Residents evacuated as SWAT surrounds Colleyville TX synagogue  —  Authorities northeast of Fort Worth are negotiating with a man who has apparently taken people hostage at a Colleyville synagogue during services.  It is unclear if anyone is injured and how the man may be armed.

More Mojo, Joe!  —  WASHINGTON — Poor Joe.  —  Oh, the tribulations of Job Biden!  Kyrsten Sinema humiliated him.  Mitch McConnell disrespected him.  The Supreme Court blocked him.  Vladimir Putin scorned him.  Inflation defied him.  Covid stalked him.  Even Stacey Abrams stiffed him.

University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel fired by board after investigation  —  The University of Michigan Board of Regents has unanimously fired school President Mark Schlissel for cause following an investigation into a relationship with a subordinate, the board announced Saturday evening.

Census Memo Cites ‘Unprecedented’ Meddling by Trump Administration  —  Newly released documents show that top career officials at the Census Bureau had drafted a list of complaints about political interference in the 2020 count.  —  WASHINGTON — A newly disclosed memorandum citing …

Trump Rally Underscores G.O.P. Tension Over How to Win in 2022  —  Donald Trump's rally in Arizona on Saturday will feature a host of election deniers.  His involvement in state races and his inability to let go of his 2020 loss worries many Republicans.  —  PHOENIX — Former President …

Youngkin pick for medical adviser bucks trends on covid  —  Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin has named a respected physician who opposes blanket vaccine mandates and downplayed the threat of the coronavirus to children as his lead adviser on pandemic response.  —  The choice of Marty Makary …

Miyares fires 30 in AG's office, including lawyer investigating dangerous conditions at Richmond apartments  —  Attorney General-elect Jason Miyares notified about 30 staff members in the office — 17 of them attorneys — that they won't have jobs in his administration, including the lawyer …

A Library the Internet Can't Get Enough Of  —  Why does this image keep resurfacing on social media?  —  On the first Tuesday of the year, the author and political activist Don Winslow tweeted a photograph of an avid reader's dream library.  Bathed in the buttery glow of three table lamps …

Elon Musk's Tesla Asked Law Firm to Fire Associate Hired From SEC  —  The Tesla boss has taken aim at individuals personally that he has clashed with  —  A partner at law firm Cooley LLP got an unexpected call late last year from a lawyer for one of the firm's most famous clients, Elon Musk's Tesla Inc., with an ultimatum.

The Justice Dept. alleged Jan. 6 was a seditious conspiracy.  Now will it investigate Trump?  —  The Justice Department's decision to charge Oath Keepers with seditious conspiracy last week makes clear that prosecutors consider the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol part of an organized assault …

Explosive underwater volcano eruption in Tonga spotted from space in satellite images  —  The ongoing eruption is about seven times more powerful than this volcano's last outburst.  —  Satellites orbiting Earth captured a powerful undersea volcanic eruption from space on Thursday (Jan. 13).

Four Facts About the Filibuster  —  This post is meant as a primer on a political discussion that is about to reclaim center-stage.  —  When a TV series has been running long enough, we get the introductory recaps that bring viewers up to date.  “Previously, on Ozark ... ” This post could be called, “Previously, on Filibuster...”

The Saturday Debate: Will sanctions against Vladimir Putin work?  —  Marcus Kolga, Bill Browder and Julian Spencer-Churchill discuss in this week's Saturday Debate.  —  Bill Browder  —  Julian Spencer-Churchill … YES  —  Macdonald-Laurier Institute and Hermitage Capital Management

DirecTV loss could cripple rightwing One America News  —  The largest satellite provider in the United States said late Friday it will drop One America News, a move that could financially cripple the rightwing TV network known for fueling conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.

The Selfishness of Novak Djokovic  —  After a dramatic weeklong fight with the world's top men's tennis player, Australia's immigration authorities wisely decided to revoke Novak Djokovic's visa a second time because he flouted the country's COVID-19 policies.

Halting Progress and Happy Accidents: How mRNA Vaccines Were Made  —  The stunning Covid vaccines manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna drew upon long-buried discoveries made in the hopes of ending past epidemics.  —  Thousands of miles from Dr. Barney Graham's lab in Bethesda, Md. …