Matthew McConaughey may be a viable candidate for Texas governor; poll shows actor ahead of Abbott  —  McConaughey leads Gov. Greg Abbott, 45% to 33%.  But his middle-of-the-road appeal may not open an easy path for him to November's finale, experts warned.

Navalny's doctor: Putin critic ‘could die at any moment’  —  MOSCOW (AP) — A doctor for imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is in the third week of a hunger strike, says his health is deteriorating rapidly and the 44-year-old Kremlin critic could be on the verge of death.

One America News Network Stays True to Trump  —  A recent OAN segment said there were “serious doubts about who's actually president,” and another blamed “anti-Trump extremists” for the Capitol attack.  —  Months after the inauguration of President Biden, One America News Network …

FedEx Gunman Bought 2 Rifles After Police Seized His Shotgun, Chief Says  —  Brandon Hole, 19, had his shotgun taken away in March 2020 after his mother raised concerns about his mental state, records show.  But he was able to legally make gun purchases just months later.

What Is The Difference Between The Wright And Babbitt Shootings?  —  Below is column in USA Today on charging decisions in the Wright and Babbitt shootings.  The sharp contrast in the two decisions raises serious questions over the legal and political issues that rage around such cases.

3 people were killed and 2 others injured in a shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, sheriff says  —  (CNN)Authorities are looking for whoever opened fire at a tavern in southeast Wisconsin overnight, killing three people and seriously wounding two others, the Kenosha County sheriff said.

Most Americans want to end lifetime Supreme Court appointments  —  Susan Walsh/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo  —  A majority of Americans want to end lifetime appointments for U.S. Supreme Court justices, according to an Ipsos poll for Reuters, though less than half are in favor of other efforts to reform the judiciary.

Fauci says he expects J&J vaccine to resume later this week  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States will likely move to resume Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine this coming week, possibly with restrictions or broader warnings after reports of some very rare blood clot cases …

Senators in the dark on parliamentarian's decision  —  A parliamentarian ruling touted as a breakthrough for the Democratic agenda is putting the Senate in uncharted territory and sparking confusion.  —  More than a week after Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough signaled that Democrats …

How ‘Papa Gaetz’ tells you everything you need to know about Matt Gaetz  —  TALLAHASSEE — Before Matt Gaetz burst onto the national political scene as the sharp-tongued, attention-grabbing defender of Donald Trump, he was best known in Florida as “Baby Gaetz.”

Capitol Rioter Who Pretended to Be Antifa and Ransacked Pelosi's Office Released From Jail  —  William “Robbie” Norwood of South Carolina has been released ahead of his trial despite allegedly stealing body armor, lying to the FBI and ransacking Nancy Pelosi's office.  —  Correspondent-At-Large

Most Louisiana lawmakers have gotten a COVID-19 vaccine; see who has, hasn't  —  With the Louisiana Legislature entering the second week of its 2021 session, at least 68% of the legislators say they have been vaccinated against COVID-19, according to a survey conducted by The Advocate |  The Times-Picayune.

Misinformation Is Destroying Our Country.  Can Anything Rein It In?  —  Trump is gone, but the right-wing media is alive and well—and will further undermine our democracy if we let it.  —  On the night after the November 3 election, hundreds of supporters of Donald Trump filled the parking lot …

Trump's grip on GOP looms as support falters for independent probe of Capitol riot  —  Congress's pursuit of an independent investigation into the Jan. 6 insurrection is facing long odds, as bipartisan resolve to hold the perpetrators and instigators accountable erodes, and Republicans face sustained pressure …

NSA official installed as Trump left office resigns after he was sidelined  —  Michael Ellis, a former Republican political operative, resigned Friday as the National Security Agency's top lawyer, having been sidelined for three months after President Biden took office.

I'm the Head of Planned Parenthood.  We're Done Making Excuses for Our Founder.  —  We must reckon with Margaret Sanger's association with white supremacist groups and eugenics.  —  Ms. McGill Johnson is the president and chief executive of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

More than 400 convictions involving suspected racist cop in Virginia could be overturned  —  More than 400 convictions in Virginia could be overturned after prosecutors found evidence the arresting cop was racist.  —  Jonathan Freitag, 25, is accused of making up reasons to pull people …

Two blocks from the Federal Reserve, a growing encampment of the homeless grips the economy's most powerful person  —  Jerome Powell says the recovery is far from over.  The bleak reality is made clear outside his window on the Fed chair's drive to work.  —  As he drove past the intersection …

Nomadland!  Judas!  Minari!  Who's Getting The Oscar and Why It Still Matters  —  Despite the fact that the industry was devastated and many major releases were bumped ahead to this year, 2020 ended up serving a rich and diverse crop of Oscar nominees.  The films' prevailing topics …

Rick Scott navigates Trump, winning back the Senate — and his own ambitions  —  The silver bowl was small, but the symbolism was immense.  —  When Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) handed former president Donald Trump the National Republican Senatorial Committee's first-ever “Champion for Freedom Award” …

Being Black in America is exhausting  —  “Everyone I know is just so tired,” tweeted Jenna Wortham of the New York Times Magazine on Wednesday.  While the Black writer doesn't specify who “everyone” is, it's a good bet they are also Black.  And Wortham's use of “tired” is an understatement.

As mask mandates end, Oregon bucks trend with permanent rule  —  PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — As states around the country lift COVID-19 restrictions, Oregon is poised to go the opposite direction — and many residents are fuming about it.  —  A top health official is considering indefinitely …