Inside Ted Cruz's last-ditch battle to keep Trump in power … Sen. Ted Cruz was dining near the Capitol on the evening of Dec. 8, 2020, when he received an urgent call from President Donald Trump.  A lawsuit had just been filed at the Supreme Court designed to overturn the election Trump had lost …

Poll: Americans want tougher sanctions on Russia over Ukraine invasion  —  A majority of Americans believe President Biden has not been “tough enough” on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine but are concerned about the U.S. being drawn into an all-out war with Russia, according to a poll published …

Zelensky Gives Interview to Russian Journalists.  Moscow Orders It Quashed.  —  It was a remarkable moment in the war in Europe: President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine gave a 90-minute-long Zoom interview on Sunday to four prominent journalists from Russia, the country invading his.

Why Trump Says He ‘Just Might Have to’ Run Again  —  He doesn't want to be remembered as a loser, sure—but he also fears prosecution.  —  At a rally on Saturday in Commerce, Georgia, Donald Trump all but announced his 2024 run for president as he lobbed more verbal missiles …

January 6 Committee likely to reach out to interview Ginni Thomas in coming weeks, sources say  —  Following the revelation of Virginia “Ginni” Thomas' text messages with then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, most members of the House select committee investigating January 6 …

Hochul Has Commanding Lead Over Williams & Suozzi with Dems; With Cuomo in Race, Hochul Leads 38-30%, Other Two Way Behind  — 56% of Voters Say Bail Reform Law Has Been Bad for NY; 64% Say it Has Resulted in Crime Increase; 82% Say Give Judges More Discretion; 56% Concerned Discretion Will Result in Poor Being Unjustly Incarcerated

Prosecutors Advance Tax Probe of Hunter Biden  —  Grand jury heard witness in February about past drug use, spending habits of president's son  —  A federal tax investigation into Hunter Biden is gaining momentum as prosecutors gather information from several of his associates about the sources …

Boris Nemtsov Tailed by FSB Squad Prior to 2015 Murder  — Previously, Bellingcat and partners discovered that a secret FSB squad had followed Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny during his presidential campaign in 2017, and in the days and months before he was poisoned in 2020.

First look: Biden to ask Congress to fund the police  —  President Biden will propose more than $32 billion in new spending to fight crime, two White House officials familiar with his 2023 budget plans tells Axios, putting a price tag on his State of the Union call to fund — not defund — the police.

How Joe Manchin Aided Coal, and Earned Millions  —  At every step of his political career, Joe Manchin helped a West Virginia power plant that is the sole customer of his private coal business.  Along the way, he blocked ambitious climate action.  —  GRANT TOWN, W. Va. …

Galaxy Brain … Henry Williams was 7 in 2008, and what he remembers about 2008 is that his dad lost his job.  Henry's suburban childhood was comfortable, but even so, it was shadowed by an awareness of precarity.  For a time when Henry was growing up, an aunt in her 20s lived with his family while she was between jobs.

Biden Renews Pushback Against Stock Buybacks  —  Proposed new limits come as corporations may spend $1 trillion on stock repurchases this year.  — Give this article- - - Read in app  —  Raising the bar on buybacks  —  When the Biden administration unveils its annual budget today …

When Nokia Pulled Out of Russia, a Vast Surveillance System Remained  —  The Finnish company played a key role in enabling Russia's cyberspying, documents show, raising questions of corporate responsibility.  —  Nokia said this month that it would stop its sales in Russia and denounced the invasion of Ukraine.

The Boring Bill in Tennessee That Everyone Should Be Watching  —  ASHVILLE — When a new energy infrastructure bill was introduced in the Tennessee General Assembly earlier this month, people could be forgiven for paying little attention.  Compared to the legislature's recent follies …

Scoop: Progressives build massive, cloaked online powerhouse  —  Progressive strategists have quietly built a massive network of social media communities in political battleground states that can activate ahead of elections and policy fights, Axios has learned.

A Middle East Geopolitical Realignment Accelerates to Confront and Contain Iran  —  A first-ever diplomatic summit in Israel illustrates the new relationships being built across the region as the U.S. rethinks its security role in the Mideast  —  New diplomatic and security ties are reshaping …