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 …

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 …

Democrats are in denial about inflation  —  Inflation is spiking, and Democrats — who, rightly or wrongly, are poised to take the blame this November — appear to be in denial about it.  —  Consumer prices rose 7.9 percent in February from a year earlier, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Thursday.

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.

Live Updates: Russian Forces Press Ukrainian Defenses on Multiple Fronts  —  The low rumble of heavy artillery fire echoed across Kyiv on Friday as Russian forces renewed their ground offensive and widened their aerial bombardment of Ukraine.  President Biden will call for suspending normal trade relations with Russia.

How Millions of Lives Might Have Been Saved from Covid-19  —  This article is part of Times Opinion's reflection on the two-year mark of the Covid pandemic.  Read more in a note from Alexandra Sifferlin, Opinion's health and science editor, in our Opinion Today newsletter.

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.

Herschel Walker's business record reveals creditor lawsuits, exaggerated claims  —  Over the past two decades, creditors have alleged Walker's businesses owed millions in unpaid loans.  —  While football great Herschel Walker's bid for the U.S. Senate hinges on his celebrity …

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.

Israel 'shouldn't exist as a Jewish state,' Amnesty USA director tells Democratic group  —  Paul O'Brien's comments follow an Amnesty International report accusing the Jewish state of committing apartheid  —  Following Amnesty International's recent report that accused Israel of “apartheid” …

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 …

The New Identity Politics of Eric Adams  —  NEW YORK — The contradictions of man are many, and Eric Adams has more than most.  These mysteries of the self, whatever they might mean to the 8.8 million people of his city, however much they might fascinate or confuse, frustrate or delight, do not trouble the mind of the mayor.

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.

After over three decades of covering Russia, I leave in despair.  One man has extinguished the bright hope many once felt  —  I leave Moscow angry and sad.  —  It feels like a passage out of darkness to light, but left behind are friends trapped in one man's tunnel vision.

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

Unfounded Russian Claims of Biological Weapons Research in Ukraine Stir Fears of Wider Risk  —  Western officials are concerned the accusations could serve as a pretext for Moscow to unleash chemical or biological weapons  —  Russian officials accused the U.S. of funding biowarfare efforts in Ukraine …

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 …