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.

NYT Columnist David Brooks Resigns From Nonprofit After More Evidence Of Conflicts Emerges  —  David Brooks has resigned from his position at the Aspen Institute following reporting by BuzzFeed News about conflicts of interest between the star New York Times columnist and funders of a program he led for the think tank.

Biden stimulus showers money on Americans, sharply cutting poverty in defining move of presidency  —  The $1.9 trillion package enjoys wide support across the country, polls show, but it comes with political and economic risks.  —  President Biden's stimulus package, which passed the Senate on Saturday …

Resign, Mr. Cuomo  —  First Gov. Andrew Cuomo hid the truth about deaths of nursing home residents from the public.  Then his administration lied about why.  Then, pretending to come clean, it lied about why it lied.  —  Enough.  Mr. Cuomo has squandered the public's trust at a time when it's needed more than ever.

Exclusive: Georgia prosecutor probing Trump taps leading racketeering attorney  —  (Reuters) - The district attorney investigating whether former U.S. President Donald Trump illegally interfered with Georgia's 2020 election has hired an outside lawyer who is a national authority on racketeering …

We Need to Put a Name to This Violence  —  The recent attacks on Asian-Americans have unearthed the contradictions and questions beneath America's impoverished understanding of race.  To solve the problem, we must first learn how to talk about it.  —  In the aftermath of the 1992 Los Angeles riots …

Biden's slow and steady approach on Cabinet choices seems to be working  —  The Biden administration has learned that slow and steady might just win the race to confirming the new Cabinet.  —  Despite the historically sluggish pace of Senate consideration, President Biden's Cabinet choices have …

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 …

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 …

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.

U.S. Government Scientists Skeptical of One-Shot Regimen for Pfizer, Moderna Covid Vaccines  —  Some members of Congress have urged to allow for just one dose to speed up vaccinations  —  WASHINGTON—U.S. government scientists are pushing back against calls for one-dose regimens …

De Blasio is serious about ‘longshot’ run against Gov. Cuomo, insiders say  —  Mayor Bill de Blasio has been talking to his inner circle and union allies about running for governor, and sources say he is growing increasingly confident he can win.  —  “I fell out of my chair laughing …

Boy killed in Senegal protests as opposition steps up pressure  —  DAKAR (Reuters) - A 17-year-old boy was killed by gunfire in southern Senegal on Saturday, a government official said, and several police stations were ransacked as opponents of President Macky Sall called for more protests next week.

“I still like Dr. Seuss”: Kevin McCarthy releases video of himself reading “Green Eggs and Ham”  —  House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has seemingly weighed in on Dr. Seuss Enterprises' decision to stop publishing six Dr. Seuss books because they contain racist and insensitive imagery.