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.

Exclusive: DHS warns that trucker protests in U.S. could begin on Super Bowl Sunday  —  The Department of Homeland Security is warning law enforcement and public safety officials in the United States that a prolonged trucker convoy protesting vaccine mandates could begin on Feb. 13, when the Super Bowl is played in Los Angeles.

Finns Don't Wish ‘Finlandization’ on Ukraine (or Anyone)  —  The Cold War term for a kind of stifled sovereignty has gained attention as a possible solution to the standoff with Russia.  But the nation it's named for would rather forget about it.  —  HELSINKI — For decades …

Abrupt end to mask mandates reflects a shifting political landscape  —  As electoral warning signs flash for Democrats and the public yearns for normalcy, Democratic governors are making moves without waiting for the Biden administration to get there first  —  As the coronavirus pandemic enters …

Democrats' social spending dreams stuck in winter purgatory  —  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 Stories Fox News Doesn't Cover  —  In an alternate reality, what's left out can matter as much as what's made up. … If a story doesn't run on Fox, will Fox viewers even know it happened?  While it may be true that liberals and conservatives each live in their own news bubble …

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.

When Visitors Were Banned From Rikers Island, Even More Drugs Showed Up  —  Last April, Thomas Earl Braunson III was found dead in his cell on Rikers Island.  The 35-year-old had struggled with addiction throughout his life, family said, and in the end that battle proved fatal.

New report details the influence of Christian nationalism on the insurrection  —  (RNS) — A team of scholars, faith leaders and advocates unveiled an exhaustive new report Wednesday (Feb. 9) that documents in painstaking detail the role Christian nationalism played in the Jan. 6 attack …

Steep ridership losses will force changes to Metro service after pandemic, transit leaders say  —  Metro's ability to provide safe and reliable transportation was under scrutiny by a House Oversight subcommittee  —  The public transit service that riders were accustomed to before the pandemic …

Biden to propose 4.6 percent pay raise for federal employees, the biggest hike in 20 years  —  Federal employees and military service members would receive average raises of 4.6 percent next January under the budget President Biden will propose in March, marking what would be the workforce's …

DHS: American Thought Police  —  The transition from tracking terrorism to chasing thought crime has a major advantage.  It exonerates U.S. counterterrorism officials from the meddlesome job of catching actual terrorists. … Stopping the flow of MDM.  —  MDM isn't the latest flavor of fentanyl …

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.

Marjorie Taylor Greene Accuses Pelosi of Running ‘Gazpacho Police.’ … Have you ever heard two unfamiliar words, and assumed they're different pronunciations of the same word?  It has happened to all of us at some point.  For most of us, though, it has not happened with a word like “Gestapo …

CNN anchor admits she's ‘officially out of ideas’ for ‘what to do about Joe Rogan’  —  The liberal network has waged relentless attacks toward the popular podcast host  —  Thought police attacking Joe Rogan like they did Soviet dissidents: Koffler  —  It appears CNN is losing steam in its criticism toward podcast giant Joe Rogan.

Son of U.S. Rep. Gimenez arrested for slapping Miami commissioner  —  The son of U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez was arrested Wednesday after police say he slapped a Miami city commissioner earlier in the day at Morton's Steakhouse in Coral Gables.  —  What triggered the spat …

Read the emails showing Trump allies' connections to voting machine seizure push  —  Leaked emails obtained by POLITICO reveal the connection of two outside Trump allies — Washington lawyer Katherine Friess and Texas entrepreneur Russell Ramsland — to the failed push to seize voting machines …

Which skin color emoji should you use?  The answer can be more complex than you think … Heath Racela identifies as three-quarters white and one-quarter Filipino.  When texting, he chooses a yellow emoji instead of a skin tone option, because he feels it doesn't represent any specific ethnicity or color.