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 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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

LEAKED AUDIO: Amazon Union Buster Warns Workers ‘Things Could Become Worse’  —  An Amazon union avoidance official told unionizing workers in New York City that it is possible negotiations would begin with minimum wage pay as a starting point.  —  An Amazon union avoidance official told employees at JFK8 …

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.