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 …

Ron Johnson: No decision on 2022 run but leaving office is ‘probably my preference now’  —  U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, who has taken center stage this week in the U.S. Senate debate over a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 bill, said he hasn't yet decided whether he'll run for his seat in 2022 …

8 Democrats defect on $15 minimum wage hike  —  The Senate on Friday is set to squash a bid to tack a $15 minimum wage to President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid bill, with eight Democratic caucus members joining all 50 Republicans in rejecting the change.

POLITICO Playbook PM: Guess who's fundraising for Liz Cheney  —  FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — PAUL RYAN is making clear where he stands in the ongoing intra-GOP battle over what to do about DONALD TRUMP.  Ryan's successor atop the House GOP, KEVIN MCCARTHY, may be walking a narrow line between the pro …

GOP groups quiet as billionaire donor stands accused of running biggest tax fraud scheme ever  — The billionaire accused of running the biggest tax fraud scheme in U.S. history was a prolific donor to Republican groups and causes.  — The leaders of those organizations have kept quiet on the accusations against him.

Charles Barkley fears hora at daughter's Jewish wedding  —  Basketball star tells Jimmy Kimmel he's been trying to lose weight 'because apparently they've got to pick me up in a chair.  Listen, I need all Jewish people on deck'  —  JTA — NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley is looking forward …

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 …

“60 Minutes” plays nice with the QAnon Shaman … If you'd prefer to listen to today's newsletter, click play. … Subscribe to PRESS RUN  —  Arriving for the first jailhouse interview with the Trump insurrectionist known as the “QAnon Shaman,” 60 Minutes+ this week provided a surprisingly gentle …

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

As the Insurrection Narrative Crumbles, Democrats Cling to it More Desperately Than Ever  —  If the threat of “armed insurrectionists” and “domestic terrorists” is as great as some claim, why do they have to keep lying and peddling crude media fictions about it?  —  3 hr ago

Two Top Female Aides Leave Andrew Cuomo Administration  —  Two more aides to Andrew Cuomo have left their jobs as the New York governor faces dual scandals over sexual-harassment claims and accusations his administration covered up nursing-home Covid deaths.

Civil War: Trump attacks Republican strategist Rove, who fires back  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former President Donald Trump intensified his war with the Republican establishment on Thursday by attacking Karl Rove, a longtime Republican strategist who criticized Trump's first speech since leaving office …

Rudy Giuliani, After Blowing Past Deadline to Respond to Dominion's Billion-Dollar Lawsuit, Personally Asks for Extension  —  Despite publicly welcoming a court fight over his false claims about voting machines being used to steal the 2020 election from Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani doesn't seem …

At Least 30,000 U.S. Organizations Newly Hacked Via Holes in Microsoft's Email Software  —  At least 30,000 organizations across the United States — including a significant number of small businesses, towns, cities and local governments — have over the past few days been hacked …

Texas Opts Not to Fix $16 Billion Power Overcharge  —  Utility commission says repricing power markets too difficult, despite recommendation that overcharges during storm be reversed  —  The Public Utility Commission of Texas on Friday signaled it didn't intend to reverse $16 billion …

Biden has decided not to wage war on ‘Neanderthal’ GOP governors.  Here's why.  —  This week, after President Biden slammed GOP governors for “Neanderthal thinking” over their suspensions of mask mandates, a whole lot of Republicans pretended to be outraged.  And a whole lot of folks in the media pretended to believe them.

U.S. Chamber decides against political ban for Capitol insurrection  —  The U.S. Chamber of Commerce revealed Friday it won't withhold political donations from lawmakers who simply voted against certifying the presidential election results and instead decide on a case-by-case basis.

Biden administration tells facilities for migrant children to reopen to pre-pandemic levels  —  President Biden sending a team to the US-Mexico border  —  (CNN)The Biden administration has notified facilities caring for migrant children that they can open back up to pre-Covid-19 levels …

Giuliani probe awaits Garland as he nears AG confirmation  —  NEW YORK (AP) — With Merrick Garland poised to be confirmed as attorney general as early as next week, one of the first major questions he is likely to encounter is what to do about Rudy Giuliani.

Revealed: The Star-Spangled Trumper Filmed Attacking Cops At The Capitol  —  Robert Scott Palmer assaulted police with a fire extinguisher on Jan. 6 — and he's still at large.  Meet one of the online sleuths working to change that.  —  With bright red and white stripes across his body …

John David McAfee And Executive Adviser Of His Cryptocurrency Team Indicted In Manhattan Federal Court For Fraud And Money Laundering Conspiracy Crimes  —  Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director …

Kanye's Zombie Campaign Attracts Teen Donors—and Feds' Scrutiny  —  GENIUS  —  “In five-plus years of doing this I've never come across something like this,” said Jordan Libowitz, communications director for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics.  —  Former Birthday Party presidential …

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 …

The Navy tried to cast Capt. Brett Crozier as a villain.  New emails reveal how much support he really had  —  The Navy has repeatedly blamed Capt. Brett Crozier for the unprecedented novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt last year …

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.

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.

Mike Lindell Is Readying Another Documentary and Lawsuit That He Claims Will Finally Convince SCOTUS the Election Was Stolen  —  In February, right-wing conspiracy theorist and MyPillow founder Mike Lindell announced that he would be releasing “the most important documentary” in history …

Charter jets, dinners with Trump: New details surface in Antrim County election lawsuit  —  BELLAIRE — Political operatives working on behalf of a man who filed an election lawsuit against Antrim County, identified themselves to township officials as representing Rudy Giuliani's legal team …