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.

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

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins: “I Am So, So Disappointed”  —  Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins told Capital Tonight she is disappointed that society is still dealing with sexual harassment in 2021.  —  When asked if she told the governor as much, she replied, “No, I haven't told him that.”

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 …

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 …

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 …

Kentucky bill would make it a crime to insult police officers  —  The legislation was a response to riots throughout the country last summer, the bill's lead sponsor said  —  Fox News Flash top headlines for March 4  —  A bill advancing out of a Kentucky Senate committee on Thursday …

Democrats Agree to Lower Weekly Jobless Benefits in Covid-19 Aid Bill  —  Senators are working on $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief legislation that includes stimulus checks, jobless aid and other measures  —  WASHINGTON—Senate Democrats have agreed to lower the weekly unemployment benefits …

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 …

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 …

Pressure grows on Biden to end the filibuster  —  Pressure is building on President Biden, a longtime backer of traditional Washington rules, to do away with the filibuster and other procedures, as Democrats press him to seize what could be a fleeting moment of power to enact a progressive agenda.

Gov. Abbott to announce bill prohibiting social media companies from censoring viewpoints  —  SAN ANTONIO (WOAI/KABB) — Governor Greg Abbott will hold a press conference Friday, regarding a bill to prohibit social media companies from ‘censoring Texans’.  According to a press release …

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 …

India Threatens Jail for Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter Employees  —  Country flexes new powers over big platforms while companies are counting on world's second-largest population for growth  —  India's government has threatened to jail employees of Facebook Inc., its WhatsApp unit …

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.

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 …

“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 …

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.

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 …

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.

Dem Rep. Axne admits $15 minimum wage will ‘harm’ her rural constituents but still supports it  —  Increasing federal minimum wage to $15 would eliminate 1.4 million jobs, according to CBO  —  Rep. Banks on $15 minimum wage push, pork in COVID relief bill  —  A Democratic congresswoman admitted …