Bill changing Georgia voting rules passes state House  —  Proposals target absentee and runoff voting after 2020 elections  —  The Georgia House passed an overhaul of election laws Thursday after last year's close presidential election, including new absentee voter ID requirements …

At Biden's first news conference, it wasn't the president who was out of touch  —  The White House press corps' abysmal failure to ask important questions about pressing issues during President Biden's first news conference on Thursday was the clearest demonstration yet of the contrast between …

Trump's secret sit-down with Ohio candidates turns into ‘Hunger Games’  —  It was a scene right out of “The Apprentice.”  —  Donald Trump was headlining a fundraiser on Wednesday night at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Fla. But before the dinner began, the former president had some business …

Biden excels at his first news conference.  The media embarrass themselves.  —  After weeks of whining, the White House press corps got its first official Biden presidential news conference on Thursday.  President Biden used the event to pledge that 200 million covid-19 vaccinations …

Jessica Walter Dies: Emmy-Winning ‘Arrested Development’, ‘Archer’ Actress Was 80  —  Jessica Walter, the award-winning actress whose career spanned five decades, passed away in her sleep at home in New York City on Wednesday, March 24.  She was 80.  —  Walter's career included everything …

Scoop: House chamber hardened with bulletproof doors  —  The House chamber is being transformed into a massive safe room for members with the addition of bulletproof doors.  —  Why it matters: One of the most dramatic images from the Jan. 6 attack was Capitol Police officers inside …

Texas AG Ken Paxton refuses to release texts, emails sent during pro-Trump rally and Capitol riot  —  The Texas attorney general's office is attempting to withhold all messages Ken Paxton sent or received while in Washington for the pro-Donald Trump rally that devolved into a riot at the U.S. Capitol.

CNN goes 24 hours without mentioning latest Cuomo bombshell implicating network's star anchor  —  Chris Cuomo is accused of benefiting from prioritized COVID testing as ordinary New Yorkers struggled  —  Janice Dean slams CNN as ‘tone deaf’ for defending Cuomo family special treatment

Trump aide concealed work for PR firm and misled court to dodge child support  —  Jason Miller signed secret deal to stay with DC-based Teneo after ‘resigning’ and then appeared to misrepresent employment status  —  A top aide to Donald Trump was secretly re-engaged by a leading political strategy firm …

‘They are, in effect, supporting racism’: Black leaders zero in on Dems' filibuster holdouts  —  Black civil rights leaders, voting rights advocates and elected officials are ramping up their lobbying of Senate Democrats to nix the filibuster, arguing that they can keep the rule in place or pass voting rights legislation, but not both.

Microsoft Is in Exclusive Talks to Acquire Discord  —  Deal valuing chat app at $10 billion or more could be completed next month  —  Microsoft Corp. is in advanced talks to acquire messaging platform Discord Inc. for $10 billion or more, according to people familiar with the matter …

Sources: Secret Service inserted itself into case of Hunter Biden's gun  —  On Oct. 23, 2018, President Joe Biden's son Hunter and daughter in law Hallie were involved in a bizarre incident in which Hallie took Hunter's gun and threw it in a trash can behind a grocery store, only to return later to find it gone.

Documents Show Amazon Is Aware Drivers Pee in Bottles and Even Defecate En Route, Despite Company Denial … In anticipation of Sen. Bernie Sanders's scheduled trip to Bessemer, Alabama, to support the unionization drive by Amazon workers there, Amazon executive Dave Clark cast the $1 trillion behemoth as …

The New Republic names a new top editor and will return to Washington.  —  The New Republic named a new editor on Thursday and announced that it was moving back to Washington, its home city for most of its 107-year existence.  —  Michael Tomasky, who has edited the policy journal Democracy …

Exclusive Video: Watch Roger Stone's Oath Keeper Bodyguards Practice Headshots to “#Stopantifa”  —  Federal prosecutors have charged 10 members of the far-right Oath Keepers with conspiring to storm the US Capitol on January 6 and allege that militia members prepared for the “operation” by …

A Better Way to Judge Joe Biden  —  Some of the qualities that produce a successful presidency don't receive the attention they should.  —  Contributing writer at The Atlantic  —  Soon, we will be pelted by 100-day assessments of the Biden administration, sweeping claims spurred by the arrival of a round number.

Wyoming Senate kills bill backed by Donald Trump Jr. in attempt to defeat Liz Cheney  —  (CNN)A Wyoming Senate bill to create election runoffs failed on Wednesday, despite Donald Trump Jr.'s campaign to pass it in an attempt to defeat Republican Rep. Liz Cheney in 2022.  The vote was 14-15 with one lawmaker excused.

U.S. COVID response could have avoided hundreds of thousand of deaths - research  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States squandered both money and lives in its response to the coronavirus pandemic, and it could have avoided nearly 400,000 deaths with a more effective health strategy …

McConnell's No. 2 weighs future as Trump reshapes Senate GOP  —  John Thune could eventually succeed Mitch McConnell as Senate GOP leader.  But first the second-ranked Senate Republican has to decide whether to run for reelection — with Donald Trump prepared to stand in his way.

NYT's Libel Defense: No Need for Opinion/Fact Labeling  —  In 1964, the New York Times was party to a landmark Supreme Court case that bore its name.  New York Times v. Sullivan was an important victory for civil rights and it established broad protections against libel lawsuits that have protected generations of journalists.

Cuomo's Top Aide Defends Her Boss and Herself: 'I'm a Human Being'  — Melissa DeRosa says the pandemic has taken an emotional toll  — Aide is among a group of powerful women pushing Cuomo's agenda  —  On a ranking of New York power brokers last year, the most influential person …

Trump officials, after stumbling on Covid response, coordinate a narrative  —  A small group of top Trump health officials recently held a series of discussions to coordinate their accounts of the administration's troubled Covid-19 response, worried they will be scapegoated by old colleagues …

New York Reaches a Deal to Legalize Recreational Marijuana  —  The move paves the way for a potential $4.2 billion industry, with millions of dollars in sales tax revenue reinvested in minority communities each year.  —  New York State officials finalized a deal on Thursday …

The Manhattan DA's office picked up the pace of its investigation into Trump's finances after he left office, a cooperating witness says  — Manhattan's DA boosted the Trump finances inquiry after he left office, a cooperating witness said.  — Jennifer Weisselberg said she'd talked …

Netanyahu has no clear path to remain prime minister, official Israeli election results show  —  JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has fallen short of securing the parliamentary majority he needs to stay in office, according to the official election count announced Thursday …

U.S. Man Deported From Ukraine Was Marine Dropout Linked to Neo-Nazi Terror Group  —  VICE World News has identified an ex-Marine recruit that Ukraine's intelligence service allegedly booted in October for what they said were links to neo-Nazi terrorism.  —  TORONTO, CA

Pilot who went on vulgar, anti-Bay Area rant works at Southwest  —  Calif. is in a historic drought, and water restrictions are here  —  Two more Bay Area restaurants offer freebies for vaccinated folks  —  California makes it easier for family members to get vaccinated

Thinker, Tanker, Scholar, Consultant  —  Every former policymaker in Washington is an academic, a researcher, and an adviser to big business.  —  Last year, Jake Sullivan earned $138,000 for providing part-time “advisory services.”  —  It's common for diplomats who leave the government to wear many hats at once.