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 …

NRSC chair Rick Scott declines to say if Trump-backed Senate hopeful accused of strangling wife is right candidate for the job  —  Sen. Rick Scott, who heads the group that works to elect Senate Republicans, declined Monday to say whether Sean Parnell, a GOP hopeful in Pennsylvania …

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.

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 …

A pollster tested 8 pieces of covid misinformation.  On 6 of 8, more Republicans said they were true than false.  —  Whatever one's views on the appropriateness of vaccine or mask mandates or other coronavirus-related policies, one fact about those debates is incontrovertible …

Son of ‘billionaire tax’ bill author backs Musk over father in wild Twitter spat  —  Sen. Ron Wyden's son criticized his father over his proposal to tax billionaires in a bizarre exchange involving Tesla founder Elon Musk.  —  Adam Wyden, the Oregon Democrat's adult son …

'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 …

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 …

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) …

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 is considering shutting down ANOTHER oil pipeline despite soaring energy prices: Republicans demand Michigan's Line 5 be kept open to avoid a further rise in energy bills this winter  — President Joe Biden's Administration is considering shutting down the Line 5 oil pipeline that links Superior …

Good riddance to 34 New York City cops  —  It was reported last week that 34 New York City police officers took unpaid leave rather than comply with that city's vaccine mandate.  For this, New Yorkers should thank them.  —  And then, find a way to fire them.

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 …

In the Middle of Infrastructure Talks, Joe Manchin Has Pursued a Book Deal  —  Fight disinformation.  Get a daily recap of the facts that matter.  Sign up for the free Mother Jones newsletter.  —  Over the past few weeks, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) has been involved in some of the most …

How Covid became the unlikely hero of our inflation crisis  —  The message Americans have been getting about inflation from in recent months can be summed up in four words: Be afraid.  Very afraid. … It's a message that much of the media has been happy to spread, epitomized by an odd segment …

Marjorie Taylor Greene Isn't Going to Let a Little Antisemitism Get in the Way of Vibing With Louis Farrakhan Over Vaccines  —  The conspiracy theorist from Georgia hates vaccine mandates so much that she's praising the Nation of Islam  —  Marjorie Taylor Greene and Louis Farrakhan don't exactly …

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.

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

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.

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.

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 …

Waning western support of Dayton accord is a bad omen for Bosnia  —  The US and Europe are complicit in the dismal politics of ethnic partition  —  The UN Security Council last week extended for one year the mandate of an EU-led peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

North Dakota lawmaker who helped organize anti-vaccine mandate rally tests positive for COVID-19  —  Rep. Jeff Hoverson told The Forum that he tested positive for coronavirus on Friday, Nov. 5.  —  BISMARCK — Rep. Jeff Hoverson says he tested positive for COVID-19 and won't be attending a Monday …

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 …