Republicans plot an infrastructure 2-step: Spend more, then kill Biden's agenda  —  Senate Republicans are mulling support for a massive amount of new spending on infrastructure — in part because they think it'll help kill President Joe Biden's liberal agenda.

Greene apologizes for comparing vaccine rules to Holocaust  —  Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) on Monday apologized for comparing COVID-19 vaccine and mask rules to the Holocaust, declaring that “there is no comparison” between the safety measures and the genocide of six million Jews during World War II.

Texas' main power grid operator urges reduced electricity use through Friday due to “tight grid conditions”  —  The Electric Reliability Council of Texas says a large number of power plants are offline, but it could not provide details as to what may be causing the “very concerning” number of outages.

Ex-Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, now a Mainer, marched on the Capitol on Jan. 6  —  The former Californian, who's been called 'Putin's favorite congressman,' said he participated to protest the ‘stolen election’ but urged fellow protesters not to storm the Capitol.  —  POLITICS

Former NSA contractor Reality Winner, jailed for leaking secrets about Russian hacking, released early from prison … Reality Winner, the former National Security Agency contractor who was jailed for leaking secrets about Russian hacking, has been released early from prison, her lawyer said Monday.

North Korean defector says ‘even North Korea was not this nuts’ after attending Ivy League school  —  Yeonmi Park escaped the oppressive regime in 2007 at the age of 13  —  'America's future is as bleak as North Korea' says defector after attending Columbia

Justice official resigning amid uproar over Dems' subpoenas  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department's top national security official is resigning from his position after revelations that the department secretly seized record s from Democrats and members of the media.

Is Bill de Blasio Secretly Backing Eric Adams for Mayor?  —  The mayor is not making a public endorsement in the primary race, but he is believed to favor Mr. Adams, the Brooklyn borough president.  —  It was one of the more memorable moments in the New York City mayor's race …

America's contest of nightmares isn't even close  —  America is in a contest of contending nightmares.  —  The dreams of conservatives are currently troubled by “wokeness” and critical race theory.  As with most nightmares, there is a grain of truth within such terrors.

Schumer apologizes after using outdated term for disabled children during housing interview  —  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer apologized on Monday for using an outmoded word to refer to developmentally disabled children during a recent podcast appearance.

Gohmert Swears $5,500 ‘Donation’ to Holocaust Denier Was a Mistake  —  GOP Rep. Louie Gohmert's campaign gave $5,500 to “ministries” linked to anti-gay, anti-Semitic preacher Steve Anderson. … Rep. Louie Gohmert celebrated New Year's Eve 2020 by dropping several thousand dollars …

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid awaiting President Reuven Rivlin for the official governing coalition earlier today.Credit: EMMANUEL DUNAND - AFP  —  In the transition of power from Benjamin Netanyahu to Naftali Bennett, Israel went from having …

California Defies Doom With No. 1 U.S. Economy  —  When misfortunes multiplied during the coronavirus pandemic, observers seized on a four-letter word signaling end of days for the largest state with one-eighth the U.S. population and 14% of its gross domestic product.

The Health Benefits of Coffee  —  Drinking coffee has been linked to a reduced risk of all kinds of ailments, including Parkinson's disease, melanoma, prostate cancer, even suicide.  —  Americans sure love their coffee.  Even last spring when the pandemic shut down New York …

There's not going to be a post-presidency revelation that submarines Trump  —  There was a theory, to which I once subscribed, that former president Donald Trump's efforts to remain salient in American politics could be hobbled by what might be learned after he left office.

Diamond and Sulk: A Weekend With Mike Lindell and the MAGA Zombies  —  The phone rings and it's Mike Lindell, the MyPillow Guy, recovered cocaine addict, believer that the 2020 presidential count was 20 million off, and, apparently, a fan of 1970s AM Radio.  After saying hello and introducing myself …

2020 was the deadliest gun violence year in decades.  So far, 2021 is worse.  —  The shootings have come at a relentless pace.  Gun violence this year has cut through celebrations and funerals, places of work and houses of worship.  It has taken lives at a grocery store and in a fast-food drive-through lane.

First on CNN: FBI warns lawmakers that QAnon ‘digital soldiers’ may become more violent  —  Washington (CNN)The FBI has warned lawmakers that online QAnon conspiracy theorists may carry out more acts of violence as they move from serving as “digital soldiers” to taking action in the real world following the January 6 US Capitol attack.

Vatican Warns U.S. Bishops: Don't Deny Biden Communion Over Abortion  —  Conservative American Catholic bishops are pressing for a debate over whether Catholics who support the right to an abortion should be allowed to take Communion.  —  ROME — The Vatican has warned conservative American bishops …

Lin-Manuel Miranda Addresses Lack of Afro-Latino Representation in ‘In the Heights’: ‘We Fell Short’ … “In the Heights” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda is addressing criticism of colorism in the film's Afro-Latino representation.  —  In a statement posted to Twitter, Miranda apologized …

Fact-checking Sen. Ron Johnson's continued efforts to mislead on Covid-19 and January 6 insurrection  —  Washington (CNN)Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson's penchant for spreading false claims and misinformation shows no signs of stopping after a week in which he touted falsehoods related …

What Ilhan Omar Actually Said  —  By the time Republicans and centrist Democrats had united late last week to scold Representative Ilhan Omar for a tweet—one of the few pastimes that still draw the two parties together, and something those selfsame chiders would doubtlessly decry …

The bogus backlash against progressive prosecutors  —  “I feel like I was played for a fool,” says Harry Mulholland.  “Honestly.  I felt a little violated.”  —  Mulholland is a genuine hero.  Earlier this year, he witnessed three assailants attack and attempt to carjack a 75-year-old woman …