Trump told RNC chair he was leaving GOP to create new party, says new book  —  In his new book, Jonathan Karl shares what Trump said before backing down.  —  In an angry conversation on his final day as president, Donald Trump told the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee …

U.S. Covid Deaths Get Even Redder  —  The partisan gap in Covid's death toll has grown faster over the past month than at any previous point.  —  As 2020 wound down, there were good reasons to believe that the death toll during the pandemic's first year might have been worse in red America.

Notes on an Authoritarian Conspiracy: Inside the Claremont Institute's “79 Days to Inauguration” Report  —  The sun rises on January 6, 2021 while a nation is in crisis.  —  Michigan's presidential electors are in dispute after a mysterious fire in Detroit destroyed thousands of mail-in ballots …

Mitch McConnell spent decades chasing power.  Now he heeds Trump, who mocks him and wants him gone.  —  How one of Washington's longtime Republican power players succumbed to the preeminence of the 45th president  —  As President Donald Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 …

CNN Poll: Majority of Americans say Biden isn't paying attention to nation's most important issues  —  (CNN)One year out from the 2022 midterm elections, 58% of Americans say President Joe Biden hasn't paid enough attention to the nation's most important problems, as a majority disapproves …

We Can't Wait for Universities to Fix Themselves.  So We're Starting a New One.  —  I left my post as president of St. John's College in Annapolis to build a university in Austin dedicated to the fearless pursuit of truth.  —  So much is broken in America.  But higher education might be the most fractured institution of all.

Latinos are the new swing voters: What are Democrats going to do about it?  —  Latinos are not a monolithic group; they are as diverse as the country itself.  And, increasingly, Latinos are swing voters.  Democrats must understand this or they will risk continuing to lose voter share …

US seizes $6 million in ransom payments and charges Ukrainian over major cyberattack  —  (CNN)Law enforcement officials seized an estimated $6 million in ransom payments and federal prosecutors charged a suspect from Ukraine over a damaging July ransomware attack on an American company …

Capitol rioter Evan Neumann applies for asylum in Belarus, local media says  —  MOSCOW — A man who allegedly participated in the Capitol riot on Jan. 6 and is wanted by the FBI is now seeking asylum in Belarus, the country's state media reported Monday, presenting him as a …

Biden looking at shutting down another pipeline as winter approaches  —  In case you hadn't noticed, gas prices are going up at near-record rates this month.  The same is true for heating oil and propane.  And that's all taking place just as the temperatures are beginning to plunge across …

When Keeping It ‘Woke’ Gets Racist, Liberals Should Say So  —  A Republican won Virginia's governorship last week after campaigning on a vow to “ban critical race theory in our schools.”  —  On one level, this was an odd campaign promise.  Properly defined, critical race theory (or CRT) …

Obama denounces Trump, GOP for ‘active hostility toward climate science’  —  Obama calls for action at COP26 climate summit: ‘We are nowhere near where we need to be yet’  —  Former President Barack Obama on Monday urged world leaders to ramp up efforts to combat climate change …

White House plans tour to tout Biden's $1 tln U.S. infrastructure bill  —  President Joe Biden and top officials in his Cabinet are hitting the road to promote the $1 trillion infrastructure bill passed in Congress last week, to explain when and where Americans can expect to see some of the funds in their own communities.

Big Bird got ‘vaccinated’ against COVID-19, drawing outrage from Republicans  —  Big Bird ruffled some conservatives' feathers this weekend by announcing that he had been vaccinated against COVID-19.  —  The beloved Muppet tweeted on Saturday that he had gotten the shot …

Aaron Rodgers let his team down  —  The Green Bay Packers lost a winnable football game on Sunday night thanks to Aaron Rodgers.  —  The standout quarterback refused to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, caught the virus, and wasn't eligible to play in his team's Sunday evening matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Satellite images show China built mock-ups of US warships  —  BEIJING (AP) — Satellite images show China has built mock-ups of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier and destroyer in its northwestern desert, possibly for practice for a future naval clash as tensions rise between the nations.

Republican wave builds to take back the House  —  Republicans could hardly be better poised to recapture the House majority.  —  Increasingly aggressive redistricting, a diverse slate of candidates raking in record-breaking amounts of cash and a political atmosphere that just keeps getting …

School closures haunt Democrats as frustrated parents cast their votes  —  Rice University college basketball player (1986-1989)  —  WASHINGTON — The father was furious.  “Figure it out, or get off the podium,” he shouted at school board members in Loudoun County, Va.

The Trial of Kyle Rittenhouse Begins with Gruesome Videos and a Plea for Fact-Finding  —  The rifle-wielding teen-ager killed two men and grievously wounded a third during racial-justice protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin.  —  For more than a year, State of Wisconsin v. Kyle Rittenhouse …

Trump will ‘probably’ announce 2024 plans after midterms: ‘A lot of people will be very happy’  —  Trump to Fox News: 'A lot of great people who are thinking about running are waiting for that decision, because they're not going to run if I run'  —  Trump teases press with 2024 hints

Democrats call on New Jersey Republican to concede gubernatorial race  —  New Jersey Democrats are calling on Republican gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli to concede last week's election, saying that his silence since the race was called for Gov. Phil Murphy (D) is “an assault on the integrity of our elections.”

Six Degrees From Brookings: How a Liberal Think Tank Keeps Coming Up in the Russian Collusion Investigation  —  The latest indictment by Special Counsel John Durham has created a stir in Washington as the investigation into the Russian collusion scandal exposed new connections to the Clinton campaign.

Survey of federal workers shows majority oppose vax mandate  —  The Government Business Council recently sent out a survey to thousands of federal employees seeking their comments and opinions on a variety of topics.  One of these was Joe Biden's mandate to have all government workers vaccinated or face dismissal from their jobs.

Ranking the most liberal and conservative law firms among the top 140, 2021 edition  —  One of my most popular posts remains “Ranking the most liberal and conservative law firms.”  That post is from 2013, and an update is long overdue.  —  At the outset, “ranking” a firm or calling it …

Elon Musk faces a $15 billion tax bill, which is likely the real reason he's selling stock  — Elon Musk faces a tax bill of more than $15 billion in the coming months on stock options.  — Musk asked his 62.7 million Twitter followers over the weekend whether he should sell 10% of his Tesla holdings.