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 …

117 staffers sue over Houston hospital's vaccine mandate, say they don't want to be ‘guinea pigs’  —  The lawsuit could test whether employers can require vaccinations as the country navigates out of a pandemic that has killed nearly 600,000 people in the U.S.

MPD attorney: Department used tear gas on Lafayette Park protesters in June 2020  —  Attorney Richard Sobiecki explained for the first time why MPD used tear gas against protesters fleeing federal police, though he did not say what exactly was used.  —  WASHINGTON — An attorney for DC Police …

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.

Bill Maher defends Israel, rips ‘liberal media’ and ‘Bella Hadids of the world’  —  Maher also clashes with Nicholas Kristof after NY Times writer accuses Israel of ‘war crimes’  —  Karl Rove: Anti-Israel views by far-left ‘problematic’ for Democratic Party

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.

U.S. monitoring Iranian warships that may be headed to Venezuela  —  The U.S. national security community is monitoring two Iranian naval vessels whose ultimate destination may be Venezuela, according to three people familiar with the situation, in what would be a provocative move at a tense moment in U.S.-Iran relations.

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 …

Andy Ngo reportedly tackled, punched by Portland rioters during latest night of unrest  —  As of 5 a.m. ET Saturday, Ngo himself had not posted on Twitter about the alleged incident  —  Conservative journalist Andy Ngo, who writes frequently about Antifa, was reportedly chased and attacked …

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 …

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 …

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.

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.”

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.

Arizona making plans to execute prisoners with the same gas Nazis used at Auschwitz: report  —  On Saturday, Business Insider reported that Arizona has purchased the materials needed to manufacture hydrogen cyanide gas — the same chemical the Nazis used to murder Jewish prisoners at Auschwitz …

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.

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 …

Eager Teens Give Needed Boost to U.S. Vaccination Campaign  —  Covid-19 vaccinations among the country's newly eligible tweens and teens have given a much needed boost to the nation's campaign, at a time when vaccination rates have fallen among the oldest age groups and mostly stalled among young adults …