Texas Republicans finalize bill that would enact stiff new voting restrictions and make it easier to overturn election results  —  The Texas legislature on Saturday moved closer to enacting dozens of new restrictions on the voting process, as Republican lawmakers reached a deal that imposes …

Justice Breyer's new warning for Democrats couldn't have come at a worse time  —  American democracy is in crisis.  Breyer thinks now's the time to scold his fellow liberals.  —  Justice Stephen Breyer — a Bill Clinton appointee who has served on the Supreme Court since 1994 …

What is critical race theory, and why do Republicans want to ban it in schools?  —  The latest front in the culture wars over how U.S. students should learn history and civics is the concept of critical race theory, an intellectual tool set for examining systemic racism.

Covid-19 Shot Can Be a Job Requirement  —  Updated guidance from EEOC notes some exceptions; incentives are allowed  —  U.S. employers could require all workers physically entering a workplace to be vaccinated against Covid-19, the federal government said Friday.

The way Sen. Kyrsten Sinema helped to kill the Jan. 6 commission  —  Opinion: Sinema can't say she supports legislation vital to Americans but refuse to do what needs to be done to pass it.  —  Make no mistake, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema helped to kill the bill that would have created a commission …

Bennett to announce he's joining opposition to form new Israeli government, oust Netanyahu  —  The leader of right-wing Yamina party Naftali Bennett could announce as early as Sunday that he is joining opposition leader Yair Lapid to form a power-sharing government in Israel, sources familiar with the issue tell Axios.

Biden's week is oddly . . . normal  —  At the start of the week, President Biden showcased the government's preparedness for hurricane season.  In the middle of the week, he comforted the family of George Floyd, grieving on the first anniversary of his death.

Bill Maher slams ‘liberal media’ in Israel-Gaza conflict, backs country's right to defend itself  —  Real Time host Bill Maher defended Israel on his show and criticized the “liberal media” for its “one-sided” reporting of the Israel-Gaza conflict.  —  “We've become this country now that we're kind …

Biden is getting a big bounce with Hispanics  —  (CNN)Hispanic voters were one of President Joe Biden's biggest weaknesses in the 2020 election.  Although sources differ on his exact margin, Biden's advantage with Hispanics was the worst for a Democratic presidential nominee since 2004 …

Removing The Bedrock Of Liberalism  —  What the “Critical Race Theory” debate is really about.  —  23 hr ago  —  As the origins of our current moral panic about “white supremacy” become more widely debated, we have an obvious problem: how to define the term “Critical Race Theory.”

Democrats grapple with the enemy within: What to do about the filibuster rule that could kill their agenda  —  Democrats say the mass shootings that are now a routine part of American life won't end until stricter gun-control laws are enacted.  They warn the warming planet is in peril without bold action.

Do deficits matter anymore?  Biden's first budget signals they don't.  —  The president's budget predicts a $1.8 trillion deficit for 2022 and deficits of $1.3 trillion for years to come to fund big investments in education, infrastructure and the social safety net.

Democrats plot Medicaid expansion backdoor in red states refusing program  —  Democratic lawmakers are rallying around an effort to extend health insurance in states that have refused to expand Medicaid, believing they have a limited window to help millions who've been unable to get coverage …

Educated voters' leftward shift is surprisingly old and international  —  A new paper by Thomas Piketty makes the rise of right-wing populism look like a historical inevitability  —  You could fill a small library with books on right-wing populism.  Some authors argue that these movements emerged …

DOJ asks judge to dismiss cases against Trump, Barr for Lafayette Square clearing  —  Department of Justice lawyers asked a federal judge to dismiss lawsuits against former President Trump, former attorney general William Barr and other administration officials for the forced clearing …

The Republican Party, Racial Hypocrisy, and the 1619 Project  —  As the G.O.P. seeks to deny Americans knowledge of their own history, Nikole Hannah-Jones is denied tenure.  —  Late last month, when Senator Tim Scott, of South Carolina, delivered the Republican response to President Joe Biden's …

Rioters blame their actions on 2020 election misinformation  —  PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Falsehoods about the election helped bring insurrectionists to the Capitol on Jan. 6, and now some who are facing criminal charges for their actions during the riot hope their gullibility might save them or at least engender some sympathy.

Gov. DeSantis' COVID Critic Granted Whistleblower Status  —  ‘PRETTY HUGE’  —  Florida's inspector general has granted whistleblower status to Rebekah Jones, the health department worker who was fired after claiming that Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration was fudging COVID-19 data …