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 …

Countries' climate pledges built on flawed data, Post investigation finds  —  Malaysia's latest catalogue of its greenhouse gas emissions to the United Nations reads like a report from a parallel universe.  The 285-page document suggests that Malaysia's trees are absorbing carbon four times faster …

The Democratic Senate majority was already dicey.  Then came Virginia.  —  Democrats go into the midterm election with one advantage — a favorable map that gives some reason to think the party can hold its minuscule Senate majority next year.  —  But it's not going to be enough on its own …

Russiagate has no rock bottom  —  The indictment of the Steele dossier's key source newly humiliates the Clinton campaign, FBI, and US media.  —  It did not seem possible for the Steele dossier - the collection of Trump-Russia conspiracy theories funded by the Clinton campaign …

Gloomy landscape for Democrats for midterms as Biden's approval drops to 38%: USA TODAY/Suffolk poll  —  A year before the 2022 midterm elections, Republicans hold a clear early lead on the congressional ballot as President Joe Biden's approval rating sinks to a new low of 38%.

Winter Heating Bills Loom as the Next Inflation Threat  —  After plunging during the pandemic as the economy slowed, energy prices have roared upward.  Washington is already moving to offer homeowners relief.  —  With consumers already dealing with the fastest price increases in decades …

Covid Gets Even Redder  —  The partisan gap in deaths has grown larger.  —  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.  There were also good reasons to think it might have been worse in blue America.

Big Bird's vaccination announcement sparks backlash from conservatives, GOP  —  Big Bird's seemingly innocuous — and obviously fictional — announcement Saturday that he has been vaccinated against Covid-19 caused a stir online, as Republicans like Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas accused …

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 …

Report from Las Vegas: Some Jewish Republicans have Trump fatigue, but they just can't quit him  —  LAS VEGAS (JTA) — The Republican Jewish Coalition conference was about 2022, and also 2024.  It was about how a near Republican sweep in state and local races last week revealed a way back to GOP control of the federal government.

Who Wants to Hang Out With Eric Adams in Puerto Rico?  Everyone.  —  Mr. Adams celebrated his victory in the New York City mayoral race with elected officials and lobbyists at a nonstop tropical party known as Somos.  —  SAN JUAN, P.R. — Three days after winning the New York City mayor's race …

CIA Director had rare conversation with Putin while in Moscow last week  —  (CNN)CIA Director Bill Burns held a rare conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow last week, to convey “serious” US concerns about Russia's military buildup along the Ukrainian border and to attempt …

Sen. Josh Hawley defends speech on porn and video games  —  Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) told “Axios on HBO” he'll make masculinity a signature political issue, because he claims “the left” is telling men: “You're part of the problem. ...  Your masculinity is inherently problematic.”

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.

Biden's Afghan war crime gets the whitewash treatment  —  Mistakes were made, but no one did anything wrong.  —  No one will be held accountable.  —  This is the result of the Air Force's investigation last week into the drone strike that President Joe Biden authorized.

Democrats must fight and win on the economy  —  Here's a smart move — Democrats start channeling Ronald Reagan's famous question in the 1980 presidential campaign: “Are you better off than you were four years ago?”  —  If Democrats want to win in the 2022 midterm elections, voters need to hear Reagan's question over and over.

Notes on an Authoritarian Conspiracy: Inside the Claremont Institute's “79 Days to Inauguration” Report  —  Claremont's post-election war game provides a window into the group's ambitions.  —  The sun rises on January 6, 2021 while a nation is in crisis.  —  Michigan's presidential electors …

A Way Forward for Biden and the Democrats in 2022 and 2024  —  Mr. Penn is a former adviser and pollster to President Clinton and Hillary Clinton.  Mr. Stein is a former president of the New York City Council.  —  Swing voters in two blue-leaning states just sent a resounding wake-up call …

CORRECTED: Guardian op-ed says Trump is likely 'Biden's best hope for re-election'  —  CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misidentified the author of the Guardian op-ed. The author is Michael Cohen, the author of “Clear and Present Safety: The World Has Never Been Better and Why That Matters.”

A love letter to Kabul  —  This summer's Taliban takeover was a seismic moment for Kabul.  Those who call this city their own wonder if life has changed forever.  Much of what made Kabul special is now a cultural battlefield - evocative street murals have been painted over with Islamic verses …