Biden Eyeing Tax Rate as High as 43.4% in Next Economic Package  — People earning $1 million would pay 39.6% plus Obamacare levy  — Total tax rates for New Yorkers, Californians could top 50%  —  President Joe Biden will propose almost doubling the capital gains tax rate …

Andrew Yang, Looking for Endorsement, Offends Gay Democratic Club  —  Participants described Mr. Yang's remarks as offensive, saying that even as members of the club raised policy issues, he returned to mentioning gay bars.  —  Andrew Yang, the former presidential candidate and leading contender …

Hawley votes against anti-Asian hate crime bill  —  Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) was the lone senator to vote against legislation on Thursday aimed at combating a surge in anti-Asian American hate crimes.  —  A spokesperson for Hawley, a potential 2024 contender, didn't immediately respond to a question about his vote.

With Trump's backing, Walker freezes Senate GOP field in Georgia  —  (CNN)Former President Donald Trump's backing of football great Herschel Walker to run for the Georgia Senate seat has been enough to effectively freeze the GOP field in place — even though some Republicans privately worry …

Kevin McCarthy Says Capitol Riot Commission Should Look At Unrelated Riots  —  The top House Republican doesn't want too much focus on that time Donald Trump and his supporters tried to overturn the 2020 election.  —  The top Republican in the House of Representative thinks …

‘No opportunity’ to de-escalate: Use-of-force experts say Columbus officer obeyed training in shooting Ma'Khia Bryant  —  An Ohio criminal-justice professor who studies the fatal use of force by law-enforcement officers didn't hesitate to render an opinion after watching body-camera video …

The Failing Galaxy Brain  —  There are hundreds of us...*HUNDREDS! … Welcome to Galaxy Brain, where we're off to a very slow start. … I hate to say it but Glenn is right.  After a whole ten days of entrepreneurship I can report that I am not newsletter millionaire.

We should soon stop catering to the vaccine holdouts  —  When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration announced a “pause” in the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine because of a tiny number of instances in which women developed blood clots after getting the shot, many recoiled in horror.

Behind the ‘Thin Blue Line’ flag: America's history of police violence  —  A little more than a week before the jury delivered its verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd, and about 10 miles from the Hennepin County Government Center …

Stacey Abrams just taught Senator John Kennedy a lesson on being prepared  —  Sen. John Kennedy, a Republican from Louisiana, went viral on Wednesday for embarrassing himself during a Tuesday hearing with Stacey Abrams about Georgia's new voter suppression law.

America scrambles for restaurant workers  —  Vaccinations keep climbing, and restaurants are ready to roar back this summer.  But eateries from Miami to Martha's Vineyard to Los Angeles are facing the same problem: not enough workers.  —  The big picture: Millions of restaurants are hiring all at once and …

Russia announces end to massive troop buildup near Ukraine  —  Russia's defense minister said Thursday that massive military exercises near the border with Ukraine had been completed, and that he had ordered troops to return to their permanent bases by May 1, according to state media.

Investigation suppressed by Trump administration reveals obstacles to hurricane aid for Puerto Rico  —  A watchdog report uncovers bureaucratic hurdles the Trump administration erected for the struggling island to receive aid after Hurricanes Irma and Maria  —  The Trump administration put …

Brett Kavanaugh's Opinion Restoring Juvenile Life Without Parole Is Dishonest and Barbaric  —  In an appalling 6-3 decision on Thursday, the Supreme Court effectively reinstated juvenile life without parole by shredding precedents that had sharply limited the sentence in every state.

Do We Still Need to Keep Wearing Masks Outdoors?  —  Science shows that the risk of viral transmission outside is very low.  The “two-out-of-three rule” can help you decide whether to mask up.  —  As more people get vaccinated and spring weather and sunshine beckon us outdoors …

Arizona Senator Mark Kelly's Commitment to Keep SCOTUS at Nine Justices, Even if Roe Is Overturned  —  In the Capitol on Tuesday, I asked Arizona senator Mark Kelly about Massachusetts senator Ed Markey's bill to increase the number of justices on the Supreme Court from nine to thirteen.

California's massive UC and Cal State systems plan to require COVID-19 vaccinations this fall  —  The University of California and California State University announced Thursday that they intend to require COVID-19 vaccinations for all students, faculty and staff on campus properties …

The Big Lie has gotten so bad that even some Republicans are running from it  —  The Big Lie of 2020 is conventionally defined as the claim that the election was stolen from Donald Trump.  But it's broader than that.  It also encompasses a softer version of this idea: The insultingly disingenuous baloney …

Jake Paul Promised Them Fame.  Was It Worth the Price?  —  A look behind the scenes at life in the Team 10 house.  —  In the vast world of YouTube villains, there may be none as famous as Jake Paul.  —  The 24-year-old Vine star turned vlogger has polarized viewers with videos …

Black Democrats urge party to shift its voting rights push  —  Democrats have spent months touting an expansive proposal that would reshape U.S. elections.  But with the bill's Senate prospects growing more dire, key members of the Congressional Black Caucus are pushing to narrow their strategy.

Pentagon investigated suspected Russian directed-energy attacks on U.S. troops  —  The Pentagon has briefed top lawmakers on intelligence surrounding suspected directed-energy attacks against U.S. troops, and officials identified Russia as a likely culprit, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter.

In Defense of Teenage Knife Fighting  —  Since when do we need the cops to intervene in the recreational stabbings of our youth?  —  Just when I thought that America couldn't possibly get any softer, people start suggesting that there's a role for the police in preventing knife murders.

Liz Cheney vs. MAGA  —  The Wyoming congresswoman challenged Republicans to turn away from Trump after Jan. 6.  Instead, they turned on her.  —  The regular conference meetings of the Republican lawmakers in the House of Representatives, held most weeks behind closed doors in the Capitol Visitor Center …

General: Afghan military will collapse without some US help  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Afghanistan's military “will certainly collapse” without some continued American support once all U.S. troops are withdrawn, the top U.S. general for the Middle East told Congress Thursday.

The legal war between the Saudis and their former spymaster  —  DUBAI (Reuters) - The family of a former top Saudi intelligence official who is living in exile and locked in an international feud with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman say they have become pawns in the kingdom's efforts to bring the spy chief home.

The Biden administration has ended use of the phrase ‘illegal alien’.  It's about time  —  The language we use to discuss immigration is dehumanizing: ‘catch and release’, ‘migrant caravans’, swarms - anything, in other words, but people  —  his week, the Biden administration fulfilled …

Did We Forget Our Democracy Is Still Under Threat?  —  Complacency is an inherent weakness of democracy.  —  Old joke: An old fish and a young fish pass each other.  The old fish says, “Fine water today, isn't it?”  The young fish replies, “What's water?”