Haberman book: Flushed papers found clogging Trump WH toilet  —  While President Trump was in office, staff in the White House residence periodically discovered wads of printed paper clogging a toilet — and believed the president had flushed pieces of paper, Maggie Haberman scoops in her forthcoming book, “Confidence Man.”

U.S. Inflation Accelerates to 40-Year High  —  Consumer-price index rose at 7.5% annual rate in January  —  U.S. inflation accelerated to a 7.5% annual rate in January, reaching a new four-decade high as strong consumer demand and pandemic-related supply constraints kept pushing up prices.

Deputy Va. attorney general resigns after revelation of Facebook posts praising Jan. 6 rioters, claiming Trump won election  —  A top deputy overseeing election issues for Virginia's new Republican attorney general resigned Thursday after The Washington Post questioned the office about Facebook posts …

CNN Poll: Most Biden detractors say he's done nothing they like since becoming president  —  (CNN)Nearly 6 in 10 Americans disapprove of how Joe Biden is handling his presidency, with most of that group saying there's literally nothing Biden has done since taking office that they approve of.

Politics drives the end of covid mitigation.  It should — but that's too bad  —  Welcome to The Daily 202!  Tell your friends to sign up here.  According to the Associated Press: On this day in 1936, Nazi Germany's Reichstag passed a law investing the Gestapo secret police with absolute authority, exempt from any legal review.

Tesla sued by civil rights agency for operating ‘racially segregated workplace’  —  The automaker denies the allegations  —  Tesla has been sued by a state civil rights agency for operating what it describes as a “racially segregated workplace” in California.

Ranking the States Demographically, from Most Republican-Friendly to Most Democratic-Friendly  —  Dear Readers: Join us Tuesday, Feb. 15 as Center for Politics Director Larry J. Sabato interviews ABC News' Jonathan Karl about his new book, Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show.

The Cynical Spectacle of Sarah Palin's Lawsuit Against the New York Times  —  In an age when every arena of politics and media is infused with remorseless combat, James Bennet has a rare distinction: The former New York Times editorial page editor has been circled by ideological packs on left and right with equal ferocity.

The Jan. 6 Committee Won't Be Intimidated  —  We are focused on facts, not rhetoric, and will present them no matter what our critics say.  —  I keep on my desk a copy of the oath my great-great-grandfather signed when he re-enlisted in the Union Army in 1863.

Facebook Has a Superuser-Supremacy Problem  —  If you want to understand why Facebook too often is a cesspool of hate and disinformation, a good place to start is with users such as John, Michelle, and Calvin.  —  John, a caps-lock devotee from upstate New York, calls House Speaker Nancy Pelosi …

The Times may publish documents about Project Veritas, a court says.  —  A state appeals court said that a judge's order preventing publication of the documents would not be enforced until a formal appeal could be heard.  —  The New York Times is free to publish documents pertaining …

How organizers with police and military expertise may be helping Ottawa convoy protest dig in  —  Those involved with organizing protest include former RCMP and military officers  —  For nearly two weeks anti-vaccine mandate demonstrators and their big rigs have entrenched themselves …

Montana senator criticizes fellow Democrats for not appealing to rural Americans more  —  (CNN)Montana Sen. Jon Tester criticized fellow Democrats for not appealing to Middle America more and said Democrats need to “show up” in those places if they want to win elections.

Dems face a sobering possibility: Build Back ... never  —  Build Back Never?  The thought has crossed Democrats' minds.  —  President Joe Biden's $1.7 trillion social and climate spending plan is dead as written, rejected by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.).  The Senate is moving onto a host …

Child shot in road rage incident when family was on the way to grocery store, police say  —  Child shot in road rage incident as family headed to grocery store  —  HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A 9-year-old was shot in the head in an apparent road rage incident Tuesday night in southwest Houston.

The Hawks, Lobbyists And Dictator Who Are Pushing Joe Biden To Spark A Historic Famine In Yemen  —  White House aide Brett McGurk, Republican lawmakers and the United Arab Emirates want to restore a Trump-era terror designation for the Houthi militia.  —  President Joe Biden's national security team …

Oscars: COVID-19 Vaccination Will Not Be Required for In-Person Attendees (Exclusive)  —  The Academy intends to require just a negative PCR test and a negative rapid antigen test on the day of the event, unlike the SAG Awards and Critics Choice Awards, which will require proof of vaccination.

Why It's So Hard to ‘Follow the Science’  —  A conversation with Harvard historian Steven Shapin about why people believe Joe Rogan, why our public discourse about science is splintered, and what to do about it … These days, it's hard to figure out who to believe, what to believe, and how to persuade others to believe.

This is the World in Which We Live  —  on harassment, being nice, & trying to get me to kill myself  —  Recently the Brookings Institution took time out of their busy schedule pretending pre-K works to present irrefutable proof that Glenn Greenwald and Tucker Carlson are harassers.  —  Or, well, not really.