Russia Answers NATO  —  This is a free edition of Peacefield, a newsletter about the survival of liberal democracy in the United States and around the world, plus contrary, often curmudgeonly takes about everything from nuclear weapons to classic rock.  Sign up here to get it in your inbox.

EXCLUSIVE: GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy Endorses Top Cheney Opponent Harriet Hageman In Wyoming  —  Opposition to hand-picked Pelosi lieutenant Liz Cheney is uniting the GOP's establishment and voter base.  —  House Republican Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy made history on Thursday by endorsing …

N.Y. Attorney General Can Question Trump and 2 Children, Judge Rules  —  Former President Donald J. Trump and two of his children had sought to block Letitia James, the attorney general, from interviewing them under oath.  —  The New York attorney general can question Donald J. Trump …

3.7 million more children in poverty in Jan 2022 without monthly Child Tax Credit  —  The monthly child poverty rate increased from 12.1 percent in December 2021 to 17 percent in January 2022, the highest rate since the end of 2020.  The 4.9 percentage point (41 percent) …

The Giddy, Terrifying Siege of Ottawa  —  OTTAWA — When I asked Matthew Wall, a 36-year-old electrician from Manitoba, what brought him to this city, which has been overwhelmed by a giant protest encampment, he answered with one word: “Mushrooms.”  Searching for his purpose in life, he said …

Dem Heavyweights Back BLM Bail Fund That Freed Would-Be Assassin  —  Louisville Community Bail Fund freed activist charged with trying to murder Jewish mayoral candidate  —  The bail fund that freed a Louisville, Ky., Black Lives Matter activist charged with trying to murder a Jewish mayoral candidate …

Democrats' internal polling shows swing voters believe party went ‘too far’ on COVID  —  The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is concerned that Republican attacks on the Democrats' handling of the COVID-19 pandemic have “alarming credibility,” according to a slide deck obtained by SFGATE.

Spotify's Joe Rogan Deal Is Said to Be Worth Over $200 Million  —  The deal that brought his podcast to Spotify is said to be worth over $200 million, more than was previously known.  Accusations that he spreads misinformation have roiled the company.  —  It was the deal that helped …

Hillary Clinton says Fox News is ‘awfully close to actual malice’ in their coverage of her  — Hillary Clinton criticized Fox News' recent coverage of her amid claims that she organized a conspiracy to spy on Trump.  — Clinton said Fox was “getting awfully close to actual malice in their attacks.”

Oregon Supreme Court will rule on whether Nick Kristof can run for Oregon governor  —  The Oregon Supreme Court says Nick Kristof, the former New York Times columnist who quit his newspaper job to run for Oregon governor, cannot appear on the state's May primary ballot.The justices' decision …

COVID Won't End Up Like the Flu.  It Will Be Like Smoking.  —  It's suddenly become acceptable to say that COVID is—or will soon be—like the flu.  Such analogies have long been the preserve of pandemic minimizers, but lately they've been creeping into more enlightened circles.

How a Saudi woman's iPhone revealed hacking around the world … A single activist helped turn the tide against NSO Group, one of the world's most sophisticated spyware companies now facing a cascade of legal action and scrutiny in Washington over damaging new allegations that its software …

Partisan tactic by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's campaign delays thousands of requests for mail-in ballots from Texas voters  —  Patrick's mass mailing urging voters to apply for mail-in ballots included return envelopes addressed to the Texas secretary of state's office.

Pro Gamer Fired After Saying Short Men 'Don't Have Human Rights'  —  The Tekken esports pro made the peculiar remarks during a Cyclops Athlete Gaming stream  —  Professional Tekken player Tanukana has been booted from Osaka-based esports team Cyclops Athlete Gaming for remarks she made about men's heights during a livestream.

Google Has Made Millions Advertising Phony Government Handouts  —  Paid Google ads urging people to apply for fake payments were viewed more than 100 million times in five months — and stayed up until HuffPost reached out.  —  The ad caught Gordon Turner's eye immediately.

In San Francisco and elsewhere, Democrats fight Democrats over where they stand  —  As Democrats look fearfully toward the midterm elections, many of the party's candidates, strategists and voters are recoiling from some of the left-wing proposals that gained prominence during the Trump administration.

LGBT Identification in U.S. Ticks Up to 7.1%  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — The percentage of U.S. adults who self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or something other than heterosexual has increased to a new high of 7.1%, which is double the percentage from 2012, when Gallup first measured it.

Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine, World of Women Partner to Adapt NFTs Into Movies, TV Shows (EXCLUSIVE) … World of Women launched in July 2021 with some 10,000 artworks from women creators, quickly becoming one of the most popular and profitable purveyors of non-fungible tokens.

‘Woman in Michigan’ Governs the No. 1 Economy  —  “That woman from Michigan” is the T-shirt worn by the 49th governor of the 10th-largest U.S. state after President Donald Trump berated her for ordering some indoor business services closed in 2020.  Michiganders were among the most afflicted …

P. J. O'Rourke, 1947-2022  —  Brilliant writer, beautiful soul  —  This past Tuesday morning, the news broke hard and cruel that another of the good guys had left us.  Though “good” guy is a sinful understatement in the case of P.J. O'Rourke.  He was the best guy.

Sidney Powell Sues Verizon to Hide Phone Records From Jan. 6 Committee  —  KRAKEN-ED  —  Sidney Powell, a former attorney for Donald Trump, has sued Verizon to shield her phone records from a subpoena issued by the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Sources: 19 Austin police officers indicted in protest probe  —  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A Texas grand jury indicted 19 Austin police officers on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for their actions during 2020 protests over racial injustice that spread nationwide following …

Ron Johnson Is Blocking His Own Judicial Nominee  —  The GOP senator recommended William Pocan to President Joe Biden, but now may tank his nomination for no real reason.  —  Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) announced this week that he will block one of President Joe Biden's judicial nominees …

What Min Jin Lee Wants Us to See  —  The author of “Pachinko” and “Free Food for Millionaires” discusses her research process, her memories of arriving in America, and why she reads the Bible before writing.  —  The author Min Jin Lee lives in a four-story town house in Harlem that she and her husband purchased in 2012.