POLITICO Playbook: Scoop: Trump sends legal notice to GOP to stop using his name  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  HAPPENING NOW ON THE SENATE FLOOR: The Senate is working its way through final GOP amendments to President JOE BIDEN's pandemic relief bill after pulling an all-nighter debating changes to the document.

F.B.I. Finds Contact Between Proud Boys Member and Trump Associate Before Riot  —  A leader of the far-right group separately said he had been in touch with Roger Stone, but an official said it was not the same contact investigators found through electronic communications records.

Sinema Slammed For Exaggerated Thumbs-Down On $15 Minimum Wage  —  Hand gestures are commonplace in the Senate, but Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is getting flack for the way she voted against a $15 minimum wage.  —  Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) faced criticism Friday afternoon for the way in which she chose …

How Never Trumpers Are Becoming Pro-Democracy Republicans  —  One of the most predictable developments of the post-Trump era was that the small band of anti-Trump conservative intellectuals and Republican officials would quickly melt away.  They had been repulsed by Donald Trump's combination …

Biden administration rushes to accommodate border surge, with few signs of plans to contain it  —  As the Biden administration races to find shelter for a fast-growing migration surge along the Mexico border, they are handling the influx primarily as a capacity challenge.

Republicans Are Gaslighting The Country About The Capitol Riot  —  GOP lawmakers are desperately trying to deflect blame away from Donald Trump and themselves.  —  Sure, the attack on the Capitol was bad, but did you hear about the attack on the White House last year?

Newsmax Loses More Than Half Its Audience Since Post-Election Ratings Surge  —  Following its post-election ratings surge, right-wing network Newsmax has seen its ratings drop, losing more than half of its total day audience, according to data from Nielsen.  —  In December, Newsmax …

Vindication for Ron DeSantis  —  The media vilified him for rejecting harsh lockdowns.  But Florida's Covid-19 numbers are better than California's or New York's, and its economy thrives.  —  In the early months of the coronavirus pandemic, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo imposed strict lockdown policies …

Vaccine hesitancy drops, but with partisan divide  —  69% of the public intends to get a COVID vaccine or already has, up significantly from 60% in November, according to a report out Friday from the Pew Research Center.  —  Yes, but: The issue has become even more partisan …

Kevin McCarthy's Dr. Seuss Stunt Leaves People Very, Very Puzzled  —  “So what's the point?  Forgive me if I am confused.”  —  It was storytime with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Friday when he released a five-minute video of himself reading a Dr. Seuss book.

Pope, top Iraq Shiite cleric hold historic, symbolic meeting  —  PLAINS OF UR, Iraq (AP) — Pope Francis and Iraq's top Shiite cleric delivered a powerful message of peaceful coexistence Saturday, urging Muslims in the war-weary Arab nation to embrace Iraq's long-beleaguered Christian minority during …

Ten years ago, 241 Texas power plants couldn't take the cold.  Dozens of them failed again this year.  —  The Washington Post compared last month's power failures to the last big freeze.  In both cases, some of the same companies failed to prepare.  —  The corporate and municipal owners …

Senate inches toward COVID-19 vote after marathon session  —  Senators worked throughout the night Friday into Saturday as the chamber considered various amendments to the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, with a final vote expected later in the day.

Cuomo accuser alleges a staffer took sexual harassment training for the governor  —  When asked Wednesday if he had completed sexual harassment training, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the “Short answer is yes.”  But Charlotte Bennett, one of the women accusing the governor of sexual harassment …

Oh, No, the Labor Market Is Recovering  —  Democrats play down good jobs news to pass their spending blowout.  —  By The Editorial Board  —  Now we know why the Democrats who run all of Washington are so eager to rush through their $1.9 trillion spending bill without negotiating with Republicans.

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 …

Whitmer kidnapping plot hearing live feed: Confidential FBI informant testifies  —  Joe Guillen Omar Abdel-BaquiDetroit Free Press  —  A confidential FBI informant testified Friday in a Jackson court about being embedded for months alongside leaders of a group accused of plotting to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Democrats Want a Stronger Edge in the Senate.  Ohio Could Be Crucial.  —  The retirement of a moderate Republican senator and conservative infighting have raised Democratic ambitions in the state, a longtime political bellwether that is increasingly tilting red.

If you're upset about Hunter Biden, Elaine Chao should send you into fits of rage  —  It was only a few months ago that word got out that the Justice Department was investigating Hunter Biden's finances, including his ties to Chinese business interests.  Republicans leapt all over it.

Fox News host Tucker Carlson calls QAnon followers ‘gentle’ patriots  —  Carlson says conspiracy theory believers - many of whom took part in Capitol attack - are ‘gentle people waving American flags’  —  Followers of the QAnon conspiracy theory are “gentle people waving American flags” …

Former astronaut mulling Senate run in North Carolina  —  Joan Higginbotham, right, waves as other crew members look on while she is introduced during a Space Day celebration event at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum May 5, 2005 in Chantilly, Va. |  Joan Higginbotham, a former NASA astronaut …

‘It was horrific’: Houston restaurants brace for threats after sticking with masks  —  The past three days have been difficult for Monica Richards, a co-owner of Picos restaurant in Upper Kirby.  After Gov. Greg Abbott announced he is reopening Texas on March 10, the restaurant told its customers …