Some Democrats want to fire the Senate parliamentarian who scuttled $15 minimum-wage plans.  It's been done once before.  —  As Democrats sought to use budget reconciliation to keep Republicans from filibustering a minimum-wage increase in the Senate, the decision on whether to allow the measure …

Saudi crown prince approved 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, U.S. intelligence report concludes  —  Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved the operation that led to the brutal 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, according to a long-withheld U.S. intelligence report made public Friday.

‘Worshipping the golden jackass’: CPAC mocked for displaying giant gold Trump statue  —  The Conservative Political Action Conference is set to begin this weekend, and early indications are that much of it will be dedicated to worshipping former President Donald Trump.

Cruz received a special ‘welcome back’ message in Senate gym  —  Sen. Ted Cruz's colleagues had a little fun at the Texas Republican's expense when he returned to Washington this week following his infamous trip to Cancun.  —  When senators arrived at the Senate gym on Wednesday morning …

Past marijuana use won't automatically disqualify Biden White House staff  —  WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is issuing new guidelines Friday meant to address an unexpected hurdle it faced as it aimed to quickly fill key White House positions: recreational marijuana use.

Former GOP lawmaker: Republican Party ‘engulfed in lies and fear’  —  Former Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.) argued in a pre-taped interview that ran Friday that the Republican Party has lost its way and become “engulfed in lies in fear.”  —  Curbelo and former Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) …

New York Times Columnist David Brooks Wrote A Blog Post For Facebook's Corporate Website  —  On Tuesday, New York Times columnist David Brooks published a 900-word ode to Facebook Groups and how they foster online communities around the world.  —  The column didn't appear in Brooks' usual spot in the Times …

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 …

WNBA Approves Sale of Atlanta Dream to Larry Gottesdiener  —Former Dream Player Renee Montgomery to be Member of Ownership Group-  —  Atlanta, Georgia (February 26, 2021) - The WNBA and NBA Boards of Governors have unanimously approved the sale of the Atlanta Dream to Larry Gottesdiener …

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.”

As fractures emerge among Proud Boys, experts warn of a shift toward extremist violence  —  As members of the Proud Boys arrived at the foot of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, they gathered as a unified front, donning bright orange beanies and tactical gear and carrying flags and megaphones used …

“We're Not Opening the Dementia Thing”: Inside Team Biden's Freakout Over Julia Louis-Dreyfus's Trump Jokes  —  At the 2020 Democratic National Convention, Veep's showrunner clashed with organizers over the HBO star's act—an episode revealing how the Biden campaign tried to tamp down any drama on its road to the White House.

QAnon Isn't So Sure Trump Will Magically Become President Again on March 4  —  Influencers within the conspiracy movement are trying to reverse course on a belief that Trump will become president again on that date.  —  DG  —  National Guard troops have been deployed …

Some local GOP leaders fire up base with conspiracies, lies  —  A faction of local, county and state Republican officials is pushing lies, misinformation and conspiracy theories that echo those that helped inspire the violent U.S. Capitol siege, online messaging that is spreading quickly …

Seeking the True Story of the Comfort Women  —  How a Harvard professor's dubious scholarship reignited a history of mistrust between South Korea and Japan.  —  In January, I was outlining an article I hoped to write about a recent judgment by a South Korean court ordering Japan to pay compensation …

U.S. Airstrikes in Syria Target Iran-Backed Militias That Rocketed U.S. Troops in Iraq  —  President Biden ordered retaliatory strikes against the militias whose attacks in Erbil this month killed one foreign contractor and wounded a U.S. service member.  —  WASHINGTON — The United States …

‘Superman’ Reboot In The Works At Warner Bros With Ta-Nehisi Coates Writing, J.J. Abrams Producing  —  Deadline has confirmed that author Ta-Nehisi Coates is writing a Superman reboot feature for Warner Bros and DC, which J.J. Abrams is producing under his Bad Robot label.  —  Hannah Minghella will serve as producer.

The Campaign to Cancel Wokeness  —  How the right is trying to censor critical race theory.  —  It's something of a truism, particularly on the right, that conservatives have claimed the mantle of free speech from an intolerant left that is afraid to engage with uncomfortable ideas.

State treasurer Sarah Godlewski ‘seriously considering’ U.S. Senate run as Ron Kind also looks at race  —  As the potential Democratic runners get in position for next year's U.S. Senate race, a familiar name can't be dismissed.  —  That would be U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, who represents …

How this summer could bring the pandemic relief we're longing for  —  Coronavirus cases could increase in spring with variants.  Summer may bring some normalcy.  But the virus is almost certainly here to stay.  —  It's been months since David Rubin's children have seen their 87-year-old grandmother …

Amid the Scandals, Cuomo's Enemies Are Ready to Unleash a Decade of Resentment  —  For weeks, Andrew Cuomo believed that all the chatter about the nursing-home scandal, and the creeping doubts about his management of the pandemic, was mere noise.  He would get past it, and a glorious spring …

American Cynicism Has Reached a Breaking Point  —  On Tuesday evening, at the start of his Fox News show, Tucker Carlson shared the results of an investigation that he and his staff had conducted into a well-known agent of American disinformation.  “We spent all day trying to locate the famous QAnon …

How Trumpism Has Become a Cult of Losing  —  In the American system, with the president's dual roles of symbolic head of state and head of government, defeated presidents generally fade from sight.  The last two presidents to be defeated after a single term, George Bush and Jimmy Carter, immediately entered into political exile.

U.S. to Impose Sweeping Rule Aimed at China Technology Threats  —  Biden administration plans to let the Trump-era rule on technology purchases and deals take effect, despite U.S. business objections about its scope  —  WASHINGTON—The Biden administration plans to allow a sweeping Trump-era rule aimed …