Execution of Village Mayor Becomes Symbol of Russian Brutality in Ukraine  —  A beloved mayor and her family helped townspeople resist Russian occupation.  They paid for it with their lives.  ‘Why were they killed?  Because they were Ukrainians’

After Gridiron Dinner, a covid outbreak among Washington A-list guests … It was supposed to be an evening of lighthearted political satire and bipartisan fellowship among an elite cadre of politicians, journalists and public officials, just as it has been for much of the past 137 years.

Judge acquits federal defense contractor on Jan. 6 charges  —  WASHINGTON — A federal defense contractor with a top-secret security clearance who admitted he entered the Capitol during the Jan. 6 attack was found not guilty at trial on Wednesday.  —  Matthew Martin was acquitted …

Dissatisfied With Their Party, Wealthy Republican Donors Form Secret Coalitions  —  Eager to offset a Democratic advantage among so-called dark money groups, wealthy pro-Trump conservatives like Peter Thiel are involved in efforts to wield greater influence outside the traditional party machinery.

Do Russians tell the truth when they say they support the war in Ukraine?  Evidence from a list experiment  —  Survey evidence indicates a majority of Russian citizens support their country's military action in Ukraine.  But does this give an accurate picture of public opinion?

Republicans thought defining a ‘woman’ is easy.  Then they tried. … Before we get to the fact that I spent my lunch hour emailing with an editor of the Oxford English Dictionary to find out whether “tallywhacker” was an officially recognized euphemism for “penis,” a brief recap of how we got here:

Eric Boehlert, well-known writer and media analyst, killed by train in Montclair  —  A Montclair bicyclist who was killed by a New Jersey Transit train near the town's Watchung Avenue station Monday night was writer Eric Boehlert, founder and editor of Press Run, a blog about the media, according to his wife, Tracy Breslin.

Trump White House lawyer expected to appear before Jan. 6 committee  —  Eric Herschmann defended President Trump during his first impeachment trial.  —  Trump White House lawyer Eric Herschmann is expected to appear Wednesday before the Jan. 6 select committee investigating the Capitol attack …

Paul Gosar to attend white nationalist social gathering on Hitler's birthday  —  Prescott Republican Congressman Paul Gosar is set to be a “special guest” with the white nationalist American Populist Union at an event that will be on a date popular among white nationalists and Neo-Nazis: Hitler's birthday.

As vile as it gets: J.D. Vance goes full ‘great replacement theory’  —  J.D. Vance wants you to know that only one invasion should overwhelmingly preoccupy your attention right now.  It's not the invasion of Ukraine, where war crimes are mounting and we're seeing horrifying imagery of murdered civilians littering the streets.

Steve Bannon Said Trump Reminded Him of Hitler.  He Meant It as a Compliment.  —  If you doubt we've grown too accustomed to aberrant behavior in the political class, consider this anecdote from the recently published Insurgency: How the Republicans Lost Their Party and Got Everything …

Congressional Republicans Now Lead Generic Ballot Among Child Tax Credit Recipients  —  46% of voters who received the expired pandemic-era benefit say they'll back a Republican in the midterms  —  Voters who received expanded child tax credits payments in 2021 ended the year more likely …

Officials Captured And Euthanized The Capitol Hill Fox, Then Found Her Kits  —  There's a tragic twist to the story of the Capitol Hill fox accused of biting and nipping multiple people earlier this week — the adult female was euthanized after her capture on Tuesday afternoon.

California math wars get ugly: Accusations of racism and harassment ignite battle between Stanford and Cal profs  —  Two professors at rival Bay Area colleges — UC Berkeley and Stanford— landed in a social media feud this week, trading accusations of racism and harassment.

Dystopia: Drone warns desperate locked-down Shanghai residents to “control your soul's desire for freedom”  —  Imagine how jealous Fauci was when he was told about this.  —  The stress of being under what's now an indefinite lockdown has led people in Shanghai to seek whatever meager relief is available, sometimes in familiar ways.

At least five shooters involved in Sacramento massacre, gang ties likely, police say  —  Sacramento police said Wednesday that it appears at least five shooters fired guns during Sunday's massacre in downtown, which killed six people and injured 12.  —  Officials are still trying to determine …

Bannon Loses Bid to Claim Lawyer Said He Could Ignore Jan. 6 Subpoena  —  A federal judge rejected political strategist Steve Bannon's plan to argue he was justified in refusing to comply with a subpoena from lawmakers investigating U.S. Capitol riot because he was acting on the advice of his lawyer.

Florida lawmaker wants to ban transgender drugs, surgery for minors  —  TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Florida lawmaker wants to ban giving drugs to or performing surgery on minors for “gender assignment.”  —  Florida Rep. Randy Fine, R-Brevard County, tweeted on Monday that he will introduce legislation …

Russia's failure to take down Kyiv was a defeat for the ages  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Kyiv was a Russian defeat for the ages.  The fight started poorly for the invaders and went downhill from there.  —  When President Vladimir Putin launched his war on Feb. 24 after months of buildup on Ukraine's borders …

Right-wing Azov Battalion emerges as a controversial defender of Ukraine … KYIV, Ukraine — Inside a warehouse, in a bustling section of this capital, the incessant cracking sound of gunfire echoed off walls.  Men in olive-colored camouflage were training for war.  Most wore helmets and bulletproof jackets.

The Growing Religious Fervor in the American Right: ‘This Is a Jesus Movement’  —  Rituals of Christian worship have become embedded in conservative rallies, as praise music and prayer blend with political anger over vaccines and the 2020 election.  — Give this article- - - Read in app

Researchers Found Puberty Blockers And Hormones Didn't Improve Trans Kids' Mental Health At Their Clinic.  Then They Published A Study Claiming The Opposite.  —  A critique of Tordoff et al.  (2022) … Give a gift subscription  —  Refer a friend  —  An article called …

Man found guilty of sex trafficking, extortion of daughter's Sarah Lawrence schoolmates  —  “Let me be very clear.  Larry Ray is a predator.  An evil man who did evil things,” the prosecutor's office said.  —  A New York man was convicted Wednesday on charges that he moved …