13 Legal Experts on How Breyer's Replacement Will Change the Court  —  The news that Justice Stephen Breyer is retiring from the Supreme Court galvanized the legal and political worlds this week.  With so much riding on every SCOTUS seat, it's impossible to ignore how big the consequences might be.

Pittsburgh bridge collapse injures 10 on day Biden to visit city to talk infrastructure  —  A Pittsburgh bridge collapsed early Friday, according to authorities, injuring 10 people just hours before President Biden was scheduled to visit the city to talk about infrastructure.

Ukrainian official tells CNN Biden's call with Ukrainian President ‘did not go well’ but White House disputes account  —  (CNN)A call between US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday “did not go well,” a senior Ukrainian official told CNN, amid disagreements over the …

Let Kids Take Their Masks Off After the Omicron Surge  —  Elissa Perkins, the director of infectious disease management in the emergency department of the Boston Medical Center, told me she spent most of 2020 “imploring everybody I could in every forum that I could to mask.”

The NYT's polarizing pandemic pundit  —  THE NIGHTLY READS ‘THE MORNING’ — With 5 million readers, David Leonhardt, the author of The New York Times “The Morning” newsletter, is arguably the most influential of the Covid influencers.  —  He has positioned himself as the pundit who punches holes …

The real reason some people are so afraid of ‘Maus’  —  ‘Maus’ author reacts to his book being banned  —  David M. Perry is a journalist and historian and co-author of “The Bright Ages: A New History of Medieval Europe.”  He is a senior academic adviser in the history department of the University of Minnesota.

Harvard's Lawyers Should Demand Kavanaugh's Recusal  —  “What goes around comes around.”  —  These were the words of now Supreme Court Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh during the opening statement at his confirmation hearing.  In those unprecedentedly partisan and hostile remarks …

The economy boomed in Biden's first year.  His second will be harder  —  New York (CNN Business)The US economic recovery from the depths of the Covid pandemic continued through the end of last year.  —  But the strong finish to 2021 likely won't last into this year.

The Bidens finally have a White House cat.  World, meet Willow.  —  She's a gray-and-white tabby that the first lady met on the campaign trail in 2020.  She has ‘plenty of room to smell and explore’ in her new home.  —  The long-awaited White House cat has joined the Biden family — and her name is Willow.

Books, speeches, hats for sale: Post-presidency, the Trumps try to make money the pre-presidency way  —  Donald Trump's advisers sent a “breaking” alert a few weeks before Christmas to his political supporters, informing them of a new opportunity to show their “loyalty” through a book of photographs.

NYC teen rapper charged with shooting NYPD cop walking free on bond  —  A 16-year-old, up-and-coming rapper charged with shooting an NYPD cop in the Bronx walked free on bond Thursday — and cops are fuming over it.  —  Camrin Williams, who is also known by the rap name C Blu …

'I've never missed a vote': 95-year-old World War II Veteran says his mail-in ballot application has been denied twice due to new requirements  —  HOUSTON - A Harris County man fears new voting laws may prevent him from voting by absentee ballot for the first time in his lifetime.

Stephanie Ruhle set to take ‘The 11th Hour’ slot, while ‘Morning Joe’ expanding  —  Veteran anchor and reporter Stephanie Ruhle will be the new host of MSNBC's “The 11th Hour” while the cable network's “Morning Joe” is set to expand to an additional fourth hour, the network's president announced Thursday.

Judge reverses decision: Teen convicted of Loudoun Co. high school sexual assaults will not go on sex offender registry … The teenager convicted of two assaults at separate high schools in Loudoun County, Virginia, will not have to register as a sex offender after a juvenile court judge reconsidered her initial ruling.

Biden's curse  —  BIDEN'S CURSE.  Start by noting that the world will not end because President Joe Biden called Fox News White House reporter Peter Doocy a “stupid son of a b****.”  Doocy handled the situation gracefully and moved on.  So there is no reason to clutch pearls or take to the fainting couch.

Russian embassy disputes claims of ‘absolute guarantee’ to Irish fishermen on naval exercise impact  —  Military exercises will be carried out 240km off Co Cork from February 3rd to 8th  —  about 18 hours ago Updated: about 10 hours ago  —  Russia's ambassador to Ireland has given Irish fishermen …

'The White House isn't supporting him': Biden's FDA pick left in limbo  —  President Joe Biden's nominee to lead the Food and Drug Administration does not yet have the votes in the Senate needed to give the agency its first political leader in more than a year.

Segregation Now, Segregation Forever?  —  Equal access for the unvaccinated is the civil rights issue of our time.  —  On Jan. 23, thousands of protesters appeared in Washington, D.C. to demand an end to vaccine mandates.  The fact that the protest took place six days after the nation commemorated …

Soros pours $125M into super PAC ahead of midterms  —  Billionaire mega-donor George Soros is seeding a super PAC with $125 million, an enormous investment that will aid Democratic groups and candidates for the 2022 election cycle and beyond.  —  The group, Democracy PAC …

3. Hungary's quiet Democratic lobby  —  The Hungarian government — known for its links to the Trump administration and conservative supporters — is quietly working with a powerhouse public affairs shop stacked with Democratic talent, Axios' Lachlan Markay has learned.