden are heading to Houston on Friday as Texas recovers from winter storms that left millions without power and water.  —  The White House announced the trip on Tuesday with no additional details.

Secretary Blinken's Call with Egyptian Foreign Minister Shoukry  —  The below is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:  —  Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry.  The Secretary and the Foreign Minister highlighted the importance …

Elon Musk moved to Texas and embraced celebrity.  Can Tesla run on Autopilot?  —  Investors fear a world where Musk no longer leads the company.  But his attention is already going elsewhere.  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Elon Musk says he is stretched too thin.  —  The chief executive …

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.

‘Where is everyone?’:  Inside Trump's DC hotel post-presidency  —  Washington (CNN)A sprawling lobby and bar with only a handful of people.  Confused guests asking where everybody went.  Elegant, but empty hallways.  These are the scenes CNN observed inside the Trump International Hotel in Washington …

Anti-Maskers Waging “Spiritual War” Statewide  —  A network of far-right activists organized on social media, including anti-maskers and anti-vaxx conspiracists, has been raising hell in communities all over Maine, staging armed protests and becoming increasingly aggressive on the streets.

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.

Tester outlines defense budget strategy  —  Editor's Note: Morning Defense is a free version of POLITICO Pro Defense's morning newsletter, which is delivered to our subscribers each morning at 6 a.m. The POLITICO Pro platform combines the news you need with tools you can use to take action on the day's biggest stories.

Inside a ‘Patriot Party’ rally where Trump loyalists search for a path forward  —  (CNN)The “Patriot Party” is somewhere between a meme and a movement of Trump loyalists.  —  The idea and, perhaps just as important, the logo, have been circulating on social media since last summer.