BREAKING: Fulton judges greenlight special grand jury for Trump probe  —  A panel of Fulton County judges on Monday cleared the way for a special grand jury to be used as part of District Attorney Fani Willis' investigation of former President Donald Trump and his efforts to overturn Georgia's 2020 election results.

Sarah Palin recently dined indoors in New York City while unvaccinated.  —  Sarah Palin, who is not vaccinated against the coronavirus, dined indoors Saturday night at Elio's, an Italian restaurant on the Upper East Side of Manhattan that regularly draws celebrities, despite New York City's requirement …

It's Not Just About Ukraine.  Putin Wants to Evict the U.S. From Europe.  —  Ms. Hill was an intelligence officer on Russia and Eurasian affairs for Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama and served on the National Security Council under President Donald Trump.  —  We knew this was coming.

Cash Aid to Poor Mothers Increases Brain Activity in Babies, Study Finds  —  The research could have policy implications as President Biden pushes to revive his proposal to expand the child tax credit.  —  WASHINGTON — An experiment that provided poor mothers with cash stipends for the first year …

The Case for Impeaching Clarence Thomas  —  In a sane world, Jane Mayer's excellent piece on Ginni Thomas in The New Yorker would set off a series of events that would lead to her husband Clarence Thomas's impeachment and removal from the Supreme Court.  Ginni is involved with numerous far …

Seven school boards sue to stop Gov. Youngkin's mask-optional order on the day it takes effect  —  Seven school boards — including one overseeing the largest and most prominent district in the state — are suing to stop Gov. Glenn Youngkin's (R) mask-optional order on the day it is supposed to take effect …

No, Democracy Isn't About to Die  —  We're fast approaching the point where a subscription to The Atlantic is a risk factor for suicide.  “January 6 Was Practice,” announces the cover of the current issue, flagging a story by Barton Gellman headlined, “Trump's Next Coup Has Already Begun.”

Florida school district cancels professor's civil rights lecture over critical race theory concerns  —  MIAMI — A Florida school district canceled a professor's civil rights history seminar for teachers, citing in part concerns over “critical race theory” — even though his lecture had nothing to do with the topic.

Republicans are embarrassed to tell us what they are for  —  President Biden at his news conference last week asked the question that the media should have been asking Republicans for months: “What are they for?”  —  Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) won't say.

Was Larry Summers Right All Along? … There's a story that progressives like to tell about Larry Summers.  The doyen of establishment economics is dining out with a populist politician.  The two have made it through the meal with minimal awkwardness — their ideological tensions eased by booze and food …

Inside Jerry Falwell Jr.'s Unlikely Rise and Precipitous Fall at Liberty University  —  Jerry Falwell Jr. was the Trump-anointing dark prince of the Christian right.  Then a sex scandal rocked his marriage and ended his lucrative stewardship of the evangelical education empire founded by his father.

Arizona Republicans propose major changes to elections after GOP review finds no fraud  —  Arizona Republicans have put forth two dozen bills this month that would significantly change the state's electoral processes after the GOP's unorthodox review of millions of ballots affirmed President …

The Federalist Names Mollie Hemingway As Editor In Chief  —  In this new role, Hemingway — who has been The Federalist's senior editor since its founding in 2013 -will now oversee all of The Federalist's editorial operations.  —  Mollie Ziegler Hemingway has been named editor in chief of The Federalist …

Rep. Marie Newman of Illinois may have bribed a primary opponent to stay out of the race in exchange for a job in her office, House ethics body unanimously finds  — The Office of Congressional Ethics voted 6-0 to find reason to believe Rep. Newman bribed a political opponent.

Top Jan. 6 Investigator Fired From Post at the University of Virginia  —  Democrats in Virginia denounced the action as a partisan move aimed at helping former President Donald J. Trump undercut the investigation of the Capitol riot.  —  The top staff investigator on the House committee scrutinizing …

Rudy Giuliani is Selling Autographed 9/11 Shirts for $911.00  —  Rudy Giuliani has faced an incredible fall from grace since 2001.  Back then, he was America's Mayor, presiding over New York City following the September 11th attacks.  And for the people who still see Giuliani positively, it is probably because of 9/11.

Capitol Police examines backgrounds, social media feeds of some who meet with lawmakers  —  After the Jan. 6 insurrection, the Capitol Police's intelligence unit quietly started scrutinizing the backgrounds of people who meet with lawmakers, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Long Before Hungary, the Right Was Fixated on Another Country  —  Just as they're now doing with Viktor Orbán, conservatives once fell head over heels for Francisco Franco.  —  Prominent conservatives have discovered Hungary and its “twenty-first century dictator,” Viktor Orbán.

Some Ukrainians Are Angry About Washington Ordering Diplomats' Families To Leave The US Embassy  —  KYIV - Ukrainians expressed confusion and anger Monday over Washington's decision to authorize the voluntary departure of government employees from Kyiv and order the mandatory withdrawal of family members of US embassy personnel.

Virus Live Updates: Omicron's Spread Could End ‘Emergency Phase’ of Pandemic, Top W.H.O. Official Says  —  The variant offers “hope for stabilization and normalization,” according to the global agency's European director.  In the U.S., Dr. Anthony S. Fauci warned against overconfidence …

An appeals court has reinstated absentee ballot drop boxes for the Feb. 15 Wisconsin primary election  —  MADISON - An appeals court blocked a lower-court order Monday and ruled absentee ballot drop boxes can be used in the Feb. 15 primary.  —  The District 4 Court of Appeals issued …

Behind the latest GOP restrictions on race teaching: A hidden, toxic goal  —  Glenn Youngkin's victory in the Virginia gubernatorial election persuaded Republicans that there's political gold in attacking teachers for supposedly indoctrinating the nation's children about race.

Why More Inexperienced Candidates Are Running — And Winning  —  When you have a toothache, you call a dentist; when you have a leaky faucet, you call a plumber.  You want someone with on-the-job experience dealing with the challenges that confront you.  —  This used to be overwhelmingly true …

Trump Influencer Brandon Straka Walks Away From Jan. 6 Case With Home Detention  —  Citing his cooperation, the feds wanted the president of the “Walk Away” campaign to serve four months of home detention.  He got three.  —  Brandon Straka, a 45-year-old former hairstylist who morphed …