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 …

O.J. Simpson bashes LeBron James for Ohio cop tweet  —  O.J. Simpson has gone from jailbird to law-and-order crusader.  —  The famous ex-con took a pro-cop stance Thursday when he backed an Ohio officer who fatally shot a knife-wielding teen and ripped into NBA star LeBron James for a tweet that named and shamed the lawman.

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

Vile response to the Derek Chauvin verdict  —  We have to trust that the jury in the Derek Chauvin case got it right when it found the former Minneapolis cop guilty of murder and manslaughter over the death of a black man, George Floyd.  —  This is our justice system and it's all that stands between us and barbarism.

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.

Biden can fulfill ‘a lot’ of climate pledge through executive orders, Kerry says  —  Climate envoy John Kerry suggested Thursday that the White House can lean on executive orders to achieve President Joe Biden's aggressive new target of cutting U.S. emissions 50% to 52% by 2030.

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 …

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.

Biden's USPS nominees face confirmation hearing as Democrats consider paths to oust DeJoy  —  Even if all three are confirmed, giving Democrats an edge on the governing board, it remains to be seen whether the majority would be in sync when it comes to the postmaster general

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 …

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.

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.

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.

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 …

The Postal Service is running a ‘covert operations program’ that monitors Americans' social media posts  —  The law enforcement arm of the U.S. Postal Service has been quietly running a program that tracks and collects Americans' social media posts, including those about planned protests, according to a document obtained by Yahoo News.

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.

Lone Arizona Republican votes ‘no,’ blocking passage of bill targeting mail voting  —  A bill that would stop some voters from getting a ballot automatically mailed to them each election failed in Arizona's state Senate Thursday after a single Republican joined Democrats in voting against the legislation.

Black women are willing to wait longer in line to vote than any other demographic group  —  Black voters' greater determination to vote — despite longer lines — may influence election results  —  Before the November 2020 elections, the news media warned that citizens might have to wait …