Trump slashes at McConnell as he reiterates election falsehoods at Republican event  —  Former president Donald Trump called Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell a “dumb son of a bitch” as he used a Saturday night speech to Republicans to blame him for not helping overturn the 2020 election …

Maryland enacts landmark police overhaul, first state to repeal police bill of rights  —  BREAKING: Maryland's Democratic-majority legislature on Saturday overrode Gov. Larry Hogan's vetoes of three historic police accountability bills, becoming the first state in the nation to do away …

Biden strengthens Obama's legacy while seeking his own  —  How Biden promised to change health care on the campaign trail  —  (CNN)With sweeping economic recovery plans, President Joe Biden seeks his own legacy like the New Deal or Great Society.  But he's also bolstering Barack Obama's.

The scandal that wasn't: Republicans deflated as nation shrugs at Hunter Biden revelations  —  Trump and his allies foresaw a ticking timebomb centred on the president's son - but it has not turned out that way  —  Where's Hunter?  —  The rhetorical question about Joe Biden's troubled son …

Google's Secret ‘Project Bernanke’ Revealed in Texas Antitrust Case  —  Program used past bid data to boost tech company's win rate in advertising auctions, according to court filing  —  Google for years operated a secret program that used data from past bids in the company's digital advertising exchange …

Respectfully, Justice Breyer, court enlargers aren't the problem  —  Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer is an engaging, intellectually serious advocate of judicial modesty and compromise.  Some years ago, he put forward an admirable concept he called “active liberty.”

Joe Biden's Trojan horse presidency  —  Joe Biden was elected president after a campaign rooted in rhetoric emphasizing unity, moderation, and compromise.  But with every day that passes, the veneer of centrism that got him elected over rivals such as Sen. Bernie Sanders becomes more distant of a memory.

‘Suspicious’ blackout strikes Iran's Natanz nuclear site  —  DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran's underground Natanz nuclear facility lost power Sunday just hours after starting up new advanced centrifuges capable of enriching uranium faster, the latest incident to strike …

Covid-19 hospitalizations among younger people are rising in the US — especially in one region  —  (CNN)The US just hit a record high of about 4.6 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines reported administered in one day, according to data published Saturday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Blinken: China's early ‘failure’ on Covid cooperation helped speed pandemic … WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized China's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in an interview on “Meet the Press” Sunday, arguing that the country's “failure” to cooperate in the early stages …

Nevada Republicans vote to censure SOS Cegavske over voter fraud allegations  —  Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske on the first day of the 81st session of the Legislature in Carson City on Monday, Feb. 1, 2021.  (David Calvert/The Nevada Independent)  —  The Nevada Republican Party Central Committee …

'You Can't Trust Anyone': Russia's Hidden Covid Toll Is an Open Secret  —  The country's official coronavirus death toll is 102,649.  But at least 300,000 more people died last year during the pandemic than were reported in Russia's most widely cited official statistics.

China admits that it's COVID-19 vaccine isn't very effective: official  —  BEIJING — In a rare admission of the weakness of Chinese coronavirus vaccines, the country's top disease control official says their effectiveness is low and the government is considering mixing them to give them a boost.

POLITICO Playbook: The Gaetz Show gets weirder  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  MIAMI — Welcome to a special edition of Playbook from Miami.  It's time for an update on The Gaetz Show, which just came to town.  —  Battling anonymous leaks that he had sex with a minor or had paid prostitutes …

‘Maximum Pressure’ on Iran Has Failed  —  A return to the nuclear deal is the first step out of the morass.  —  The editorial board is a group of opinion journalists whose views are informed by expertise, research, debate and certain longstanding values.  It is separate from the newsroom.

Young Migrants Crowd Shelters, Posing Test for Biden  —  The administration is under intensifying pressure to expand its capacity to care for as many as 35,000 unaccompanied minors, part of a wave of people crossing the border.  —  WASHINGTON — The desperate plea landed this week …

Ramsey Clark, Attorney General and Rebel With a Cause, Dies at 93  —  Mr. Clark oversaw the drafting of the Fair Housing Act in 1968 and went on to defend both the disadvantaged and the unpopular.  —  Ramsey Clark, who championed civil rights and liberties as attorney general in the Johnson administration …

Biden's gun control policies would treat everyone like a criminal  —  President Joe Biden unveiled a series of executive actions this week aimed at limiting access to firearms and tightening regulations on who can purchase and own them.  Compared to the extreme gun control measures Biden …

Trudeau government threatens Halifax Security Forum over proposed Taiwan award  —  The organizers of one of the world's most prestigious defense gatherings are in the midst of an uncomfortable international standoff between the Canadian government and China over a major award they had planned to give to the president of Taiwan.

Scoop: Biden eyes Russia adviser criticized as soft on Kremlin  —  President Biden is considering appointing Matthew Rojansky, head of the Wilson Center's Kennan Institute, as Russia director on the National Security Council, according to a source familiar with the situation.