World leaders focus on how to punish Russia over Ukraine  —  BRUSSELS (AP) — With the smell of war in the air over Europe, world leaders got over the shock of Russian President Vladimir Putin's order to deploy troops to separatist regions of eastern Ukraine and they are focused on producing as forceful a reaction as possible.

Trump praises Putin's ‘genius’ plan to invade Ukraine: 'You gotta say that's pretty savvy'  —  Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday called Vladimir Putin a “genius” after the Russian president made moves to take over parts of Ukraine.  —  Trump made the remarks during an interview with conservative podcaster Buck Sexton.

U.S. Supreme Court formally ends Trump's fight over Capitol attack records … The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday brought a formal end to former President Donald Trump's request to block the release of White House records sought by the Democratic-led congressional panel investigating …

Only one former secretary of state is praising Putin and criticizing Biden in Ukraine crisis  —  During a moment of peril in Europe, Pompeo is taking to cable news and social media to praise Russian President Vladimir Putin and chastise the Biden administration.

The Culture War Has Democrats Facing Electoral Demise in Rural America.  Can They Stop the Bleeding?  —  New survey of rural voters shows what's driving the party's increasingly barren showings, and potential avenues for recovery  — 65% of rural voters view the Democratic Party unfavorably — including 48% who do so strongly.

The Supreme Court will hear a big case about whether religion is a license to discriminate  —  Spoiler alert: This is unlikely to go well for LGBTQ people.  —  In the past few years, the Supreme Court danced around the question of whether religious conservatives have a constitutional right …

Rick Scott pushes own GOP agenda as McConnell holds off  —  Senate Republican leaders have no plans to release an alternative agenda as they try to win back the majority this fall.  So Rick Scott is pursuing his own plan.  —  The Florida Republican senator is devising a conservative blueprint …

United States v. Donald Trump  —  A “Model Prosecution Memo” on the Conspiracy to Pressure Vice President Pence  —  The following memorandum is a model “prosecution memo” analyzing potential charges against former President Donald Trump for his efforts to pressure Mike Pence to abuse …

All 3 defendants convicted of hate crimes in Arbery killing  —  BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) — The three men convicted of murder in Ahmaud Arbery's fatal shooting were found guilty of federal hate crimes and other lesser charges Tuesday for violating Arbery's civil rights and targeting him because he was Black.

It's time to admit it: Mitt Romney was right about Russia  —  A decade ago, Mitt Romney went on CNN and made a statement that was widely perceived as a major mistake.  —  “Russia, this is, without question, our number one geopolitical foe,” Romney, who would be the Republican presidential nominee …

Reality Is a Tank  —  Vladimir Putin has been clear-eyed about the world.  We're the ones who lost touch with reality.  —  1. Putin Is Winning  —  There's a lot of “OMG Putin is a madman how could he do this!” today.  Here is the single most daft expression I've seen from a serious person:

The Long Crusade of Clarence and Ginni Thomas  —  The Supreme Court justice and his wife battled for years for a more conservative America.  New reporting shows how far she was willing to go after Donald Trump's 2020 election loss.  —  The call to action was titled “Election Results and Legal Battles: What Now?”

Russia-Ukraine live updates: Biden announces sanctions on Russia after moves against Ukraine  —  The Kremlin said Russia has recognized rebel-held regions within borders that the separatists originally proclaimed in 2014, sparking fears of a wider invasion.  Germany announced it is halting authorization …

Governor Kim Reynolds of Iowa Will Deliver Republican Address to the Nation  —  LEXINGTON, KY- Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) announced today Governor Kim Reynolds (R-IA) will deliver the Republican Address to the Nation from Des Moines …

Putin's Endgame: Unravel the Post-Cold War Agreements That Humiliated Russia  —  Moscow's military forces threaten Ukraine, but the bigger prize is restoration of Russia's sphere of influence stretching through Eastern Europe  —  The world's attention is on eastern Ukraine, where Moscow's forces circle.

Whatever became of the anti-Trump prophets? … For years, the actor Tom Arnold occupied himself with a singular goal: ending Donald Trump's presidency.  And what does he have to show for it?  —  “My ex-wife did put in her divorce filings that I was suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome …

Olympics suffer record-low ratings amid China's human rights controversy  —  After more than two weeks of coverage, the 2022 Winter Olympics competition in Beijing is complete, leaving behind dismal TV ratings.  —  NBC announced it had an average of 11.4 million viewers across …

Behind the stalkerware network spilling the private phone data of hundreds of thousands  —  A fleet of spyware apps share the same security flaw  —  Much of the spyware you hear of today are the powerful nation-state backed exploits that can quietly and remotely hack into iPhones anywhere in the world.

Castroville police chief accused of repeatedly using N-word during murder investigation  —  Castroville city council to discuss employment status of Chief Brian Jackson during Tuesday night board meeting  —  Castroville, Texas - The Castroville city council is scheduled to discuss …