White House reporters ask for virtual press briefings during the latest covid surge  —  With a fierce new variant of the coronavirus on the loose, White House reporters are urging press secretary Jen Psaki to move her daily briefings online — but it's an idea Psaki has been cool to so far.

Report shows the extent of Republican efforts to sabotage democracy  —  Research identifies at least 262 bills were introduced in 41 states this year with the intent to hijack the election process  —  The Republican assault on free and fair elections instigated by Donald Trump is gathering pace …

‘We took the Capitol’: Proud Boy pleads guilty to Jan. 6 conspiracy charges  —  On Wednesday, one of the members of the Proud Boys became the first to admit he was at the Capitol to stop the transfer of power, as part of a cooperation agreement with the government.

New January 6 video shows three hours of violent and chaotic assault on police  —  Capitol Police officer: Trump supporters are being lied to  —  (CNN)The Justice Department this week released a three-hour video of a battle between rioters and the police at the US Capitol Building on January 6 …

Fringe factions of MAGA world are imploding after Trump publicly advocated for the COVID-19 jab  — The fringe factions of the right wing erupted in anger after Trump lauded the COVID-19 vaccines.  — Figures from Alex Jones to Ali Alexander swiftly rebuked Trump for his pro-vaccine stance.

Manchin told White House he would support version of tax on billionaires  —  His offer comes as fellow a Democrat, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, raises new concerns, illustrating that the party has work to do  —  Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) told the White House last week that he would support …

The Third, and Last, Covid Winter Begins  —  We'll be living for a long time with the virus's ramifications for health, the economy and politics.  —  In New York we feel back where we started.  It's like 2020, with everyone in a mask and canceling gatherings and scrambling to find a test.

Jason Miller's ‘Free Speech’ Site Gettr Site Bans Users From Posting Racist Term ‘Groyper’  —  The free speech right-wing alternative battles fury from white nationalists.  —  The free speech-centered, MAGA-inspired Twitter alternative Gettr, led by former Trump advisor Jason Miller …

As Hindu Extremists Call for Killing of Muslims, India's Leaders Keep Silent  —  Right-wing Hindu activists at a conference took an oath to harm Muslims if necessary to make “a Hindu-only nation,” the most blatant example of rising anti-Muslim sentiment across India.

Joe Manchin's ‘Scaled-Back’ Framework May Be Better Than It Sounds  —  Prioritizing certain initiatives over others is hard, but that could be what it takes to save Build Back Better.  —  It looks like negotiations over President Joe Biden's Build Back Better legislation are only mostly dead …

How the Soviet Union's collapse explains the current Russia-Ukraine tension  —  On Christmas Day 1991, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev sat down at a table deep inside the Kremlin and prepared to deliver a monumental speech.  Associated Press reporter Alan Cooperman was among the few journalists allowed in.

Giuliani associate Bernard Kerik plans to publicly release some documents requested by January 6 committee  —  Reporter: Records would be key to see Trump's activity prior to Jan. 6  —  Washington (CNN)Former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik says he is planning to publicly release …

14-year-old girl in dressing room of Burlington fatally shot by LAPD  —  In an incident the police chief called “devastating and tragic,” an LAPD officer fatally shot a teenage girl at a Burlington clothing store during a chaotic confrontation that also left a suspect dead and another person injured.

The Worst Political Predictions of 2021  —  What did you get totally wrong about 2021?  Here's my answer: I was sure — sure — that as soon as the Covid vaccines were widely available, all but an infinitesimally small percentage of American adults would line up to take the shot, crush the pandemic and get back to life as normal-ish.

Say it ain't Joe: Manchin's not the only big hurdle left for Biden's megabill  —  Democrats are still courting the one person powerful enough to make or break President Joe Biden's $1.7 trillion social spending bill — and she doesn't hail from West Virginia.