In nation at war with itself, one town tries cup of civility  —  LOVETTSVILLE, Va. (AP) — When Maureen Donnelly Morris came from nearby Leesburg to open her café in Lovettsville, she got a warm welcome.  Neighbors rallied to her aid.  Divisions ripping at their town and their country were set aside.

Efforts to Trump-proof presidential certification crash into congressional realities  —  The violent attack on the Capitol cost lives, threatened the transition of presidential power and forever changed the way Congress does its work.  One year later, we at POLITICO are looking back at those changes …

The left is already looking to 2024.  Some want to see a Biden primary challenge.  —  When Joe Biden first came into office, progressives said he could be the next FDR.  —  Now, as Biden's relationship with the left has come under strain, liberals are talking about treating …

The Plot Against American Democracy That Isn't Taught in Schools  —  In an excerpt from Gangsters of Capitalism, Jonathan Katz details how the authors of the Depression-era “Business Plot” aimed to take power away from FDR and stop his “socialist” New Deal  —  Smedley Butler knew a coup when he smelled one.

Republicans aim to sow outrage, Trump-style, with an eye on 2022 midterms  —  Republicans embrace the culture war battles Trump waged, as a strategy for winning back control of the House and Senate  —  The debate was ostensibly over a stop-gap spending bill that would avert a government shutdown.

Who Won in Afghanistan?  Private Contractors  —  The U.S. military spent $14 trillion during two decades of war; those who benefited range from major manufacturers to entrepreneurs  —  The U.S. lost its 20-year campaign to transform Afghanistan.  Many contractors won big.

Federal judge stops mask and vaccine mandates in Texas Head Start  —  LUBBOCK, Texas — A federal judge in Lubbock halted mask and vaccine mandates in the Head Start program within the State of Texas.  The ruling by Judge James “Wesley” Hendrix came Friday (New Year's Eve).

The top nine worst media moments of 2021  —  It was not a good year for the national press.  —  From the Chris Cuomo scandal to corporate journalists inventing stories about violent Border Patrol agents and Republican-led witch hunts, 2021 marked yet another lousy year in media credibility.

First part of Texas' 2020 election audit reveals few issues, echoes findings from review processes already in place  —  An initial review of four counties' election results — launched after pressure from former President Donald Trump and touted by GOP leaders — showed few discrepancies between electronic …

Chief Justice John Roberts Pledges to Bolster Judicial Ethics  —  Year-end report addresses Wall Street Journal findings that federal judges with financial conflicts improperly ruled in hundreds of cases  —  WASHINGTON—Chief Justice John Roberts pledged Friday to improve ethics training …

Homicides soar in District, Maryland suburbs in 2021  —  The rise in killings largely attributed to gunfire reflects a national trend  —  Homicides in the District and in the Maryland suburbs soared in 2021 to levels not seen in more than a decade, largely driven by shootings and reflecting …

Eric Adams takes office as New York City's 110th mayor at a perilous moment.  —  Eric Adams, the city's second Black mayor, faces difficult decisions over how to lead New York City through the next wave of the pandemic.  —  Eric Leroy Adams was sworn in as the 110th mayor of New York City early Saturday …

U.S. Military Focusing on ISIS Cell Behind Attack at Kabul Airport  —  The suicide bomber who killed nearly 200 people, including 13 U.S. troops, had been freed from prison by the Taliban days before the attack.  —  WASHINGTON — Four months after an Islamic State suicide bomber killed scores of people …

Taiwan rejects US CDC guidance on 5-day quarantine  —  Some Omicron cases still infectious up to 12 days after testing positive  —  TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Thursday (Dec. 30) announced that it will not follow U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention …

Ron DeSantis accompanied wife to cancer treatment while critics claimed he was ‘missing’  —  DeSantis announced his wife's breast cancer diagnosis in October  —  Florida Democrats blame DeSantis for COVID surge  —  Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis accompanied his wife to her cancer treatment …

One Year Since the Jan. 6 Attack on the Capitol  —  Thursday, Jan. 6 2022, marks one year since the attack on the U.S. Capitol that disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress in the process of affirming the presidential election results.  The government continues to investigate losses …