State Department aide appointed by Trump stormed the Capitol, beat police with a riot shield, FBI says  —  On Thursday, the FBI arrested a political appointee of former president Donald Trump on charges that he stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, according to a criminal complaint …

Cuomo Aides Rewrote Nursing Home Report to Hide Higher Death Toll  —  The intervention was the earliest action yet known in an effort by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo that concealed how many nursing home residents died in the pandemic.  —  Top aides to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo were alarmed …

Donald Trump's Georgia Rewrite  —  The former President is unhappy with us for recognizing reality.  —  By The Editorial Board  —  Former Presidents and Vice Presidents have told us how psychologically difficult the early months of lost political power can be.

GOP grapples with extremist episodes among its own  —  The House GOP's No. 3 leader recently urged Republicans to make clear they're not the party of white supremacy.  Two days later, one of their members spoke at a conference organized by a known white nationalist.

Detroit Mayor Duggan doubles down on not wanting J&J vaccine for ‘foreseeable future’  — City rejects 6,200 Johnson & Johnson vaccines; that amount not replaced with Moderna, Pfizer  — Duggan said city's vaccination program is humming along and he wants Detroiters to get the best vaccine

AP-NORC poll: Americans largely back Biden's virus response  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden is enjoying an early presidential honeymoon, with 60% of Americans approving of his job performance thus far and even more backing his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new poll …

House impeachment manager Eric Swalwell sues Trump and close allies over Capitol riot in second major insurrection lawsuit  —  Rep. Thompson explains use of the KKK act in lawsuit against Trump  —  Washington (CNN)Former House impeachment manager Eric Swalwell has sued former President Donald Trump …

One Old Way of Keeping Black People From Voting Still Works  —  A promising bill to ensure African-Americans' civil rights was snuffed out by a Senate filibuster in 1891.  —  This is the story of how a bill to save the vote and preserve a semblance of democracy for millions of Americans died …

POLITICO Playbook: McCarthy struggles to manage Trump  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  After KEVIN MCCARTHY visited DONALD TRUMP at Mar-a-Lago in late January, the House minority leader released a picture of the two men smiling side by side.  The image — accompanied by a statement announcing Trump had …

Dems strike new unemployment benefits deal in $1.9T Covid bill  —  Senate Democrats struck a new deal on the unemployment benefits in President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package on Friday, shortly before debate on the bill reached its peak.

A Leading Critic of Big Tech Is Expected to Join the White House  —  Tim Wu's appointment to the National Economic Council would signal a confrontational approach by the Biden administration.  —  WASHINGTON — President Biden is expected to name Tim Wu, a Columbia University law professor …

Federal investigators are examining communications between US lawmakers and Capitol rioters  —  (CNN)Federal investigators are examining records of communications between members of Congress and the pro-Trump mob that attacked the US Capitol, as the investigation moves closer …

Biden backs new war powers vote in Congress, White House says  —  President Joe Biden intends to work with Congress to repeal the war authorizations that have underpinned U.S. military operations across the globe for the past two decades and negotiate a new one that reins in the open-ended nature …

U.S. Optimism About COVID-19 Situation Reaches New High  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — One year after the COVID-19 pandemic took hold of the U.S., Americans have become markedly more upbeat in their views of the trajectory of the situation, and their worries about access to testing and medical supplies and services have eased.

MSNBC's Joy Reid sparks outrage by saying conservatives would ‘trade all the tax cuts in the world to be able to openly say the n-word’ - after claiming Texas was reopening because white people want black people back ‘making them steaks’  — MSNBC host Joy Reid's comments have been slammed …

‘Nobody Is in Charge’: Capitol's Secretive Police Board Faces Overhaul After Riot  —  Top lawmakers say the Capitol Police Board, which is beholden to House and Senate leaders, needs significant changes after the security failures of Jan. 6.  —  WASHINGTON — The congressional inquiry …

Biden faces criticism over push to vaccinate teachers  —  The Biden administration is defending the president's decision to prioritize vaccinations for teachers and school staff.  —  Critics charge it will deepen inequalities around vaccine access and allege President Biden is bowing to pressure from teachers unions.

