POLITICO Playbook: Biden finds a new Manchin whisperer  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  The White House is looking to Sen. MARK WARNER (D-Va.) to help thaw out its frosty relationship with Sen. JOE MANCHIN (D-W.Va.) in hopes of resurrecting President JOE BIDEN's Build Back Better plan.

Five myths about the filibuster  —  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has thrown down the gauntlet, saying he will move to change Senate rules by Jan. 17 if Republicans continue to block the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

Today's deep question: Will Twitter suspend Sotomayor for COVID misinformation?  —  A wise axiom warns us not to deduce Supreme Court decisions based on the questions asked by its justices during oral arguments.  Perhaps, however, we can deduce their relative wisdom and grasp of reality from the questions they pose.

State lawyers arguing against Biden vaccine mandates test positive for COVID-19  —  Two officials presenting arguments on Friday to the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to block vaccine mandates ordered by President Joe Biden's administration have tested positive for COVID-19 and will make their cases remotely, their offices said.

Hiring falters in December as payrolls rise only 199,000, though the unemployment fell to 3.9%  — Nonfarm payrolls rose by 199,000 in December, far fewer than the 422,000 estimate.  — The unemployment rate dropped to 3.9%, better than the 4.1% estimate.  — Wages increased more than expected, rising 4.7% year over year.

Sidney Poitier, Who Paved the Way for Black Actors in Film, Dies at 94  —  The first Black performer to win the Academy Award for best actor, for “Lilies of the Field,” he once said he felt “as if I were representing 15, 18 million people with every move I made.”

Cyber Ninjas, company that led Arizona GOP election ‘audit,’ is shutting down  —  Cyber Ninjas, the company that led a partisan review of 2020 ballots in Arizona, is closing down following a scathing report by election officials and the threat of $50,000 a day in fines.  —  “Cyber Ninjas is shutting down.

Statement by Donald J. Trump, 45th President of the United States of America  —  To watch Biden speaking is very hurtful to many people.  They're the ones who tried to stop the peaceful transfer with a rigged election.  Just look at the numbers.  Does anybody really think that Biden beat Obama …

No One Is Coming to Save Us From the ‘Dagger at the Throat of America’  —  Mr. Hasen is the author of several books about elections and democracy.  In 2020, he proposed a 28th Amendment to the Constitution to defend and expand voting rights. … The saturation coverage of the anniversary …

After a series of messaging missteps, CDC's Walensky seeks out media training  —  (CNN)Dr. Rochelle Walensky assumed her new role as the director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last January with a vow to restore trust in the agency.  But last fall, several months …

8 Times Left-Wing Protesters Broke Into Government Buildings And Assaulted Democracy  —  Left-wing demonstrators have long made a habit of attacking, infiltrating, and occupying government buildings.  —  Self-absorbed congressional Democrats held a group therapy session on Capitol Hill …

An 85-year-old man in India says he got 12 Covid vaccine shots, and still wants more.  —  There is vaccine hesitancy, but on the flip side, there is Brahmdeo Mandal.  —  Mr. Mandal is so excited about the healing promise of a jab that he says he has received 12 coronavirus vaccine doses — so far.

Pelosi invites Biden to deliver State of the Union address on March 1 as nation grapples with latest coronavirus wave  —  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Friday formally invited President Biden to speak to a joint session of Congress in March.  —  The March 1 date is later …

Hospitals Are in Serious Trouble  —  When a health-care system crumbles, this is what it looks like.  Much of what's wrong happens invisibly.  At first, there's just a lot of waiting.  Emergency rooms get so full that “you'll wait hours and hours, and you may not be able to get surgery when you need it …

What Role Will January 6 Play in The 2022 Midterms?  —  The following things can be true at the same time.  First, the attack on the Capitol on January 6 was a dark moment in American history and one in which the former president bears responsibility.  Second, the attack on the Capitol …

White House, USPS finalizing plans to begin shipping coronavirus test kits to U.S. households  —  The White House is finalizing details with the U.S. Postal Service to deliver 500 million coronavirus test kits to households across the country, according to four people familiar with the plans …

GOP picks final four in 2024 convention search  —  Republicans are ramping up their search for a host city for the party's 2024 national convention, narrowing the list of contenders to four cities.  —  The cities in contention are Milwaukee, Nashville, Pittsburgh and Salt Lake City …

Biden admin weighs offering Russia cuts to U.S. troops in Eastern Europe  —  U.S. troop cuts in Poland and the Baltic would have to be matched by Russian moves in the area.  The U.S. is also working to get Stingers for Ukraine.  —  The Biden administration is heading into next week's talks …

VP Harris' new comms director suggested Biden ‘Dazed and confused,’ slammed Trump for ‘janky science vaccine’  —  Jamal Simmons has previously criticized his new boss, VP Kamala Harris, and President Biden  —  Kamala Harris staff exodus continues as her approval rating plummets