FBI facing allegation that its 2018 background check of Brett Kavanaugh was ‘fake’  —  A Democratic senator has asked attorney general Merrick Garland to facilitate ‘proper oversight’ into concerns on the investigation  —  The FBI is facing new scrutiny for its 2018 background check of Brett Kavanaugh …

Statement by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas Regarding the Situation at the Southwest Border  —  There is understandably a great deal of attention currently focused on the southwest border.  I want to share the facts, the work that we in the Department of Homeland Security …

Democrats loved Katie Porter when she bashed Trump.  Now she is making them squirm  —  Democrats loved watching Orange County Rep. Katie Porter skewer Trump administration appointees and corporate executives in congressional hearings.  —  But it felt different when Porter's progressive passion …

Army initially pushed to deny District's request for National Guard before Jan. 6  —  The Army initially pushed to reject the D.C. government's request for a modest National Guard presence ahead of the Jan. 6 rally that led to the Capitol riot, underscoring the deep reluctance of some higher-ups …

Biden should thank Trump, not blame him, for what he left  —  Poor Joe Biden.  It was his misfortune to inherit one of the technological marvels of our time.  —  Before President Biden took office, the Pfizer and Moderna COVID vaccines had been authorized for use (with another …

Ron Johnson's racism is breathtaking  —  It has become perfectly acceptable in the Republican Party to just go ahead and say the racism out loud — and to do so with apparent pride, and with no fear of consequences.  —  The most recent proof came from Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) …

Capitol Police officer suspended after antisemitic document found at checkpoint  —  U.S. Capitol Police suspended an officer Monday after a copy of an infamous antisemitic tract was found near a Capitol Hill security post Sunday, alarming a congressional aide who viewed the document in plain sight at the checkpoint.

N Korea warns US not to ‘cause a stink’ before Seoul meeting  —  SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — In North Korea's first comments directed at the Biden administration, Kim Jong Un's powerful sister on Tuesday warned the United States to “refrain from causing a stink” if it wants to “sleep in peace” for the next four years.

Manchin signals he'll support Gupta as No. 3 at DOJ, bolstering her chance at confirmation  —  (CNN)Sen. Joe Manchin, the key Democratic swing vote, said Monday that he will likely support Vanita Gupta as the No. 3 at the Justice Department, taking a stance that is expected to pave …

Democrats, Pushing Stimulus, Admit to Regrets on Obama's 2009 Response  —  In pitching President Biden's relief package, Democrats have said their 2009 stimulus efforts under Barack Obama were insufficient.  Those close to Mr. Obama have noticed.  —  As Democrats pushed this month to pass …

Elliot Page Is Ready for This Moment  —  Elliot Page doesn't remember exactly how long he had been asking.  —  But he does remember the acute feeling of triumph when, around age 9, he was finally allowed to cut his hair short.  “I felt like a boy,” Page says.  “I wanted to be a boy.

Judge: Arizona GOP must pay $18K in groundless election suit  —  PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Republican Party and its lawyers must pay $18,000 in attorneys' fees that taxpayers were forced to pick up late last year to defend government officials against one of the party's failed lawsuits …

Coca-Cola, Home Depot come out in opposition to Georgia voting restrictions  —  Civil liberties groups are ratcheting up pressure on major corporations based in Georgia — including Coca-Cola, Aflac, Delta Air Lines, Home Depot and UPS — to oppose a Republican-led effort to make it harder to vote in the Peach State.

McConnell warns of GOP retribution if Democrats eliminate filibuster  —  Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) again warned Democrats on Tuesday that eliminating the legislative filibuster would “break the Senate” and turn the chamber into a “100-car pileup” where chaos reigns.

Scoop: Facebook explores paid deals for new publishing platform  —  Facebook will soon begin testing partnerships with a small group of independent writers for its new publishing platform, sources tell Axios.  —  Driving the news: The platform, which includes tools for journalists to build actual websites …

Advocates seek Biden push on gun bills, but prospects iffy  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — After President Joe Biden's giant COVID-19 relief bill passed Congress, he made a prime-time address to the nation and presided over a Rose Garden ceremony.  —  But there wasn't so much as a statement …

High-schooler and her mother hacked school records to steal homecoming queen election, police say  —  In a sparkling silver dress, the homecoming queen at J.M. Tate High School in Cantonment, Fla., stood on the football field on a brisk evening in late October to accept her crown.

An unlikely Trump turncoat shows the GOP way to resist his influence  —  Jaime Herrera Beutler is not one to make waves on Capitol Hill.  But during Donald Trump's second impeachment trial, she almost created a tsunami.  —  After she publicly revealed damaging details about Trump's phone call …

The curious case of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine  —  AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine is facing a crisis of confidence, with one European country after another, as if seized by a fit of panic, temporarily suspending its use over concerns about reports of blood clots in people who received it.

MAGA voters discovered a new home online.  But it isn't what it seems.  —  As former President Donald Trump's supporters have flocked to alternative social media networks, many are turning to SafeChat, a fast-growing platform known for its tolerance of high-octane MAGA content.

Ohio expands COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to 40+, cancer, obesity; all over age 16 eligible March 29  —  Craig Webb Emily MillsAkron Beacon Journal  —  Ohio expands COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to 40 and over, some others  —  Ohio's eligibility for COVID-19 vaccines will be expanded …

Texas Republicans declare war on democracy  —  Opinion by Editorial Board  —  TEXAS IS already one of the toughest states in which to cast a ballot, and Texas Republicans want to make it even harder.  As in many other GOP-dominated states this year, the pretext is restoring faith in the election system …

Just Reopen the Schools Now  —  It is entirely possible that when we look back at the coronavirus pandemic decades from now, we may see the gravest catastrophe as a generation of schoolchildren whose formative years were irrevocably stunted.  Even if the year and counting of public-school rollback …

How Yang charmed the right on his road to political stardom  —  Andrew Yang's road to fame was paved with right-wing podcasts.  —  Before he joined the New York City mayor's race in January or even appeared on a presidential debate stage during the Democratic primary, Yang reached an audience …

Trump's CFO's ex-daughter-in-law is cooperating with prosecutors and ‘refuses to be silenced,’ her lawyer says  — Jennifer Weisselberg is cooperating with an investigation into Trump's finances, her lawyer says.  — She's the ex-daughter-in-law of Allen Weisselberg, the Trump Org CFO the DA wants to “flip.”

Going after the ‘Achilles’ heel': Biden charges into global anti-corruption fight  —  Earlier this month, amid a blizzard of news both domestic and foreign, Secretary of State Antony Blinken took the time to ban a powerful Ukrainian oligarch from setting foot in the United States.

Moderna Announces First Participants Dosed in Phase 2/3 Study of COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate in Pediatric Population  —  Phase 2/3 study expected to enroll 6,750 healthy pediatric participants less than 12 years of age  —  Study will enroll in the U.S. and Canada

Historic benefits in stimulus bill may answer a big question for Democrats  —  (CNN)The massive stimulus plan President Joe Biden signed last week sets up a critical real-world test of an argument that has divided political professionals for decades: Can Democrats win back White working-class voters drawn …

Did the Trump White House Create a Batshit Report on Dominion Voting?  —  WHODUNIT  —  Team Trump was once happy to tout a dodgy dossier on Dominion.  But getting to the bottom of its authorship has Trump legal team vets pointing fingers now that lawsuits are flying.