Biden White House Sandbags Staffers, Sidelines Dozens for Pot Use  —  In some cases, staffers were informally told by transition officials some past marijuana use would be overlooked, only to be told later that they were being asked to resign. … Dozens of young White House staffers have been suspended …

Aaugh!  A Brief List Of Official Russia Claims That Proved To Be Bogus  —  The Director of National Intelligence releases a report, and the press rushes to kick the football again.  —  13 hr ago  —  The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) has released a much-hyped …

Son of Atlanta Shooting Victim Calls ‘Bullshit’ on Sex Addiction Claim  —  Police have not ID'ed her, but 23-year-old Randy Park says his mother was killed—and he's not buying the suspect's line on why six Asian women are dead. … ATLANTA—Randy Park said he learned of his mother's murder …

Sparks fly in the 1st direct, high-level U.S.-China talks of the Biden era  —  Beijing — The top diplomats from the U.S. and China opened a new chapter in bilateral ties on Thursday in what proved to be one of the most undiplomatic episodes in recent memory.

Cuomo's First Accuser Raises New Claims of Harassment and Retaliation  —  In her first extensive interview, Lindsey Boylan sheds new light on a toxic workplace, as insiders detail the campaign to discredit her.  —  On the morning of December 13, 2020, Lindsey Boylan sat in the passenger seat …

The Democrats' border crisis is decades in the making  —  Former President Donald Trump brought some order to the border — not with his much-vaunted wall, but with diplomacy.  President Biden has already scrapped that diplomacy, in the process demolishing the border peace and triggering a humanitarian crisis.

Kevin McCarthy, Fetch  —  Some dog lovers believe that what makes their canine companions wonderful is their ability to “live in the moment”—meaning that, although they can be trained and obedient, and can learn to recognize and remember things they love and things they fear …

Teen Vogue Editor Resigns After Fury Over Racist Tweets  —  The hiring of Alexi McCammond, who was supposed to start at the Condé Nast publication next week, drew complaints because of racist and homophobic tweets she had posted a decade ago.  —  Alexi McCammond, who made her name …

Meghan Markle Didn't Do the Work  —  Looks like Prince Harry married a girl just like the one who married dear old Dad.  We recognized all of it: the desperate unhappiness, the adoration of the masses, the beautiful clothes worn beautifully—but especially the easy and immediate way of reaching …

Racist anti-Asian hashtags spiked after Trump first tweeted ‘Chinese virus,’ study finds  —  As the coronavirus spread across the globe last February, the World Health Organization urged people to avoid terms like the “Wuhan virus” or the “Chinese virus,” fearing it could spike a backlash against Asians.

Did Michigan cover up nursing home COVID deaths like New York?  —  Michigan Governor Whitmer may be in the same trouble that New York Governor Cuomo is dealing with after covering up COVID deaths.  —  New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo may not be the only governor who covered up the deaths of vulnerable senior citizens during the pandemic.

Xiaojie Tan dreamed of traveling the world and celebrating her 50th birthday with her daughter.  Then the Atlanta shooter ended her life  —  Trevor Hughes Romina Ruiz-Goiriena Cara KellyUSA TODAY  —  ATLANTA — On her 50th birthday, Xiaojie Tan would have gathered with her only child …

Stephen Brown, editor in chief of POLITICO Europe, is dead at 57  —  Stephen Brown, the editor in chief of POLITICO Europe and a former news correspondent who reported widely from Europe and South America for Reuters for more than a quarter-century, died Thursday in Brussels.  He was 57.

Biden to meet with Stacey Abrams on trip to Georgia  —  During his visit to Atlanta on Friday, President Joe Biden will meet with former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, who has been widely credited with helping flip the former Republican stronghold blue.

