U.S. says Russian claim of pullback around Ukraine is ‘false,’ accuses Moscow of adding troops instead  —  Western officials say Russia is showing no sign of pulling back its forces from the border with Ukraine — and that the Kremlin, contrary to President Vladimir Putin's public statements …

My Pillow's Mike Lindell barred from entering Canada to support convoy protestors  —  Lindell, as well as a truck full of 10,000 pillows destined for protesters, were denied entry into Canada Tuesday evening  —  OTTAWA - My Pillow CEO and staunch Donald Trump supporter Mike Lindell …

GOP tensions boil over Trump's fundraising tactics  —  Donald Trump's spamming of Republican donors could kneecap party efforts to build a steady funding stream for future elections and compete with Democratic fundraising, top GOP officials are privately warning.

Trump Makes New Claims About His Wealth After Accountants Drop Him  —  The former president has spent decades inventing facts and figures to suit his needs.  Now, dropped by his accountants, he is making new claims.  —  On Tuesday evening, former President Donald J. Trump …

Jim Clyburn saved Biden's candidacy — and now has the president's ear on Supreme Court picks … Most nights when he's in Washington, House Majority Whip Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.) sits down to dinner with Cedric L. Richmond, one of President Biden's closest advisers, at the members-only National Democratic Club.

In Leaked Audio, CDC's Rochelle Walensky Privately Confirms She Won't Relax School Mask Guidance  —  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have no plans to change their recommendation that all U.S. schools require students to wear masks, according to an audio recording …

‘My clients are going RINO hunting’: How the 2022 primaries will rewire the GOP  —  Evidence of the party's unrest is everywhere.  Nearly a half-dozen Republican governors alone are facing competitive primary challenges.  —  Republicans are embarking on a primary season that is poised …

Banks are moving to freeze accounts linked to convoy protests.  Here's what you need to know  —  Emergencies Act directs financial institutions to cut ties with some people  —  Using powers granted under the Emergencies Act, the federal government has directed banks and other financial institutions …

We asked all 143 Texas GOP congressional candidates about Biden's win.  Only 13 call it legitimate.  —  The debate had been underway for less than 10 minutes before the top Republican candidates in a MAGA-friendly Houston congressional district reached a consensus: each believed the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump.

D.C. police lieutenant suspended over alleged ties to right-wing group  —  A D.C. police lieutenant in the intelligence branch has been put on leave amid an investigation into alleged improper contacts with a prominent member of the extremist group Proud Boys, according to four law enforcement officials with knowledge of the case.

Lawyers and Lobbyists Fight for Their Slice of $3.5 Billion in Afghan Money Seized by the Biden Administration … Last Friday, President Joe Biden announced that the U.S. would hold billions in seized Afghan central bank money to pay out to families of victims of 9/11 who had sued the Taliban for damages.

The Fall of the Capitol Steps  —  Washington's beloved comedy troupe lasted for decades but struggled amid the bitter political division.  Then came covid.  —  I felt a special sadness when the Capitol Steps announced their retirement last year.  The D.C.-based musical political comedy troupe came …

The Rise of Big Tech May Just Be Starting  —  The stock market has lately soured on the technology industry.  Stock prices of many of the largest companies are down this year, some slightly — shares of Apple and Google have fallen more than 6 percent — and some stupendously: Netflix …

Republicans Blame Crime On An Innocence Project Lawyer Tapped For A Judgeship  —  GOP senators accused Biden's court pick Nina Morrison, who has freed dozens of innocent people from prison, of fueling violent crimes.  Huh?  —  In a hearing on Wednesday that was as performative …

Ryan Zinke broke ethics rules while leading Trump's Interior Dept., keeping improper ties with land developers, watchdog finds … While serving as Interior Department secretary under Donald Trump, Ryan Zinke broke federal ethics rules repeatedly by improperly participating in real estate negotiations …

Justice Department Files Suit to Prevent Missouri from Restricting Enforcement of Federal Firearms Laws  —  Missouri House Bill 85 Makes Enforcement of Federal Firearms Laws More Difficult, Thereby Impeding Law Enforcement Efforts to Combat Violent Crime  —  The Department of Justice …

What Pundits Don't Understand About the San Francisco Recall  —  Fight disinformation.  Get a daily recap of the facts that matter.  Sign up for the free Mother Jones newsletter.  —  All politics is local.  And that's especially true of the San Francisco school board recall.

‘The brand is so toxic’: Dems fear extinction in rural US  —  SMETHPORT, Pa. (AP) — Some Democrats here in rural Pennsylvania are afraid to tell you they're Democrats.  —  The party's brand is so toxic in the small towns 100 miles northeast of Pittsburgh that some liberals have removed bumper stickers …

State judges across the U.S. face growing GOP pushback against rulings in election cases  —  In mid-December, Texas' highest criminal court revoked the state attorney general's ability to use his office to prosecute election-related cases without the request of a district or county attorney.

Right-wing media said it was exposing a scandal.  What it really revealed is how bad information spreads in MAGA world  —  New York (CNN Business)On Saturday night former President Donald Trump declared that he was the victim of a scandal “far greater” than Watergate.  He called for criminal prosecutions and “reparations.”