Russia Makes Gains in South as Humanitarian Crisis Grows  —  Russian forces make gains in southern Ukraine as a humanitarian crisis grows.  —  A day after gaining control of their first major Ukrainian city, Russian forces on Thursday laid siege to urban areas across the country …

Russian Oligarch Igor Sechin's Yacht Seized by French Authorities, Who Say It Was Preparing to Depart  —  French authorities said they seized a yacht belonging to a company majority owned by Igor Sechin, the chief executive of Russian oil producer Rosneft.  Mr. Sechin was among a group …

The Justice Dept. and the Jan. 6 inquiry make moves to snare Trump  —  Those criticizing Attorney General Merrick Garland for not moving expeditiously against former president Donald Trump for an attempted coup should take heart.  —  On Wednesday, we saw a matter-of-fact announcement …

Absolute Power  —  Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, is 36 years old and has led his country for almost five years.  His father, the 86-year-old King Salman, has rarely been seen in public since 2019, and even MBS—as he is universally known—has faced the world only a few times since the pandemic began.

POLITICO Playbook: How gas prices could crush Biden and the Democrats  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  POLICY PALOOZA DU JOUR: RUSSIAN OIL — President JOE BIDEN's conservative critics — from Fox News to Capitol Hill Republicans — have slammed the administration for exempting Russian oil from the raft …

Supreme Court says Republican attorney general can defend Ky. abortion law Democratic officials dropped  —  The Supreme Court on Thursday said Kentucky's Republican attorney general should be allowed to defend the state's restrictive abortion law after Democratic officials dropped the case once courts found it unconstitutional.

‘It could happen tomorrow’: Experts know disaster upon disaster looms for West Coast  —  It's the elevators that worry earthquake engineering expert Keith Porter the most.  —  Scientists say a massive quake could strike the San Francisco Bay Area at any moment.

International Cat Federation bans Russian cats from competitions  —  The International Cat Federation says it has banned Russian cats from its international competitions in the latest rebuke to Russia since it invaded Ukraine last week.  —  The federation, which considers itself …

Mayor Lori Lightfoot blocked Columbus statue deal, berated lawyers with obscene remarks, lawsuit claims  —  Mayor Lori Lightfoot blocked a deal the Chicago Park District made with an Italian American group to allow a Christopher Columbus statue to be displayed in a parade and made obscene remarks aimed …

Was Ted Cruz Right About Russia?  —  He spent years fighting Putin's prized pipeline.  —  For years, a Russian-led pipeline project has been Ted Cruz's nemesis.  Nord Stream 2, which would allow the country to export billions of dollars' worth of natural gas to Western Europe while bypassing Ukraine …

Transfer three A-10 aircraft squadrons to Ukraine now  —  “Give us the tools, and we will finish the job,” spoke U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill in February 1941.  Following this powerful speech, U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt proposed and Congress approved the lend-lease program.

Pelosi says Boebert and Greene ‘should just shut up’  —  Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) had a terse reaction on Thursday to GOP Reps. Lauren Boebert (Colo.) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) heckling President Biden during his State of the Union address on Tuesday: “I think they should just shut up.”

‘I have the job I want’: Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey will not run for the U.S. Senate in 2022  —  Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey will not run for the U.S. Senate this year, he told donors in a letter obtained by The Arizona Republic, finally putting to rest whether he held aspirations for elected office this cycle.

The gory online campaign Ukraine hopes will sow anti-Putin dissent probably violates the Geneva Conventions … A besieged Ukraine has adopted a gruesome tactic in hopes of stoking anti-government rage inside Russia: posting photos and videos of captured and killed Russian soldiers on the Web for anyone to see.

Kentucky lawmaker apologizes for referencing Jewish women's sex life amid abortion debate  —  Kentucky Rep. Danny Bentley made comments about Jewish women and the Holocaust during a debate Wednesday over anti-abortion legislation, quickly drawing condemnation from several members …

The Bizarre Story of How a Hardcore Texas Leftist Became a Frontline Putin Propagandist  —  In a contentious interview with Rolling Stone, Russell “Texas” Bentley explains why he's in Ukraine cheering on Russian troops  —  How does a 61-year-old former pot dealer named “Texas” …

When I Confronted Trump About Election Fraud  —  In an excerpt from his new memoir, the former Attorney General recalls the explosive White House meeting where he rejected President Trump's claims about the 2020 election.  —  The first day of December 2020, almost a month after the presidential election, was gray and rainy.

No One Asked for a Cuomo Comeback  —  Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo hasn't learned a damn thing from his stunning fall from grace. … Well, he comes from the land of chutzpah.  —  Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is trying his hand at a political comeback, spending $369,000 in campaign funds …

Bitcoin Goes to War  —  Last month, a non-fungible token, or NFT, collector who goes by the pseudonymous Twitter handle @punk6529 posted a 56-part Twitter thread that ripped through the crypto world with viral intensity.  Writing in response to the Canadian government's decision …

Peter Thiel Helped Fund A Transgressive, “Anti-Woke” Film Festival  —  Humorless millennials.  Addled boomers.  Tiresome liberals.  Trevor Bazile wanted to shock them all — and use Silicon Valley money to do it.  —  Copy  —  The party on Eldridge Street could hardly be contained …

Is America to Blame for Russia's War in Ukraine?  —  To explain a bad actor's behavior is not to justify it.  —  In mundane contexts, few people struggle to understand this point.  For example, if an alcoholic relative comes over for Thanksgiving dinner and behaves in a charming …

‘Stop bullying kids’: Students, parents respond to Gov. DeSantis telling students to take off their masks  —  TAMPA (WFLA) - In a video that has been viewed millions of times, Gov. Ron DeSantis asked a group of Hillsborough County High School students to remove their masks during his press conference …

Rep. Paul Gosar is 1 of 3 to vote against pro-Ukraine measure  —  Rep. Paul Gosar was one of three members of the House of Representatives on Wednesday to vote against a symbolic measure calling for a cease-fire in Ukraine and support for its people.  —  The resolution passed 426-3 …

Meeting Urgent Needs … Over the last few months, the Administration has been working closely with Congress to produce a comprehensive funding bill that will keep the government open and ensure Federal agencies have the resources necessary to advance critical national priorities …