Biden's minimum wage increase runs afoul of budget rules  —  The Senate parliamentarian has ruled that President Joe Biden's minimum wage hike violates arcane budget rules that could jeopardize the rest of his $1.9 trillion relief package, dealing a blow to progressives in a highly anticipated decision …

US carries out air strikes in Syria targeting Iranian backed militia structures  —  (CNN)The US military struck a site in Syria on Thursday used by two Iranian-backed militia groups following rocket attacks on American forces in the region in the past two weeks, according to a US official.

Boehner goes off script, tells Cruz to “go f**k yourself”  —  John Boehner has been going off script while recording the audio version of his new memoir, using expletives and asides not in the book — such as the former Republican House speaker saying, “Oh, and Ted Cruz, go f**k yourself.”

Twitter announces paid Super Follows to let you charge for tweets  —  It's also planning a groups feature  —  Twitter announced a pair of big upcoming features today: the ability for users to charge their followers for access to additional content, and the ability to create and join groups based around specific interests.

Kennedy: I'm sorry for calling Haaland a ‘whack job’  —  Sen. John Kennedy apologized on Thursday for calling President Joe Biden's Interior Department nominee, Deb Haaland, a “whack job.”  —  The Louisiana Republican said he regretted the remark about Haaland, explaining that he was searching …

The Republican Party Is Now in Its End Stages  —  The GOP has become, in form if not in content, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union of the late 1970s.  —  Author of Our Own Worst Enemy  —  We are living in a time of bad metaphors.  Everything is fascism, or socialism; Hitler's Germany, or Stalin's Soviet Union.

House votes to pass Equality Act, prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity  —  The House on Thursday voted to pass the Equality Act, a far-reaching measure that has been decades in the making and would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Judge rules CDC eviction moratorium unconstitutional  —  A federal judge in Texas ruled on Thursday that an order from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) temporarily halting evictions amid the pandemic is unconstitutional.  —  In a 21-page ruling, U.S. District Judge John Barker sided …

Manhattan DA Gets Trump's Tax Returns  —  Manhattan's District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. now has possession of the tax records of former President Donald Trump.  —  The records from 2011-2018 arrived at the DA's office as a result of the Supreme Court refusing to intervene in the DA's subpoena for the documents.

Biden's chief of staff at center of controversy over White House budget pick  —  White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain has adamantly defended Neera Tanden, both in public and internally  —  White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain is at the center of the controversy over President Biden's choice …

‘Nobody Listened To Me’: The Quest to Be MTG  —  All Marjorie Taylor Greene ever wanted was someone to pay attention to her.  —  Drew Angerer/Getty Images  —  ALPHARETTA, Ga.—Marjorie Taylor Greene smacked her gum as she pretended to listen to a man in a dress read a book about a unicorn.

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner's Final Financial Disclosures Show Where They Made Their Money  —  Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner have filed their final financial disclosure forms (known as OGE 278e), covering their non-governmental income for 2020 and the first few weeks of 2021.

Capitol Police chief says extremists have discussed attack on Congress during Biden's first joint address  —  The acting chief of the U.S. Capitol Police warned lawmakers Thursday that militia members involved in the Jan. 6 riot “want to blow up the Capitol and kill as many members as possible” …

Three Percenter Truck at Capitol on Jan. 6 Belongs to Hitler-Quoting Rep's Husband  —  At least one baseball-bat wielding man tied to the far-right militia group has been arrested for his alleged role in the insurrection. … A pickup truck parked at the United States Capitol and bearing …

My baby daughter died of brain cancer.  Here's what we can do to save other kids.  —  Opinion by Andrew Kaczynski  —  Andrew Kaczynski is an investigative reporter and founder of CNN's KFile Team.  —  It was a beautiful September day that began with a long, relaxing walk across Brooklyn …

My Year of Grief and Cancellation  —  What was I trying to accomplish with my anonymous Tumblr?  —  If you were on Tumblr in the early 2010s, you may remember a blog called Your Fave Is Problematic.  If not, its content should still sound familiar to you.

Trump shares plans for new super PAC in Mar-a-Lago meeting  —  President Donald Trump told political advisers Thursday that he's chosen longtime ally Corey Lewandowski to run a yet-to-be-formed super PAC as part of his expanding post-presidential political apparatus, according to multiple people familiar with the discussion.

“You've Made the Post Swashbuckling Once Again”: Marty Baron Receives a Star-Studded Farewell and Dishes in a Wide-Ranging Exit Interview  —  Stars from Hollywood (Spielberg, Schreiber) and the news biz (Baquet, Blitzer) toasted the legendary editor, who recalls angry calls from Trump …

Scoop: Schumer wants to freeze stimulus changes  —  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is privately saying he can pass President Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus package but wants to avoid any last-minute changes jeopardizing its trajectory, three sources familiar with the talks tell Axios.

Nursing Homes, Once Hotspots, Far Outpace U.S. in Covid Declines  —  20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120% of weekly deaths compared with start of vaccinations July Sept. Nov. Jan. 2021 Feb. 7Vaccinationrollout begins  —  Deaths among nursing home residents have dropped significantly since vaccinations began.

Unprecedented numbers of students have disappeared during the pandemic.  Schools are working harder than ever to find them.  —  DETROIT — Kenneth Chapman Sr. was hopeful as he navigated a hulking Detroit Public Schools van down the street, pulling up to a brick home.

Republican Senators Haven't Represented a Majority of Voters Since 1996  —  As we wait for the Senate parliamentarian to let us know if 41 senators will be able to block a minimum wage increase that a comfortable majority of Americans supports, it's as good a time as any to be reminded …

A Capitol rioter texted his ex during the insurrection to call her a ‘moron,’ feds say.  She turned him in.  —  Standing on the Capitol steps on Jan. 6, Richard Michetti allegedly took a break from the rioting to argue with his ex-girlfriend over text message.

Chip Roy Is A Cowardly Goldfish  —  Butching up with MAGA by condemning people who hold the same position you did six weeks ago.  —  Here's a take on Donald Trump that sounds like something you might've read here in The Bulwark or heard on MSNBC: … Hard to argue with, right?

Ex-Olympic gymnastics coach dies by suicide hours after being charged with human trafficking, sex crimes  —  Former U.S. Olympic gymnastics coach John Geddert, who led the women's team to a gold medal in the 2012 Olympics, killed himself Thursday after he was charged with sexual assault …

The GOP is not even trying to disguise its racism anymore  —  This week, Sen. John Neely Kennedy (R-La.) played up White victim mentality during the confirmation hearing for attorney general nominee Merrick Garland.  Kennedy took issue with Garland's use of the term “implicit bias,” …

Dozens of Capitol rioters have been granted public defenders.  Their trials could cost us millions  —  The majority of suspects in the January 6 insurrection could wind up with court-appointed attorneys.  That's the cost of our justice system, experts say.