Police in this tiny Alabama town suck drivers into legal ‘black hole’  —  Ramon Perez came to court last month ready to fight the tickets he'd been handed by Brookside police, including one for rolling through a stop sign and another for driving 48 mph in a 40 zone.

Supreme Court hears arguments on campaign finance law, issues statements on NPR report  —  Three Supreme Court justices issued statements Wednesday addressing an NPR story about relations among the justices.  On Tuesday, NPR reported that that Justice Sonia Sotomayor, a longtime diabetic …

The eternally unfulfilled dream of Trump's opponents: This time, they've got him  —  A bombshell landed late Tuesday evening, fired from Albany, N.Y.: a 42-page court filing offering evidence that New York Attorney General Letitia James believes demonstrates rampant fraudulent activity at the Trump Organization.

Hana Horka: Czech singer dies after catching Covid intentionally  —  A folk singer from the Czech Republic has died after deliberately catching Covid, her son has told the BBC.  —  Hana Horka, 57, was unvaccinated and had posted on social media that she was recovering after testing positive, but died two days later.

Is Old Music Killing New Music?  —  All the growth in the music business now comes from old songs—how did we get here, and is there a way back?  —  I had a hunch that old songs were taking over music streaming platforms—but even I was shocked when I saw the most recent numbers.

Biden expresses optimism that ‘pieces’ of his Build Back Better plan can still pass  —  Biden's comments come as he has suffered multiple legislative failures in recent weeks  —  President Biden holds a news conference as the White House works on presidential upgrade after year of blunders

Omicron Is in Retreat  —  What's next?  —  The latest Omicron developments continue to be encouraging.  New Covid-19 cases are plummeting in a growing list of places.  The percentage of cases causing severe illness is much lower than it was with the Delta variant.

EXCLUSIVE: The Oath Keeper Podcast Interviews - New Insights Into Jan. 6 and Continued Threats  —  In documents filed by the Department of Justice against members of the Oath Keepers militia in recent days, prosecutors reference podcast appearances by Edward Vallejo, one of the Oath Keepers indicted …

Vladimir Putin's deepest fear is the freedom of Russia's neighbours  —  The US and Nato must stand by Ukraine's side for the sake of stability and security in Europe  —  The author is president of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and served as US ambassador to Nato from 2009 to 2013

Senate President Stuart Adams tested positive for COVID twice Tuesday before publicly announcing he was negative  —  Acknowledgment of positive tests came after Tribune inquiries, records request.  —  (Francisco Kjolseth |  The Salt Lake Tribune) Elder Gerrit W. Gong …

Biden: The GOP epiphany I predicted didn't come  —  The president ran on his ability to reach across the aisle.  Now he's squarely blaming Republicans.  —  President Joe Biden, a seasoned politician who ran on being able to work across the aisle, acknowledged Wednesday that the post-Trump Republican epiphany he predicted didn't come.

Texas GOP Candidate For Governor Won't Fire Staffer With Deep White Nationalist Ties  —  Don Huffines, a candidate with harsh anti-immigrant views, says dismissing Jake Lloyd Colglazier would be “cancel culture.”  —  A Republican candidate for governor of Texas says he will not fire …

Police said the male suspect (pictured) is believed to be homeless and fled through the back door before calming walking down an alley  —  The architectural design student from Pacific Palisades was alone in the Croft House store on La Brea Avenue in LA's upscale Fairfax neighborhood when a man entered around 1:50 p.m. and stabbed her.

Biden leaves Democrats hanging as midterms burst into full swing  —  ‘Unity is elusive’ as Biden enters second year as president  —  (CNN)President Joe Biden spotted Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney on the White House campus last June and called out to the House Democratic campaign chair loudly enough …

'Succession's Brian Cox Goes Full Beast Mode On Donald Trump, Talks Jeremy Strong, Johnny Depp, & ‘Adaptation’ Absence In New Memoir  —  “What I have an opinion about 25 years ago, it's not necessarily the opinion I have now,” admits Brian Cox as response to the viewpoint the Succession star offers …

The Pundits Are Wrong.  Democrats Must Reform the Electoral Count Act and Pass Comprehensive Voting Rights Legislation.  —  America is facing a democracy crisis in three parts.  Voter suppression policies are making it substantially harder to vote in nearly every Republican-controlled state.

Youngkin names a new diversity officer for the state, orders a new focus for the office's work  —  Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Wednesday named Angela Sailor, a policy expert at the Heritage Foundation who has criticized school lessons on systemic racism in the U.S., as the state's new director of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Sources: State health officer Pino placed on administrative leave after vaccination email  —  Dr. Raul Pino, who became a trusted voice of the pandemic response in the nation's tourist capital, has been placed on administrative leave from his post as the state's chief health officer …

Is DOJ Investigating the Forged Documents Trump Used in His Coup Attempt?  —  Last week, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel referred to federal prosecutors a criminal investigation into who was behind a Dec. 14, 2020, certificate falsely attesting that Donald Trump won Michigan's electoral votes.

Starbucks nixes vaccine mandate after Supreme Court ruling  —  Starbucks is no longer requiring its U.S. workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19, reversing a policy it announced earlier this month.  —  In a memo sent Tuesday to employees, the Seattle coffee giant said it was responding …

Allies wait on U.S. approval to arm Ukraine as invasion worries mount  —  At least three European allies are waiting for the U.S. State Department to approve their requests to send U.S.-made weapons to Ukraine, as fears grow of a multi-front invasion by Russian forces and the Biden administration prepares …

Sen. Mark Kelly supports change to Senate's filibuster rule for voting-rights legislation  —  Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., will support a change to the filibuster rule, The Arizona Republic has learned, showing for the first time a willingness to bend on an issue that has tied the Senate in knots …

The case for a better way to poll  —  Issue polling makes America seem very liberal.  Combining party trust polling would help explain why Republicans win elections.  —  Editor-at-Large  —  In recent years, progressives have invested heavily in crafting a narrative which holds …

Alleged Capitol Rioters Are Getting In Trouble For Guns And Other Violations After Going Home  —  WASHINGTON — Joshua Pruitt's curfew violations had stacked up in the year after he was charged with participating in the Jan. 6 insurrection and allowed to go home on strict conditions.

Kathy Griffin Is Trying to Get Back on the D-List  —  Ever since her Trump joke went wrong in 2017, Griffin has been seeking a professional rebirth, and wondering who among the canceled gets a second chance.  —  When Kathy Griffin met last summer with a surgeon to discuss the removal …

Newly Declassified Video Shows U.S. Killing of 10 Civilians in Drone Strike  —  The New York Times obtained footage of the botched strike in Kabul, whose victims included seven children, through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.  —  WASHINGTON — Newly declassified surveillance footage …

Congressional subpoena for Giuliani seeks information on his meetings, fees and fraud claims  —  Jan. 6 committee subpoenas Giuliani and others  —  (CNN)Congressional investigators are demanding information from former President Donald Trump's onetime lawyer Rudy Giuliani about contacts …

50% of Voters Rate Biden's First Year ‘Very Unsuccessful’  —  President Joe Biden's first year in office has been a failure, according to a majority of voters who say the Democrat has left the country more divided than when he was inaugurated.  —  A new national telephone and online survey …