Biden, Democrats Lose Ground on Key Issues, WSJ Poll Finds  —  The president's handling of the Ukraine crisis hasn't boosted his overall political standing as voters worry about inflation  —  WASHINGTON—President Biden and his fellow Democrats have lost ground to Republicans on several …

New clues emerge about the money that might have helped fund the Jan. 6 insurrection  —  Eight months into the investigation of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, the financial story is one of the most closely held parts of the probe.  But the House select committee has shared some clues through its subpoenas and court filings.

EXCLUSIVE Facebook allows Ukraine war posts urging violence against invading Russians, Putin  —  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 …

His reporting on the Kennedy assassination made him a legend.  Then a press group looked into his past. … Merriman Smith was a distinguished White House correspondent for decades, but he cemented his place in journalism history on a bright afternoon in 1963.

Russian strikes hit western Ukraine as offensive widens  —  LVIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia widened its military offensive in Ukraine on Friday, striking near airports in the west of the country for the first time as troops kept up pressure on the capital, Kyiv, and the U.S. and its allies prepared …

How Vladimir Putin Lost Interest in the Present  —  Mr. Zygar is a Russian journalist and the author of “All the Kremlin's Men: Inside the Court of Vladimir Putin.”  —  Thanks to Vladimir Putin's decision to invade Ukraine, Russia is now more isolated than it has ever been.

The 2020 census had big undercounts of Black people, Latinos and Native Americans  —  The 2020 census continued a longstanding trend of undercounting Black people, Latinos and Native Americans, while overcounting people who identified as white and not Latino, according to estimates from a report the U.S. Census Bureau released Thursday.

Judge warns special counsel over provocative court filing  —  A federal judge delivered a warning to special counsel John Durham on Thursday after recent court filings became fodder for pro-Trump media and prompted incendiary allegations from the former president himself.

Russia's new control tactic is the one Hannah Arendt warned us about 50 years ago … You don't need belief.  All you need is confusion.  —  That's how authoritarian leaders manage to control the populace, the great German political philosopher Hannah Arendt once explained.

This Is Why Putin Can't Back Down  —  Carl von Clausewitz famously asserted that war is the continuation of politics by other means.  The Russian invasion of Ukraine is the continuation of identity politics by other means.  —  I don't know about you, but I've found the writings …

Deutsche Bank defends decision not to exit Russia: It's not ‘practical’ right now  — Deutsche Bank's CFO said Thursday it is not “practical” to close its Russia business, despite similar moves by major corporations seeking to distance themselves from the pariah state.

Time for a Diplomatic Revolution  —  Cold War 2 is here, and the U.S. needs all the allies we can get. … Diplomatic revolutions are amazing things.  In some ways, they're the pivot of history.  It takes decades or even centuries for nations to rise and decline, but coalition formation …

How Goldman Sachs profits from war in Ukraine, loophole in sanctions  —  Goldman Sachs, the giant New York investment bank, is cashing in on the war in Ukraine by selling Russian debt to U.S. hedge funds — and using a legal loophole in the Biden administration's sanctions to do it.

Covid response may have to be scaled back amid congressional inaction, White House says … The United States is poised to run out of tests, treatments and vaccines to fight the coronavirus after a $15.6 billion funding plan collapsed in Congress on Wednesday, alarming health-care advocates …

Whistleblower alleges bullying, ethical lapses at White House science office … The former director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy violated ethics rules, created a toxic workplace and retaliated against staff who raised concerns about his behavior …

How the Supreme Court's gerrymandering ruling vindicated the wisdom of John Roberts  —  Where does Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. go to get his apology?  His 2019 opinion that federal courts should stay out of partisan state gerrymandering battles was denounced at the time as an “abdication” …

‘You Murdered My Daughter’: Relatives of OxyContin Victims Confront the Sacklers  —  It was the first time, after years of lawsuits, that the family that owns Purdue Pharma heard directly from families who had lost loved ones to addiction.  —  “You murdered my daughter and destroyed my family …

Accused Russian Agent Gave to One Politician: Tulsi Gabbard  —  Russian-American national Elena Branson was indicted this week for lobbying for pro-Kremlin policies while not registered as a foreign agent.  She gave to one U.S. politician. … Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman …

What Happened on Day 14 of Russia's Invasion of Ukraine  —  At least three cities in western and central Ukraine were hit.  In besieged Mariupol, bodies are now being buried in trenches.  President Biden will call for suspending normal trade relations with Russia.  —  Marc Santora

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.

Republican AG Told ‘at Least the Guy Was a Democrat’ After He Killed a Man With His Car  —  The family of a man run over and killed by South Dakota's Republican attorney general have expressed outrage at a vile text message sent after his death.  —  Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg ran down and killed a pedestrian on Sept. 12, 2020.

As West tries to force Russia from Ukraine, endgame elusive  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — As Western leaders congratulate themselves for their speedy and severe responses to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, they're also scratching their heads with uncertainty about what their actions will accomplish.

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 …

These Two Lawyers Breathed Life Into Trump's Big Lie, but Did They Even Believe It?  —  Ty Cobb, a former Trump White House attorney, said it was “very unfortunate” that Trump's advisers “fed him nonsense about the election results” because it likely led to Jan. 6.

Facing a tough election, House Democrats are conflicted about the way to win  —  PHILADELPHIA — House Democrats gathered here to take stock of their achievements and chart a path to hold their tenuous majority.  But just as they hoped to unify and take on Republicans, their differences were on stark display.

Schadenfreude at sea: The Internet is watching with glee as Russian oligarchs' yachts are seized … There's just something satisfying about watching online as a billionaire's luxury yacht moves around the globe — and then gets snagged by law enforcement as part of sanctions designed to crack down on Russia.