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.

Mark Meadows's coverup of Trump's coup attempt is falling apart  —  In his new book, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows offers up a version of Donald Trump's conduct on Jan. 6 that is almost comically sanitized.  In his telling, the rioters attacked the Capitol with …

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.

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 …

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.

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.

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.

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 …

Alaska Senate candidate challenging Murkowski says she will not support McConnell as GOP leader  —  Kelly Tshibaka, a Republican challenging Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), says she will not support Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) as GOP leader, the second Senate hopeful …

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 …

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 …

Manchin raises red flags over Dems' agenda ahead of Biden talk  —  Joe Manchin is raising deep concerns about the structure of Democrats' climate and social spending bill, a warning sign for Democrats as the West Virginia senator prepares for a Monday conversation with President Joe Biden.

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

FACT SHEET: The Biden-Harris Electric Vehicle Charging Action Plan  —  Vice President Kamala Harris to Announce Action Plan that Fast Tracks Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Investments  —  President Biden has united automakers and autoworkers to drive American leadership forward on clean cars …

Alison Roman Just Can't Help Herself  —  A food-world star's method and mess. … Alison Roman approves of creamed greens, knobby lemons, and iceberg lettuce.  She's a slicer of onions, not a dicer; a “ride-or-die corner person” when it comes to lasagnas and cakes.  She doesn't sift flour, soak beans, or peel ginger.

America's Anti-Democratic Movement  —  It's making progress.  —  American politics these days can often seem fairly normal.  President Biden has had both big accomplishments and big setbacks in his first year, as is typical.  In Congress, members are haggling over bills and passing some of them.

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.

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 …

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 …