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 …

‘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 …

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 …

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.

White House signals cool reception to Senate Republicans' calls to trade spending cuts for debt ceiling increase  —  Senate Republicans issued their aspirational policy stance on Wednesday after largely backing away from deficit worries during the Trump administration.

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 …

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 …

Biden Will Seek Tax Increase on Rich to Fund Child Care and Education  —  The president's American Family Plan, which remains in flux, does not currently include an effort to expand health coverage, as administration officials had previously planned.  —  WASHINGTON — The next phase …

Senate passes anti-Asian hate crimes bill  —  The Senate voted 94-1 on Thursday to pass legislation that aims to improve anti-Asian hate crime tracking and identification.  —  Why it matters: It's a rare bipartisan endorsement of a bill by the 50-50 Senate, and comes in the wake of a spike of anti-Asian hate crimes over the last year.

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 …

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.

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

RNC chair McDaniel floated possible Michigan governor run  —  Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel told party officials Wednesday that she's considered stepping down from her post to challenge Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2022.  —  McDaniel's remarks came during …

Why the World Can't Trust America on Climate  —  America has finally kicked its climate-denial habit.  —  I know, you've heard that one before.  Twenty-eight years ago today, a Democratic president announced that the U.S. would “take the lead in addressing the challenge of global warming …

“Hindsight Is 20/20”: An Internal Report Shows How Facebook Failed To Prevent The “Stop The Steal” Movement  —  Last month, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified in front of a House of Representatives committee that his company had done its part “to secure the integrity of the election.”

Checking in on Biden's Approval Rating as Hundred Days' Mark Nears  —  Steady on average, but individual pollsters vary greatly  —  KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE  — Joe Biden's approval rating has been steady and positive, though many other presidents had better early numbers.

U.S. Marshals Used Drones to Spy on Black Lives Matter Protests in Washington, D.C. … The U.S. Marshals Service flew unmanned drones over Washington, D.C., in response to last summer's Black Lives Matter protests, documents obtained by The Intercept via the Freedom of Information Act show.

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