US Rep. Madison Cawthorn calls Ukrainian president a ‘thug’  —  RALEIGH, N.C. — U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina told supporters he thought Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was a “thug”—a comment that runs counter to the overwhelming share of Republicans with a favorable view …

Exclusive: Facebook temporarily allows posts on Ukraine war calling for violence against invading Russians or Putin's death  —  Meta Platforms (FB.O) will allow Facebook and Instagram users in some countries to call for violence against Russians and Russian soldiers in the context of the Ukraine invasion …

2020 Census Undercounted U.S. Population by Nearly 19 Million  —  The Census Bureau said it had undercounted Black, Latino and Indigenous people and overcounted white and Asian Americans.  —  The 2020 census undercounted the country's population by 18.8 million people, the Census Bureau said on Thursday …

The real reason the feds haven't indicted Trump  —  Above all others, there is one question that Democrats cannot stop asking: “Why hasn't Attorney General Merrick Garland indicted former president Donald Trump?”  —  Garland's remarks today, on the one-year anniversary of his appointment …

Even Russian State TV Is Pleading With Putin to Stop the War  —  State propagandists called for Putin to end the “special military operation” before “frightening” sanctions destabilize his regime and risk civil war in Russia.  —  There is a notable mood shift in Russia …

A Fox News reporter's schooling of Sean Hannity veers into dark territory  —  A virulent claim is circulating in right-wing media and among some Republicans: The United States might be working on biolabs in Ukraine.  This assertion, which echoes Russian propaganda and implies that the United States …

Elephants in the room  —  COEUR d'ALENE — The Kootenai County Republican Central Committee has reportedly planned and recruited volunteers to infiltrate the Kootenai Democrats, install an “antisemitic troll” as party chair and funnel money donated to Democrats to local Republicans instead.

Iran nuclear talks close to collapse over Russian demands  —  With its economy teetering, Russia wants sanctions protections written into the deal.  Negotiations will likely now pause amid the impasse.  —  VIENNA — The Iran nuclear talks are on the precipice of collapse over last-minute Russian demands …

McConnell book: Tight-lipped senator opens archive to AP reporter  —  Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), one of America's most inscrutable power players, has made the surprising decision to open his archive to a journalist, and sit for long interviews.

Local Election Officials Survey (March 2022) … Nearly one in three local election officials know at least one election worker who has left the job, partly due to safety concerns, increased threats, or intimidation.

EXCLUSIVE: AOC-backed candidate facing run-off with Texas congressman Henry Cuellar had steamy fling with her high school teacher 23 years her senior, texts reveal, as his ex claims politician broke up her marriage  — Jessica Cisneros, 28, had a long-term affair with her former high school teacher John Balli, 51

North Korean missile launches were a ‘serious escalation,’ official says … North Korea has tested components of a new intercontinental ballistic missile system, the Biden administration said Thursday, in what one senior official described as a “serious escalation” of North Korea's long-range missile program.

Sources: MLB, union reach tentative agreement on new CBA, salvage 162-game season  —  Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association reached a tentative agreement on a new collective-bargaining agreement Thursday, ending the league's 99-day lockout of the players and salvaging a 162-game season …

Grassley privately investigating Garcetti, wants nomination held  —  A top Senate Republican is seeking to delay Eric Garcetti's nomination to serve as President Joe Biden's ambassador to India, pending an investigation into whether the mayor of Los Angeles lied when he told a congressional panel …

Russia says China refuses to supply aircraft parts after sanctions  —  China has refused to supply Russian airlines with aircraft parts, an official at Russia's aviation authority was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying on Thursday, after Boeing (BA.N) and Airbus (AIR.PA) halted supply of components.

A Potential Rarity in American Politics: A Fair Congressional Map  —  This year's congressional map, despite continued gerrymandering, is poised to have a nearly equal number of districts that lean Democratic and Republican.  —  For years, America's congressional map favored Republicans over Democrats.

Climate change is biggest ‘dealbreaker’ on popular dating app  —  Opinions surrounding climate change are the biggest “dealbreaker” out of several topics when it comes to finding a match on the popular dating app OKCupid, new data from the company shows.  —  Among 250,000 users surveyed worldwide …

Ready to Die?  Why Most People Flunk the Zelenskyy Test.  —  In his bid for international support for Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has found a good line, and he knows it.  —  “This might be the last time you see me alive,” he told European leaders in a conference call, shortly after his country was invaded.

“Infamy Is Kind Of Fun”: Grimes on Music, Mars, and Her Secret New Baby With Elon Musk  —  So I show up at Grimes's house on a Tuesday afternoon.  Grimes's real name is Claire Boucher, and she answers to Grimes or Claire, or even better, c, as in the speed of light.

TSA to extend mask mandate for planes, public transportation until April 18  —  WASHINGTON — The Transportation Security Administration is extending the mask mandate on public transportation until April 18, according to a White House official and a TSA official.

Supreme Court: Ketanji Brown Jackson nomination endorsed by 83 former state AGs  —  The former officials called for her to be confirmed ‘as quickly as possible’  —  Ketanji Brown Jackson hearings won't be ‘down in the gutter’ like with Kavanaugh: Sen. Grassley

Gov. John Bel Edwards vetoes proposed Congressional district map  —  Gov. John Bel Edwards on Wednesday night vetoed the congressional redistricting map passed by the Republican-majority Legislature, saying it should have included a district that would allow a second Black candidate a chance …

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.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says Americans will likely see another year of ‘very uncomfortably high’ inflation  — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Thursday that Americans will likely see another year of “very uncomfortably high” inflation.  — “We have seen a very meaningful increase …

The Trans Movement Is Failing Where the Gay-Rights Movement Succeeded  —  By abandoning the libertarian ‘live and let live’ approach, transgender activists are alienating Americans.  —  he transgender and gay-rights movements are often lumped together — including in the very acronym LGBT …

Michael Flynn testifies in closed-door meeting with Jan. 6 committee  —  WASHINGTON — The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol interviewed Michael Flynn on Thursday, after subpoenaing him to testify about an Oval Office meeting at which, the panel said …

Ukrainian family fleeing Russian invasion turned away from U.S. border  —  A woman and her three children tried to request asylum at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, but Customs and Border Protection officials told them they couldn't come in  —  U.S. border officials in San Diego …

‘Everyone is now a war reporter’: Inside the newsroom of The Kyiv Independent  —  With Putin censoring Russia media and targeting TV stations in Ukraine, The Kyiv Independent's editor-in-chief Olga Rudenko speaks to , Rachel Sharp from western Ukraine about how the team all became war reporters overnight

Nikki Haley's Hypocrisy and Faux Outrage Over Ukraine  —  The wannabe GOP presidential candidate's foolish, self-serving, and pernicious remarks about Putin's invasion.  —  Nikki Haley smells an opportunity.  Donald Trump's U.S. ambassador to the United Nations is getting ready to run …

IRS plans to hire 10,000 workers to relieve massive backlog  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The IRS said Thursday it plans to hire 10,000 new workers to help reduce a massive backlog that the government says will make this tax season the most challenging in history.  —  The agency released a plan …

Echoes From Odessa, the Onetime Jewish Metropolis Now Menaced by Putin  —  This is a subscriber edition of Deep Shtetl, a newsletter about the unexplored intersections of politics, culture, and religion.  Sign up for the newsletter here, and subscribe to The Atlantic for access to exclusives like this.