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.

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 …

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 …

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.

Trump to rally House Republicans as party turns eye to midterms  —  Former President Donald Trump is set to rally House Republicans at a Florida fundraiser on Monday as the GOP turns its gaze from the off-year elections in Virginia, New Jersey and other states to its goal of recapturing control of Congress in 2022.

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 …

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 …

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 …

Jim Jordan allies furious at proposed redistricting map  —  Proposed map could see Republican Jordan go head to head against Dem.  Rep. Joyce Beatty in Ohio  —  Mike Pompeo and Chris Christie announce redistricting group  —  Allies of Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan are furious with the state Senate GOP …

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 …

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) …

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 …

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.

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.

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.

Obama tells young people at climate change summit: ‘Vote like your life depends on it, because it does’  —  Obama accused Trump of ushering in ‘four years of active hostility’ toward climate science  —  Obama: School issues are ‘phony culture wars’  —  Former President Barack Obama issued …

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

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 …

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.

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.

'He's Comin' Across Like the F—ing Tin Man Up There'  —  The first voice you hear, somewhere off-camera, belongs to Jesse Moss, the filmmaker.  —  “Anything you want to make sure that I ask him?”  —  By this point, Moss has spent 11 months with his subject, filming him backstage at events …