Why Child Care Staff Had to Show Up While Teachers Worked Remotely  —  The pandemic has spotlighted disparities in working conditions between child care workers and teachers.  —  Last summer, when New York City abruptly delayed the start of in-person classes, the Cypress Hills Child Care Corporation …

Texas Wax Museum Removes Trump Figure Because People Keep Punching It  —  LOL.  I love Texas, everything about it.  Especially this.  Turns out Louis Tussaud's Waxworks on Alamo Plaza, located in San Antonio, decided to put away a wax figure of former President Donald Trump after visitors took out …

Armie Hammer Being Investigated by LAPD After Woman Comes Forward With Violent Rape Allegation … The anonymous woman who first posted allegations against Armie Hammer on social media has publicly come forward.  —  “I thought that he was going to kill me,” the woman, named Effie …

Scoop: Biden has ambassadors list in hand  —  President Biden is reviewing a list of finalists as he prepares to nominate a series of ambassadors to key embassy postings, people familiar with the matter tell Axios.  —  Why it matters: The new president has promised to restore alliances …

Ex-wife of Trump Org executive has spoken to investigators ‘multiple times’ … The ex-wife of a Trump Organization executive has spoken “multiple times” with investigators from the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, she told NBC News, as the probe into Donald Trump's financial dealings intensifies.

A Private Jet of Rich Trumpers Wanted to “Stop the Steal”—But They Don't Want You to Read This  —  These powerful Memphis figures reveal the rift in a segregated society.  —  At 12:11 p.m. on January 5, an eight-seat Bombardier Challenger 300 jet took off from Memphis International Airport.

What Will Turnout Look Like Without Trump?  —  Trying to model the make-up of a midterm electorate is always a challenge.  Figuring out which voters will be engaged, which ones will ‘drop-off’, and which ones will be newly added is critical to effective campaigning.

Former Florida state senator charged in spoiler candidate scheme  —  (CNN)A former Florida state senator who resigned in disgrace four years ago was charged Thursday with campaign finance violations related to a hotly contested state Senate race in the 2020 election, authorities said.

12 Republicans vote against honoring Capitol police for protecting Congress  —  House voted 413-12 to award congressional gold medals to all members of Capitol force for their efforts on 6 January  —  A dozen Republicans voted against a resolution honoring US Capitol police for their efforts …

Russian National Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Introduce Malware into a U.S. Company's Computer Network  —  Defendant's attempt to recruit employee to transmit malware to exfiltrate data and extort company thwarted by FBI  —  A Russian national pleaded guilty in federal court today …

South Carolina Democrat introduces bill banning minors from undergoing sex reassignment surgery  —  A South Carolina lawmaker has introduced legislation banning minors from undergoing sex reassignment surgery and from receiving medications that delay puberty or help alter gender.

Facebook Is Building An Instagram For Kids Under The Age Of 13  —  Executives at Instagram are planning to build a version of the popular photo-sharing app that can be used by children under the age of 13, according to an internal company post obtained by BuzzFeed News.

Yes, Capitol Rioters Were Armed.  Here Are The Weapons Prosecutors Say They Used  —  In the wake of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, a popular narrative has emerged: that because rioters did not fire guns that day, they were not really “armed.”  —  But a review of the federal charges …

A Spectre in France's Public Debate: Islamo-Leftism  —  France is a country that has touted a long history of free thought and expression, but recent moves by the current administration are uncovering limits to speech that are not readily found in other Western countries.

Here's how the GOP can get its mojo back: Stand up to teacher unions  —  Republicans are in trouble.  The party is struggling with internal divisions and has suffered a hit in its approval ratings, according to a recent Pew poll.  —  Adding to their difficulties, the GOP uniformly opposed …

Republicans are laying a ‘Trojan horse’ trap on infrastructure  —  Heads I win, tails you lose.  That is Republicans' ominous warning to Democrats working to design and (to their credit!) actually pay for an infrastructure bill.  —  “I think the Trojan horse will be called infrastructure …

QAnon Thinks Donald Trump's Vaccine Remarks Are Fake, Just a Very Good Imitation  —  QAnon followers are once again pulling in all directions as they struggle to explain why Donald Trump would urge people to get COVID-19 vaccinations, which are highly-detested among Q-conspiracists.

Beijing's crackdown in Xinjiang has separated thousands of children from their parents, new report claims.  CNN found two of them  —  Tune into Anderson Cooper 360 next week to watch the exclusive footage from CNN's trip inside Xinjiang.  —  Xinjiang, China (CNN)It was supposed …

AP Interview: Newsom admits mistakes in 1st reopening  —  SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom acknowledged mistakes in communicating with the public last year before the first loosening of coronavirus restrictions led to an early summer spike in cases, a harsh lesson …