Virginia Thomas urged White House chief to pursue unrelenting efforts to overturn the 2020 election, texts show … Virginia Thomas, a conservative activist married to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, repeatedly pressed White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to pursue unrelenting efforts …

Marsha Blackburn asked Ketanji Brown Jackson to define ‘woman.’ Science says there's no simple answer. … In the 13th hour of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's confirmation hearing Tuesday, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) asked the Supreme Court nominee: “Can you provide a definition for the word ‘woman’?”

More than 400,000 Ukrainians taken to Russia against their will, official says  —  A Ukrainian official alleged Thursday that 402,000 Ukrainians have been taken into Russia against their will.  —  Ukrainian ombudsperson Lyudmyla Denisova said Ukraine fears that some of the civilians …

Donald Trump sues Hillary Clinton and allies over Russia claims  —  Former President Donald Trump is suing 2016 Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in a sprawling case that accuses her of conspiring with dozens of other actors — frequent targets of Trump's conspiracy theories and rage — to topple his presidency.

U.S. House Candidate Ends Run After Uproar Over Behavior at Sleepover  —  Abby Broyles of Oklahoma said on Thursday that she had checked into rehab “to focus on myself and my happiness” weeks after apologizing for drinking and swearing at children.  — Give this article- - - Read in app

McCarthy calls endorsement of Cheney's primary foe a ‘special case’  —  See McCarthy's head-spinning flip on Liz Cheney  —  Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida (CNN)House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said he won't be wading into any other primaries to oust incumbents in his own party …

Four Russian Government Employees Charged in Two Historical Hacking Campaigns Targeting Critical Infrastructure Worldwide  —  Defendants' Separate Campaigns Both Targeted Software and Hardware for Operational Technology Systems  —  The Department of Justice unsealed two indictments today …

Exclusive: U.S. assesses up to 60% failure rate for some Russian missiles, officials say  —  The United States assesses that Russia is suffering failure rates as high as 60% for some of the precision-guided missiles it is using to attack Ukraine, three U.S. officials with knowledge of the intelligence told Reuters.

Scoop: Manchin outlines BBB deal requirements  —  Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) told a group of climate activists and energy executives he's open to supporting revised Build Back Better legislation narrowly addressing three issues: climate change, prescription drug prices and deficit reduction.

U.S. weekly jobless claims drop to lowest level since 1969  —  The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits dropped to a 52 1/2-year low last week, while unemployment rolls continued to shrink, pointing to rapidly diminishing labor market slack that will keep boosting wage inflation.

Tiny ‘Glock Switches’ Have Quietly Flooded the US With Deadly Machine Guns  —  An investigation by VICE News and The Trace uncovered an alarming surge in criminal cases involving “auto sears” or “switches,” which convert Glock pistols and other common weapons into fully automatic machine guns.

Judges scrutinize demand for Trump tax returns  —  Even though he is out of office, exposure of former president Donald Trump's tax returns would raise concerns about the balance of power between Congress and the White House, a panel of federal judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit suggested Thursday.

Nebraska US Rep. Fortenberry found guilty in campaign probe  —  LOS ANGELES (AP) — U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska was convicted Thursday on charges that he lied to federal authorities about an illegal $30,000 contribution to his campaign from a foreign billionaire at a 2016 Los Angeles fundraiser.

50 years after Watergate, the president of the United States still flies above the law  —  There once was an era — not so long ago, in my lifetime — when Americans had so much trust in their government that most folks couldn't fathom a president committing felonies in the Oval Office.

North Korea fires first suspected ICBM since 2017  —  Seoul, South Korea (CNN)North Korea has fired what is believed to be its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in more than four years as Western leaders gather in Brussels for a security summit.

No, Asking a Nominee to Explain Her Record Isn't Worse Than Accusing a Nominee of Gang Rape  —  In an editorial today, the Washington Post argues that “Republicans boast they have not pulled a Kavanaugh.  In fact, they've treated Jackson worse.”  A “woman credibly accused Mr. Kavanaugh of sexual assault …

By Mary Ellen Klas Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau  —  A conference of immigration attorneys and wealth management companies who work with international investors and real estate developers has rescinded its invitation to Gov. Ron DeSantis to be the keynote speaker at its Miami conference next month …

Photographer ‘surprised and disappointed’ at Today's edited Lia Thomas photos  —  EXCLUSIVE — Photographer and University of Pennsylvania graduate Erica Denhoff was shocked to see her work significantly altered on the Today show last week, adding that at first, she thought “something was honestly wrong with the video.”

Putin Doesn't Realize How Much Warfare Has Changed  —  The Russian president's obsession with World War II is hindering his invasion of Ukraine.  —  About the author: Antony Beevor is the author of Stalingrad and other books on military history.  —  Otto von Bismarck once said that only a fool learns from his own mistakes.

Did Tipping Come from Slavery?  The 1619 Project Lies Again  —  Is the common act of tipping your waiter at a restaurant really a successor to slavery's harmful legacy?  Does tipping your bartender or Uber driver mean you are perpetuating the structural racism of the 19th century?

Studying the spread of misinformation should become a top scientific priority, says biologist Carl Bergstrom … When Carl Bergstrom worked on plans to prepare the United States for a hypothetical pandemic, in the early 2000s, he and his colleagues were worried vaccines might not get to those who needed them most.