Supreme Court justices aren't ‘scorpions,’ but not happy campers either  —  It was pretty jarring earlier this month when the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court took the bench for the first time since the omicron surge over the holidays.  All were now wearing masks.  All, that is, except Justice Neil Gorsuch.

Former Trump administration officials hold call to strategize against former boss' efforts in 2022 and 2024  —  (CNN)Around three dozen former Trump administration officials, disillusioned with their former boss and concerned about his impact on the GOP and the nation, held a conference call …

Florida governor proposes special police agency to monitor elections  —  No state has such a force, which Gov. Ron DeSantis wants empowered to arrest voters and others who allegedly violate election laws  —  WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A plan by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis would establish …

Hochul Dominating Primary Field; Viewed Most Favorably by Dems  — Only 29% Say It's Very Likely US Will be Democratic Republic in 2030; Another 38% Say Somewhat Likely; 22% Say Not Very or Not at All Likely  — Trump Should Be Required to Testify in AG James' Civil Investigation, 63-27%

U.S. Senate candidate from Louisiana smokes marijuana in campaign ad  —  Gary Chambers, a Democrat running for the U.S. Senate from Louisiana, unveiled a new ad Tuesday in which he is shown smoking marijuana.  —  In the spot, Chambers, who is seeking to unseat Sen. John Neely Kennedy (R-La.) …

U.S. Aims Sanctions at Pro-Russian Separatists as Blinken Plans Ukraine, Russia Meetings  —  Pending sanctions, which will freeze the assets of at least four individuals, could be announced as early as Thursday  —  The U.S. is preparing financial sanctions on pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine …

Why Biden is stumbling  —  This is not the presidency that Joe Biden wanted.  —  His first few months in office were heady.  Vaccinations and warmer weather were pushing coronavirus cases to new lows.  Congress passed a big pandemic relief bill without much friction.

Texas Synagogue Attack Smells Like More Evidence Of FBI Corruption  —  This caught-off-guard response from FBI agents is sadly what Americans have come to expect from our top law enforcement agency.  —  After all hostages were released from Beth Isreal Synagogue in Colleyville …

The CDC Says Cloth Masks Don't Work.  Rand Paul Got Suspended from YouTube for Saying the Same Thing  —  In August, Sen. Rand Paul told top White House doctor Anthony Fauci that cloth masks were ineffective in stopping the spread of COVID-19.  He repeated this in a video, which led to his suspension from YouTube.

Capitol attack panel grapples with moving inquiry forward: to subpoena or not?  —  The committee is undecided on making the near-unprecedented step as the threat of Republican retaliation looms  —  The House select committee investigating the Capitol attack is weighing whether to subpoena …

What the Kids Are Reading  —  I'm Paul Musgrave, a political scientist and writer.  This is Systematic Hatreds, my newsletter about politics and the study of politics.  The newsletter takes its title from a line in The Education of Henry Adams: … This week, we're talking about teaching politics to the post-legacy media generation.

Democrats ponder Plan B strategy to circumvent voting-rights filibuster  —  Senate Democrats are scrambling for a Plan B to pass voting rights legislation after Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) announced last week that they would not vote to change the Senate's filibuster rule despite …

Investor's Uyghur Comments Are Even Worse Than You've Heard  —  On the menu today: Most folks are focusing on the comment from Chamath Palihapitiya, a Sri Lankan-born Canadian and American venture capitalist, that he doesn't care about the Uyghurs in China.  But he went much further, and he said worse things.

What Does It Mean If Republicans Won't Debate?  —  Last week, the Republican National Committee announced its plans to prohibit Republican presidential candidates from participating in the official general election debates sponsored by the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates.

How a GOP majority in Congress might handle Biden in 2023  —  Republicans are feeling so good about their chances of retaking Congress this fall that they're already debating their governing relationship with President Joe Biden.  And they're divided over how to handle their potential big wins.

The Jolt: Voting rights heads to Senate floor for likely defeat  —  One day after voting rights activists spoke out on the holiday to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the U.S. Senate will gavel in to take up a top priority for Georgia U.S. Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff …

The New York Post Gets Its Own Tabloid Scandal  —  The New York Post was rocked Tuesday morning by a sexual-harassment lawsuit filed by Michelle Gotthelf, the former digital editor-in-chief who was quietly fired last week after more than two decades at the paper.

Joe Biden's voting rights push is futile  —  He doesn't have the votes—and his proposals are misguided  —  WHAT BETTER way to chase one humiliating setback and waste of political capital than with another?  That seems to be the outcome of President Joe Biden's latest political strategy …

Airlines warn of “catastrophic” 5G aviation “crisis” tomorrow  —  If this entire situation goes pear-shaped tomorrow, don't say that you didn't receive plenty of warnings.  We learned over the Christmas holiday period that the nation's airlines were in a panic over the impending launch …

Scoop: Al Jazeera quietly sidelines conservative outlet “Rightly”  —  Al Jazeera, a media company funded by the government of Qatar, has quietly stopped creating new content for its conservative digital outlet “Rightly,” four sources confirm to Axios.  —  Why it matters: The outlet was launched …

In his own words|  Rep. Jim Langevin: Why I won't be running for reelection in 2022  —  For the last 37 years, I have woken up every day with one goal in mind: serving the people of Rhode Island.  After all, I love this state, and I love the people who live here.