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 …

Roman Abramovich and Ukrainian Peace Negotiators Suffer Symptoms of Suspected Poisoning  —  The Russian oligarch and others developed symptoms they blamed on hard-liners in Moscow who they say want to sabotage talks to end the war  —  Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich and Ukrainian peace …

'Don't Say Gay' bill signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis  —  TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill on Monday that forbids instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, a policy that has drawn intense national scrutiny …

Chris Wallace's stark admission about Tucker Carlson shames Fox News  —  When Chris Wallace resigned from Fox News last December, media observers correctly diagnosed the move's real meaning: This stripped away one of the last fig leaves disguising Fox's increasing role as a propaganda operation on Donald Trump's behalf.

For red and blue America, a glaring divide in COVID-19 death rates persists 2 years later  —  Post-vaccine, death rates in red states were 38% higher than in blue states.  —  Political polarization in the U.S. was evident and intensifying long before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, two years ago.

Ukraine says it retook several towns as it seeks to relieve hard-pressed cities.  —  Despite talk of Russia focusing its ambitions in the east, action on several battlefronts suggested a more dynamic and volatile situation.  Ukraine and Russia will meet this week for in-person talks.

The Revenge of the Normal Republicans  —  HELOTES, Texas—Last spring, having just retired from Congress, Will Hurd was feeling adrift.  He had agreed to write a book, telling his remarkable life story and diagnosing a malfunctioning political system, all while teasing out a run for the presidency in 2024 …

The Friend of Our Enemy Is Not a ‘Traitor’  —  It's an old story: In times of war, antiwar voices are labeled disloyal.  —  Earlier this month, former Democratic Representative Tulsi Gabbard appeared on Tucker Carlson's show on Fox News, where they both alleged that the United States …

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.

Applebee's Tone-Deaf Franchise Executive Giddily Says He Can Pay Lower Wages Because Of Inflation And Higher Gas Prices  —  The working and middle classes are having a hard time.  Runaway inflation, hitting record highs, serves as a vicious cruel tax.  Everything from food to gas prices has surged.

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

Shifting Support for Some, But Not All, Covid Mandates  —  West Long Branch, NJ - Support for Covid-19 face-mask and social distancing guidelines has dropped from half of the public to just a third in the past two months as a large majority of Americans endorse the C.D.C. relaxing its recommendations.

The drone operators who halted Russian convoy headed for Kyiv  —  Special IT force of 30 soldiers on quad bikes is vital part of Ukraine's defence, but forced to crowdfund for supplies  —  One week into its invasion of Ukraine, Russia massed a 40-mile mechanised column in order to mount an overwhelming attack on Kyiv from the north.

5-year and 30-year Treasury yields invert for the first time since 2006, fueling recession fears  —  U.S. 5-year and 30-year Treasury yields on Monday briefly inverted for the first time since 2006, raising fears of a possible recession.  —  Earlier on Monday, the yield on the 5-year Treasury note rose …

SEE IT: Culture war themes take center stage at 2022 Oscars  —  Oscar hosts Amy Schumer, Regina Hall, and Wanda Sykes joined forces to open the 2022 Academy Awards Sunday as culture war themes often took center stage.  —  The ladies' opening monologue took aim at Sen. Mitch McConnell …

“Designed to End Protesting”: Louisiana Supreme Court Makes Protesters Guilty by Association  —  The state joins others in broadening liability and heightening the legal risks of protesting.  —  The Louisiana Supreme Court on Royal Street in the French Quarter in New Orleans.  (Wikimedia Commons)

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 …

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.