Second senior Matt Gaetz aide resigns amid federal investigation  —  Devin Murphy, Rep. Matt Gaetz's legislative director, has stepped down amid a federal investigation into sex trafficking allegations against the Florida Republican congressman, the New York Times first reported and Axios has confirmed.

Inside the Fight for the Future of The Wall Street Journal  —  A special team led by a high-level manager says Rupert Murdoch's paper must evolve to survive.  But a rivalry between editor and publisher stands in the way.  —  The Wall Street Journal is a rarity in 21st-century media: a newspaper that makes money.

By 5-4 Vote, Supreme Court Lifts Restrictions on Prayer Meetings in Homes  —  The court shifted direction in cases on Covid-related limits on religious services after Justice Amy Coney Barrett replaced Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.  —  WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court late Friday night lifted …

‘Clear the Capitol,’ Pence pleaded, timeline of riot shows  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — From a secure room in the Capitol on Jan. 6, as rioters pummeled police and vandalized the building, Vice President Mike Pence tried to assert control.  In an urgent phone call to the acting defense secretary, he issued a startling demand.

2 Windsor police officers threatened and assaulted a man during an illegal stop, lawsuit claims.  And it's all on video.  —  Caron Nazario was driving his brand new SUV through the town of Windsor last December when he saw a police cruiser signal for him to pull over.

Marxist BLM leader buys $1.4 million home in ritzy LA enclave  —  Patrisse Khan-Cullors, the leader of Black Lives Matter and a self-described Marxist, recently purchased a $1.4 million home in an exclusive Los Angeles neighborhood where the vast majority of residents are white, according to reports.

Police Say an Antifa Activist Likely Shot at Officers.  His Gun Suggests Otherwise.  —  Investigators said that Michael Reinoehl probably opened fire before officers killed him last year.  But some key evidence raises questions about that conclusion.  —  SEATTLE — When a U.S. Marshals …

The new lies of the GOP and Tucker Carlson  —  Ruth Ben-Ghiat (@ruthbenghiat), a frequent contributor to CNN Opinion, is professor of history at New York University and the author of “Strongmen: From Mussolini to the Present.”  Read her newsletter “Lucid.”  The views expressed here are her own.

Michigan's Virus Cases Are Out of Control, Putting Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in a Bind  —  Ms. Whitmer, a Democrat, locked down her state over the din of protests last year.  Now she is trying a different approach, appealing to personal responsibility.  —  Nowhere in America is the coronavirus pandemic …

Trump's Power Won't Peak for Another 20 Years  —  The Trump presidency may be over, but the Trump era has only just begun—at least when it comes to influence over the nation's courts.  Measured solely by the number of judges he appointed, Donald Trump's impact is staggering: 234 judges …

‘An existential threat’: The Republicans calling for their party to reject QAnon conspiracy theories  —  (CNN)Republican Rep. Peter Meijer has a warning for his party: He fears baseless conspiracy theories like QAnon will destroy the GOP from within if Republicans don't decisively …

Proud Boys and other far-right groups raise millions via Christian funding site  —  Revealed: groups banned from other sites fundraising on GiveSendGo as data breach identifies high-dollar donors  —  A data breach from Christian crowdfunding site GiveSendGo has revealed that millions …

Workers weary, patients angry, as COVID-19 fills Michigan hospitals — again  —  With an eye on his father's bloodied face, Barry Jensen began punching numbers into his cellphone from the hospital emergency room.  —  His 90-year-old dad had fallen on a gravel driveway.  His glasses were broken.

‘A Tremendous Complication’: G.O.P. Dances Around Trump's Lingering Presence  —  A gathering of Republican leaders and top donors in Florida this weekend is less a reset of priorities and more a reminder of the tensions that Donald J. Trump instills in his party.

Red states are vaccinating at a lower rate than blue states  —  (CNN)One of the biggest obstacles in America's race to vaccinate against the coronavirus has been that substantial proportions of certain groups choose not to vaccinate.  —  The polling has suggested all along that Republicans …

Leaked Chats Show ‘White Lives Matter’ Movement in Shambles After Antifa Infiltration  —  “What an absolute garbage dumpster fire,” one Telegram user wrote.  —  TO  —  Just days before a series of White Lives Matter rallies were to take place in cities across the U.S. …

Dan Crenshaw Announces Emergency Eye Surgery, Will Be ‘Effectively Blind’ for a Month  —  Representative Dan Crenshaw (R., Texas) announced that he received emergency surgery on his left eye on Friday, which will leave the congressman “effectively blind” for the next month.

Kamala Harris MIA on border crisis  —  More than two weeks after President Joe Biden placed her in charge of addressing the crisis at the border, Vice President Kamala Harris has made few public moves to show she has a handle on the situation.  —  Harris has visited Connecticut, California …

Nearly 40% of Marines have declined Covid-19 vaccine  —  Washington (CNN)Nearly 40% of US Marines are declining Covid-19 vaccinations, according to data provided to CNN on Friday by the service, the first branch to disclose service-wide numbers on acceptance and declination.

On Ukraine's doorstep, Russia boosts military and sends message of regional clout to Biden  —  MOSCOW — Russia is steadily massing its largest military presence in years near the Ukrainian border — on land and sea — as the Kremlin tests Western support for Kyiv and its battles …

High number of Trump political appointees sought permanent jobs in final year  —  The number of political appointees who sought permanent positions in the final year of former President Donald Trump's term outpaced the number who did so under his predecessor during the same time frame, according to documents obtained by NBC News.

A Teacher Marched to the Capitol.  When She Got Home, the Fight Began.  —  Kristine Hostetter was a beloved fourth-grade teacher.  Then came the pandemic, the election and the Jan. 6 riot in Washington.  —  SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — Word got around when Kristine Hostetter was spotted …