Factory workers threatened with firing if they left before tornado, employees say  —  MAYFIELD, Ky. — As a c atastrophic tornado approached this city on Friday, employees of a candle factory — which would later be destroyed — heard the warning sirens and wanted to leave the building.

Where I Live, No One Cares About COVID  —  In November, my wife asked me whether I had seen an article with the remarkable headline “Is It Safe to Go to Thanksgiving Dinner?”  —  “Is that from last year?”  I asked.  —  “No, it's a few days old,” she said, her voice sinking to a growling murmur.

House Panel Votes to Recommend Holding Mark Meadows in Contempt of Congress  —  Former Trump chief of staff was subpoenaed over activities related to Jan. 6 Capitol riot  —  WASHINGTON—The House panel investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump voted …

Supreme Court won't stop vaccine mandate for New York health care workers  —  The Supreme Court on Monday declined to stop New York's coronavirus vaccination mandate for health care workers that does not include an exception for religious objectors.  —  As it has done in past mandate cases …

Bitterly Clinging to Russiagate … In November, U.S. attorney John Durham indicted the primary source for the so-called Steele dossier—a document that supposedly offered proof of a conspiracy between Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and the Kremlin.

Sir, you are not a conservative  —  David Brooks, center, speaks during a panel discussion at the University of Chicago.  —  Associated Press/Photo by Nam Y. Huh … Writing about his intellectual pilgrimage, New York Times columnist David Brooks once described himself in the 1980s like this …

Kelly Tshibaka statement on Mitch McConnell  —  Kelly Tshibaka says she will not support McConnell as leader in the Senate, on Bannon's War Room  —  Alaska Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kelly Tshibaka today issued the following statement:  —  “Mitch McConnell has repeatedly bailed out Joe Biden …

Two Jan. 6 Organizers Are Coming Forward and Naming Names: 'We're Turning It All Over'  —  After losing faith in Trump, the pair plan to hand over text messages, Instagram direct messages, and other documents related to the planning of the Jan. 6 rally on the Ellipse where Trump spoke

Biden tries to budge Manchin  —  President Biden spoke to Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) for the second time in a week on Monday in what is becoming an increasingly desperate last-minute effort to cajole him into voting for a sweeping climate and social spending bill before Christmas.

CNN's hiring of serial liar and Trump propagandist Alyssa Farah is a huge mistake  —  Farah's only relevant professional experience is promoting right-wing lies  —  CNN's decision to add former Trump administration spokesperson Alyssa Farah to its roster of on-air talent demonstrates …

Coverage of Chris Wallace's split downplayed Fox's function as a vector for disinformation and death  —  (Part of a continuing series: Fox News is Not News.)  —  Given the opportunity - nay, the obligation - to describe the incredibly destructive role that Fox's self-described news channel …

No U.S. Troops Will Be Punished for Deadly Kabul Strike, Pentagon Chief Decides  —  The military initially defended the August strike, which killed 10 civilians including seven children, in the days afterward, but ultimately called it a tragic mistake.  —  WASHINGTON — None …

Elon Musk  —  SEE FULL LIST  —  The richest man in the world does not own a house and has recently been selling off his fortune.  He tosses satellites into orbit and harnesses the sun; he drives a car he created that uses no gas and barely needs a driver.  With a flick of his finger, the stock market soars or swoons.

The American Jury System Holds Firm against ‘Wokeness’  —  The Jussie Smollett trial is only the latest instance in which jurors have done their duty diligently, without regard to race or politics.  —  sked to describe the discussions that yielded five “guilty” verdicts in the trial of Jussie Smollett …

Sentenced to 241 Years as a Teen, Bobby Bostic Wins Parole  — Bobby Bostic poses with a certificate from Missouri State University.  —  A Missouri man sentenced to 241 years in prison for crimes committed when he was just sixteen will be released next year after a quarter-century behind bars.

Key Wisconsin Republican says her colleagues are making baseless attacks and need to wrap up election review  —  MADISON — Republicans and Democrats alike Monday ripped into Wisconsin's partisan review of the 2020 election, saying it was a baseless exercise that would needlessly damage faith in democracy.

USPS built and secretly tested a mobile voting system before 2020  —  Such systems are widely considered insecure against hacking  —  The U.S. Postal Service pursued a project to build and secretly test a blockchain-based mobile phone voting system before the 2020 election …

Exclusive: Herschel Walker confronts his mental health, domestic violence allegations  —  Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker told Axios on Monday that he's “accountable” for past violent behavior toward his ex-wife and people shouldn't feel “ashamed” about confronting mental health issues.

Nuclear deal with Iran will soon be ‘empty shell’ -European diplomats  —  Major powers and Iran have yet to get down to business at talks on rescuing the 2015 nuclear deal, which will very soon become “an empty shell” without progress, senior British, French and German diplomats said on Monday.

Democracy in the balance: Revise Senate filibuster to protect elections and voting rights  —  Our View: America is facing a take-no-prisoners assault on fair elections that can be defeated by elements of the Freedom to Vote Act pending before Congress.  —  USA TODAY's Editorial Board …

What I've Learned Rescuing My Daughter From Her Transgender Fantasy  —  My daughter's story is no longer novel.  Stories like it are occurring in your state, your town, and perhaps even on your street.  Gender dysphoria—the incongruence between the mind and the body—moves stealthily and quickly to invade girls and boys alike.

Chauvin expected to plead guilty in Floyd civil rights case  —  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin appears to be on the verge of pleading guilty to violating George Floyd 's civil rights, according to a notice from the court.

Across the World, Covid Anxiety and Depression Take Hold  —  It is still unclear how much of a threat the fast-spreading Omicron variant poses, but fear and a sudden revival of restrictions have added to an epidemic of loneliness.  —  PARIS — A recent cartoon in the French daily Le Monde featured …

Preservationists Want to Save Penn Station.  Yes, That Penn Station.  —  A bid to place New York City's most reviled structure on the National Register of Historic Places could delay long-planned station improvements.  —  In November, as one of her first major acts since taking office …

We rated every member of Congress on their financial conflicts.  Dozens of lawmakers and top staffers are violating their own rules designed to prevent corruption.  —  At least 48 lawmakers and 182 top aides have violated the STOCK Act, a federal conflict-of-interest law, Insider's analysis found.

SLU Threatens to Expel Conservative Student for Hanging Up Matt Walsh Event Flyers Off Campus  —  In the latest development in the Saint Louis University saga, school administrators are threatening to suspend or expel a conservative student for putting up posters advertising Matt Walsh's lecture off-campus.

Ransomware attack hits Virginia Legislature  —  Washington (CNN)A ransomware attack has hit the Virginia state Legislature's IT branch and state agencies are helping with the recovery, a spokesperson for Gov. Ralph Northam said Monday.  —  “Governor Northam has been briefed on a ransomware attack …

The GOP is an anti-America party  —  I am a Democrat.  Yet I have voted for Republicans.  In fact, one of my sons ran for office as a Republican.  My other son worked for Republicans in Congress and the Republican National Committee.  —  But I can't stomach what has happened to the GOP in the last year.

Vox Media, Group Nine Media in Advanced Talks to Merge  —  Stock deal would unite two of the biggest digital-media companies; Vox Media would get 75% ownership  —  Vox Media is in advanced talks to merge with Group Nine Media Inc., according to people familiar with the situation …

Trump says Netanyahu “never wanted peace” with the Palestinians  —  This story comes from the new season of the “How it Happened” podcast.  Subscribe to listen to the whole story, including audio recordings of a never before-heard interview with Donald Trump.