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 …

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 …

Garland says the Jan. 6 investigation won't end until everyone is held to account  —  On his first anniversary as attorney general, Merrick Garland said he's committed to unraveling the conspiracy behind the storming of the U.S. Capitol, in what he calls “the most urgent investigation in the history of the Justice Department.”

POLITICO Playbook: ‘This retreat is cursed’  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  HEADS UP — “White House bracing for Thursday inflation report,” per CNN's Betsy Klein: “The consumer price index, a key report indicating inflation in the U.S., will be released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics at 8:30 a.m.”

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.

‘No off-ramps’: U.S. and European officials don't see a clear endgame in Ukraine … When Russia first invaded Ukraine just over two weeks ago, the near-unanimous global assumption was that it would score a quick and easy military victory over its neighbor to the west.

Someone needs to explain why there are dangerous biological weapons in Ukraine  —  The Pentagon is lying about this - why?  —  Tucker: The Pentagon is lying about bio labs in Ukraine  —  If you had told us just four days ago that the Biden administration was funding secret bio labs …

Trump lawyer knew plan to delay Biden certification was unlawful, emails show  —  John Eastman conceded that scheme represented violation of Electoral Count Act but urged Mike Pence to go ahead anyway  —  Interrupting the certification of Joe Biden's election win on 6 January last year …

U.S. inflation soared 7.9 percent in past year, a fresh 40-year high  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Propelled by surging costs for gas, food and housing, consumer inflation jumped 7.9 percent over the past year, the sharpest spike since 1982 and likely only a harbinger of even higher prices to come.

“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.

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.

Pence visits Ukraine border in Poland  —  Former Vice President Mike Pence visited the Ukraine border and met with refugees flooding into Poland amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, as Vice President Harris is also in Poland touting U.S. support for its NATO allies.

Oregon Republican chair resigns, citing ‘greater evil than the Democrats’  —  1,506  —  Dallas Heard, chair of the Oregon Republican Party, has resigned, citing “evil” inside the party he leads.  Heard, who is also a state senator from Myrtle Creek, wrote a blistering letter to inform the party of his decision.

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.

‘No light.  No nothing.’ Inside Louisiana's harshest juvenile lockup  —  This article was published in partnership with ProPublica, a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power, and The Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization covering the U.S. criminal justice system.

Biden administration to extend federal mask mandate  —  The federal mask mandate will be extended for another 30 days, to April 18, representing the fourth extension of the mandate for public transit, airplanes, and airports that was first introduced in February 2021.

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.

Gerhard Schröder in Moscow to meet Putin in Ukraine peace bid  —  Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder is in Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday as part of a mediation effort to end the war in Ukraine, people familiar with the matter told POLITICO.

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 …

Pro-Russia rebels are still using Facebook to recruit fighters, spread propaganda … In the days after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Aleksandr Zaldostanov, the leader of a pro-Putin biker gang, the Night Wolves, turned to Facebook to disparage the Ukrainian president and push falsehoods about the war.

NYT Reporter: CIA/NSA Sources Involved With Trump “Pee Tape” & “Leftist sh*t” At The Times  —  New York Times Reporter Discusses CIA / NSA Sources; 'Ridiculous Pee Tape Didn't Exist' ... ‘Crazier Leftist Sh*t’ Influences Reporting  • Rosenberg on infamous ...

Tennessee Republicans revolt against Trump's outsider pick for House seat  —  When Morgan Ortagus announced her bid for a House seat in Tennessee last month, she did so with former President Donald Trump's “complete and total endorsement” — a surefire way for a GOP candidate to quickly become competitive in a crowded field.

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.

Sen. Cruz rides with 'People's Convoy' truck to D.C. as Beltway protest enters fourth day … Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) visited the “People's Convoy” at the Hagerstown Speedway on Thursday and rode shotgun in the lead truck, with plans for the vehicle to head into to D.C. for a news conference …

Murkowski on tough Supreme Court choice: ‘This is a different game’  —  Last year, Sen. Lisa Murkowski was one of just three Republicans who voted to elevate Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the second most important court in the country.  Now, in the middle of an election year …

The Jolt: A 'Don't Say Gay' bill emerges in Georgia  —  Days before a key legislative deadline, Georgia Republican state senators introduced a proposal modeled after Florida's so-called “Don't Say Gay” bill that aims to deter teachers from discussing sexual orientation and gender identity in the classroom.

Shot down: How Biden scuttled the deal to get MiGs to Ukraine  —  A three-way fighter-jet deal to bolster Ukraine's defenses against Russia is dead — just five days after the White House first revealed an openness to making it work.  —  With Kyiv begging U.S. officials for more military support …