We witnessed Mariupol's agony and fled a Russian hit list  —  MARIUPOL, Ukraine (AP) — The Russians were hunting us down.  They had a list of names, including ours, and they were closing in.  —  We had been documenting the siege of the Ukrainian city by Russian troops for more than two weeks …

Ex-wife accuses top Missouri GOP Senate candidate of abuse  —  COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens, now a leading Republican Senate candidate, was physically abusive and demonstrated such “unstable and coercive behavior” that steps were taken to limit his access to firearms …

Senator Hawley's Disingenuous Attack against Judge Jackson's Record on Child Pornography  —  He distorts her record on ‘sex offenders.’  —  would oppose Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson because of her judicial philosophy, for the reasons outlined by Ed Whelan last week.  I address that in a separate post.

U.S. Sending Soviet Air Defense Systems It Secretly Acquired to Ukraine  —  The Pentagon over the years has acquired Soviet equipment as part of a clandestine program, and now such weapons are going to Ukraine  —  WASHINGTON—The U.S. is sending some of the Soviet-made air defense equipment …

Putin's lover Kabayeva faces expulsion from Switzerland  —  Russian President Vladimir Putin's mistress Alina Kabayeva faces expulsion from Switzerland, where she is likely hiding with her children.  Citizens of Ukraine, Russia and Belarus appealed to the Swiss Confederation with a petition under the slogan …

Super PAC signals Pennsylvania primary could get rough  —  A super PAC backing Pennsylvania Senate candidate Conor Lamb is warning prospective donors that he is trailing frontrunner John Fetterman by 30 percentage points in the Democratic primary — and that the public's perception …

Putin's Russia looks increasingly desperate as Ukraine war nears stalemate, analysts say  — President Vladimir Putin's forces have exerted brutal force and destruction on much of Ukraine.  — They have forced millions to flee and made millions homeless, but it has failed to achieve major military victories.

The Trump Org Finds a New Way to Play Dirty With NY Investigators  —  A judge gave the Trump Organization an ultimatum back in September: Comply with these subpoenas, or hire an outside firm to do it.  The Trump Org found a third option.  —  In September, a judge gave the Trump Organization an ultimatum …

Disney Drives Conservatives Into Closet  —  You see the Daily Variety story the other day about how Pixar has restored a same-sex kiss to its upcoming film Lightyear after a gay employee group denounced its corporate parent, The Walt Disney Company, for not taking a tougher line against the so-called Florida “Don't Say Gay” bill.

How could any American patriot back Putin?  —  Where does it come from, this Trumpy admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin?  —  Is it theatrical, driven by journalistic contrarianism?  Is it simply about wanting President Joe Biden to lose?  Or is there something deeper and more malign going on?

Justice Thomas misses oral arguments due to illness  —  Justice Clarence Thomas was absent from Supreme Court oral arguments on Monday due to illness.  —  Chief Justice John Roberts announced Thomas's absence from a pair of in-person hearings prior to the start of arguments.

The Democratic Party's Biggest Problem Is Its Conservative Wing  —  Rep. Stephanie Murphy got everything she wanted, and it's a disaster, so she's retiring.  —  Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) speaks during the Blue Dog Coalition news conference on tax reform on October 4, 2017.

Exclusive: Witness Claims Trump's Chief of Staff Was on Phone Call Planning Jan. 6 March on Capitol  —  Trump's team agreed it would encourage supporters to march, but try to “make it look like they went down there on their own,” Scott Johnston tells Rolling Stone

Pro-Trump group sent armed members door-to-door in Colorado to “intimidate” voters: Lawsuit  —  Lawsuit accuses Colorado group linked to Mike Lindell of violating the Ku Klux Klan Act and voting rights laws  —  Voting rights groups have filed a lawsuit seeking to stop a pro-Trump group …

The Takeover of America's Legal System  —  The kids didn't grow out of it. … In 2017, the super lawyer David Boies was at a corporate retreat at the Ritz-Carlton in Key Biscayne, Florida, hosted by his law firm, Boies, Schiller and Flexner.  Boies was a liberal legend …

AIPAC's Bet Against Democracy  —  On Friday, AIPAC—the influential pro-Israel lobbying group—issued a statement I suspect historians of American Jewry will scrutinize for decades to come.  It argues that in order to preserve US support for Israel's ability to rule undemocratically over Palestinians …

Why Are We Still Waiting for the Capitol Riot Hearings?  —  Most of the time I think that some of the things that political scientists and smart journalists are teaching are getting through.  And then, sometimes, we get something like this from an unnamed member of the committee of the House …

2 Californians Charged with Hate Crime in Killing of Black Navy Veteran, 1 Is Suspected White Supremacist  —  Evidence suggests Jeremy Wayne Jones has ties to white supremacist groups, authorities allege  —  Murder and hate crime charges have been filed in California against the two people accused …

Everyone's giving the Fed a green light for rate hikes  —  The economy has plenty of problems, both home-grown and imported from a volatile geopolitical situation.  But wherever the leaders of the Federal Reserve look right now, they're seeing flashing green lights that the world wants them to get moving on raising interest rates.

SEC Proposes Rules to Enhance and Standardize Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors  —  The Securities and Exchange Commission today proposed rule changes that would require registrants to include certain climate-related disclosures in their registration statements and periodic reports …

The West underestimated Ukraine's bravery.  Now, it's underestimating Russia's brutality.  —  Andriy Yermak is head of the presidential office of Ukraine.  —  Ukraine's resistance against Russia's horrific invasion has exceeded every outside prediction.  Many in the West did not understand …

John Waters Is Ready to Defend the Worst People in the World  —  “If you pick up the book, you pretty much know what you're going to get,” says John Waters about his debut novel, “Liarmouth: A Feel-Bad Romance,” a gleefully filthy caper due out on May 3.  For longtime fans of the legendarily …