GOP seizes on women's sports as unlikely wedge issue  —  Republicans are laying claim to an unlikely mantle: the party of women's sports.  —  Eager to find a winning culture war issue, former President Donald Trump and other GOP leaders are increasingly touting themselves as champions …

Biden World gives a shoulder shrug to the raging culture wars  —  There's a war on The Muppets.  And “The Cat and the Hat!”  —  But Biden is busy.  He has no time for all that.  —  Over the past few weeks, Republicans have simmered over the “cancellation” of seemingly innocent family favorites …

Biden confronts mounting humanitarian crisis at the border  —  Just over a month into his presidency, President Biden is staring down a mounting crisis at the border that could be just as bad as the ones faced by Barack Obama and Donald Trump, if not worse.  —  Why it matters: Immigration is an issue that can consume a presidency.

A Fed up Ron DeSantis Rips Miami Herald a New One Over ‘Poorly Executed Hit Piece’ on Senior Vaccinations  —  As we previously reported, the latest media-driven “scandal” regarding Gov. Ron DeSantis is in how the state of Florida - get this - had the nerve to prioritize vaccinating senior citizens …

Then they came for Dr. Seuss  —  It was not long ago that Vice President Kamala Harris found it advantageous to go on Twitter and wish the late prolific poet Dr. Seuss a happy birthday.  “Happy birthday, #DrSeuss!” she wrote, further quoting him, “The more that you read, the more things you will know.

‘I...really struggled through this one’: A Republican senator chose history over oil and gas  —  Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska voted to confirm Rep. Deb Haaland's nomination as the first Native American interior secretary  —  Rep. Deb Haaland's bid to become the first Native American interior secretary …

Iran urges US to lift sanctions within a year to restart nuclear talks  —  Tehran primed to resume discussions if it receives ‘clear signal’ from west, senior conservative figure says  —  Iran would be ready to resume talks on the nuclear deal with the US and other western powers if they provide a …

Miller becomes longest-serving commander of Afghan War as US mulls its next move  —  KABUL, Afghanistan — Gen. Austin “Scott” Miller on Friday marked 915 days as head of the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan, making him the longest-serving commander of America's longest war.

What Does National Security Even Mean Anymore, After January 6th and the Pandemic?  —  Talking threats, foreign and domestic, with Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.  —  Donald Trump's image was flickering on the oversized TV screen in the private cabin of the Air Force jet …

A Family on Trial for January 6  —  The Justice Department, which acts more like a consigliere for the Democratic Party than an impartial enforcer of the rule of law, wants to ruin the Cua family and send a message to others.  —  Bruno Joseph Cua lives on a three-acre farm in central Georgia with his parents and two younger siblings.

Man wielding knife overpowered outside Jewish school, kosher store in France  —  School in Marseille locked down as security guards stop armed man trying to enter shop, hand him over to police; authorities boost security for city's Jewish sites  —  A man armed with a knife attempted to enter …

You've been vaccinated — the CDC is finalizing guidance on what's safe for you to do  —  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is finalizing guidance aimed at clarifying what Americans who have received COVID-19 vaccines should and shouldn't do, according to two sources at the agency familiar with its drafting.

The most important exception the Senate can make  —  Opinion by Norman Eisen, Richard W. Painter and Jeffrey Mandell  —  Rep. Sarbanes: Failure to pass HR 1 ‘would split our democracy in two’  —  Norman Eisen served as President Obama's ethics czar and ambassador to the Czech Republic …

Montana governor says Biden ‘degraded’ himself with ‘Neanderthal’ comment about red-state governors  —  Gianforte says Biden's name-calling ‘makes no sense at all’  —  Montana governor slams Biden for calling red-state governors ‘Neanderthals’  —  Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte said President Biden …