Accounting Firm Cuts Ties With Trump and Retracts Financial Statements  —  The firm, Mazars USA, said in a letter that it could no longer stand behind the annual statements, which are central to an investigation by the New York attorney general.  —  Donald J. Trump's longtime accounting firm cut ties …

Judge throws out Palin libel case against New York Times  —  A judge has ruled that a libel lawsuit former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin filed against the New York Times over a 2017 editorial should be thrown out because her lawyers failed to produce adequate evidence that the newspaper knew …

Trump Really Was Spied On  —  Durham says techies linked to the Clinton campaign had access to White House and Trump Tower internet data.  —  By The Editorial Board  —  Special Counsel John Durham continues to unravel the Trump-Russia “collusion” story, and his latest court disclosure contains startling information.

Russian units near Ukraine moved into “attack positions,” official says  —  Russia has moved some long-range artillery and rocket launchers into firing position, threatening Ukraine, according to a U.S. official.  —  Some Russian units have left their assembly areas …

Inside the White House preparations for a Russian invasion  —  A “Tiger Team” of administration officials has spent the past several months preparing a clear series of responses, gaming out scenarios from cyberattacks and limited intervention to an invasion of Ukraine.

Federal government invokes Emergencies Act for first time ever in response to protests  —  Act grants cabinet ability to take ‘special temporary measures that may not be appropriate in normal times’  —  CBC News Special: PM Invokes Emergencies Act  —  Join CBC News live for special coverage starting …

Killing of Christina Yuna Lee Heightens Safety Fears in Chinatown  —  Ms. Lee, who was described as “irreplaceable,” was stabbed to death in her apartment after a man followed her into her building.  —  A 25-year-old man was arrested on murder and burglary charges on Monday …

Hackers Just Leaked the Names of 92,000 ‘Freedom Convoy’ Donors  —  GiveSendGo, the Christian crowdfunding site that helped raise $8.7 million for the anti-vax “freedom convoy” in Canada, was hacked on Sunday night.  —  DG  —  The Christian crowdfunding site that helped raise $8.7 million for the anti-vax …

Pastor Resigns After Incorrectly Performing Thousands of Baptisms  —  The pastor of a Catholic church in Phoenix changed one word in administering the sacrament, rendering baptisms performed there invalid, the church said.  —  The Rev. Andres Arango was leading a baptism at St. Gregory Catholic Church …

Snoop Dogg smokes weed right before star-studded Super Bowl 2022 halftime show  —  Before taking the stage for Sunday's epic Super Bowl 2022 halftime show, Snoop Dogg had something of a pregame warmup.  —  In a video currently making the rounds on social media, Snoop is seen smoking …

Study finds Western megadrought is the worst in 1,200 years  —  Shrunk reservoirs.  Depleted aquifers.  Low rivers.  Raging wildfires.  It's no secret that the Western U.S. is in a severe drought.  New research published Monday shows just how extreme the situation has become.

People Are Going Out Again, but Not to the Office  —  Only a third of U.S. employees have returned to the office, as workers prefer remote and companies fear ordering them back  —  Americans are dining again in restaurants, attending sporting events, and flying throughout the country.

2020 Election Denier Will Run for Top Elections Position in Colorado  —  Tina Peters, the Mesa County clerk, has been stripped of her county election oversight but is seeking to oversee her state's elections as secretary of state.  —  A Republican county clerk in Colorado who was stripped …

Maryland man pleads guilty to trying to sell nuclear secrets to foreign government  —  A Maryland man charged with attempting to sell nuclear secrets to a foreign government pleaded guilty to espionage on Monday.  —  Jonathan Toebbe, a nuclear engineer, pleaded not guilty in October and was detained pending trial.

Manchin clarifies: He'd oppose second high court nominee right before presidential election  —  Centrist Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) on Monday said he would not support confirming another nominee selected by President Biden for the Supreme Court immediately before the 2024 presidential election …

Sources: Savino will decline to seek re-election for North Shore Senate seat  —  STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Sources said Monday that State Sen. Diane Savino will not seek re-election, and for the first time in over a decade, Staten Island's North Shore will have a new person in that seat.

Plane with 8 aboard crashes off North Carolina; 1 body found  —  MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. (AP) — A small plane carrying eight people crashed into the ocean off North Carolina's Outer Banks and left behind multiple debris fields where crews searched for the missing passengers, the Coast Guard said.

Ukraine president says he's been told Russia will attack Wednesday  —  Ukraine president warns Russian attack will come Wednesday  —  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday that his government has been told that Wednesday, Feb. 16, will be “the day of attack” when Russia invades Ukraine.

Levi's Brand President Jennifer Sey Resigns, Citing School Closure Disagreements  —  I am the assistant editor for Communities and Leadership.  —  Levi Strauss' chief marketer Jennifer Sey has resigned from her position, claiming she was forced out after voicing her opinion that schools should remain open during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mayor Adams fires 1,430 NYC workers for refusing to get COVID vaccine  —  Mayor Eric Adams fired more than 1,400 government workers who refused to get vaccinated, the city revealed on Monday — including 36 NYPD personnel, 25 Fire Department workers and 914 Department of Education staffers.

Is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez an Insider Now?  —  After three years in the halls of power, she's seen the “shit show” up close—and hasn't given up on her vision for how to change it. … Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat representing parts of Queens and the Bronx (including Rikers Island) …