Subtle Shifts Raise Hopes for a Cease-fire in Ukraine  —  ISTANBUL — When President Vladimir V. Putin launched his invasion two weeks ago, he said a primary goal was the “denazification” of Ukraine.  He referred to the Ukrainian government as a “gang of drug addicts and neo-Nazis,” making it clear that his aim was to topple it.

Silicon Valley tech worker was the Ukrainian mom lying dead on street in brutal photo that sparked outrage  —  A Silicon Valley employee and her children are the subjects of photos so devastating that they shocked the world: A Ukrainian family lying dead on the pavement, killed by Russian mortar fire while trying to flee the conflict.

Outside the West, Putin is less isolated than you might think  —  You're reading an excerpt from the Today's WorldView newsletter.  Sign up to get the rest, including news from around the globe, interesting ideas, and opinions to know sent to your inbox every weekday.

House Passes $1.5 Trillion Spending Bill as Democrats Drop Covid Aid  —  Facing disputes over how to cover the cost of the pandemic response effort, Democrats dropped it rather than jeopardize legislation that includes aid for Ukraine and other top priorities.

Sidney “Release The Kraken” Powell Is Secretly Funding The Legal Defense Of Oath Keepers  —  As the government's prosecutions of members of the Oath Keepers — by most measures, the most significant of any to come out of the Jan. 6 insurrection — move toward trial, defense lawyers face a daunting task …

Russian Agent Maria Butina Claims Ukrainians Are Bombing Themselves  —  “We have tons of evidence that the Russia army does not touch, does not bomb civilian populations,” the former darling of the NRA said of her absurd bit of Putin propaganda  —  Maria Butina, the Russia agent who infiltrated …

Zelensky, having rallied world leaders, shames them for not joining the fight  —  As Russia's assault on Ukraine enters its second week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has shifted from rallying world leaders — who have levied historic economic and financial sanctions against Russia …

Trump plane made emergency landing after weekend speech to GOP donors  —  Former President Donald Trump's plane made an emergency landing on Saturday evening following his speech at a Republican National Committee-hosted donor retreat in New Orleans, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Russia and QAnon have the same false conspiracy theory about Ukraine  —  New York (CNN Business)A new conspiracy theory has become popular among some of the online communities that formed around QAnon — one simultaneously being promoted by the Kremlin as a justification for its invasion of Ukraine.

House approves ban on import of Russian oil  —  The House passed legislation Wednesday night banning U.S. imports of Russian oil and other energy sources, as lawmakers look to escalate U.S.-led sanctions on Vladimir Putin over his invasion of Ukraine.  —  House Democratic leaders decided …

Proud Boys Leader Dragged Out of Bed in His Underwear to Face Conspiracy Charge  —  RUDE AWAKENING  —  Apparently taken by complete surprise, former Proud Boys ringleader Enrique Tarrio was handcuffed in nothing but his skivvies early Tuesday morning, as police arrived at his Miami home …

Abramovich and Deripaska among seven Oligarchs targeted in estimated £15bn sanction hit  —  The UK has announced sanctions against seven Oligarchs including Roman Abramovich and Oleg Deripaska. … - Owner of Chelsea FC sees his assets frozen, a prohibition on transactions with UK individuals …

NYPD silent after judge questions cops' credibility in Bronx assault case against teen drill rapper C Blu  —  A judge's stunning comments questioning the credibility of officers involved in the near-deadly arrest of teen drill rapper C Blu were met with outrage Wednesday from criminal justice reform advocates …

Supreme Court Signals It May Empower Legislatures to Subvert Elections  —  The U.S. Supreme Court signaled on Monday that at least four justices are ready and willing to bless a legal theory that was never really taken seriously until the 2020 elections.  The so-called independent state …

Colorado county elections official Tina Peters is indicted in probe of alleged tampering with voting equipment  —  A Colorado county clerk who embraced election-fraud conspiracy theories has been indicted on state criminal charges following an investigation into her alleged efforts …

EXCLUSIVE: Trump silent as Pence criticizes his Putin love affair and “Big Lie”  —  Former President Donald Trump is silent in the face of questioning about his former VP sharply criticizing his open praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin, praise which he publicly proclaimed in appearances …

Ukraine war: President Zelenskyy says millions of people could die if world does not act now to stop the bombing  —  Speaking to Sky News' Alex Crawford, Volodymyr Zelenskyy accuses countries of being indecisive on the issue of “closing” the skies against what he called “the Nazis”.

The Year in Hate & Extremism 2021  — The Extreme Right's Pivot to (Live) Video  — A White Nationalist's Journey Through Alt-Tech  — What We Do Now: Policy Recommendations  —  The Year in Hate and Extremism 2021  —  In this section  —  • Meeting the challenge of the hard right

Texas flagged 27,000 mail ballots for rejection in primary  —  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — More than 27,000 mail ballots in Texas were flagged for rejection in the first test of new voting restrictions enacted across the U.S., jeopardizing votes cast by Democrats and Republicans alike and in counties big and small …

How to have a career as a journalist in 2022  —  It's the Read Max Career Corner … Over the weekend, a fight erupted on Twitter between current Times White House correspondent Maggie Haberman and former Times social-media reporter Taylor Lorenz.  The short version is something like …