Live Updates: Civilians Flee as Battered Russian Forces Bear Down on Eastern Ukraine  —  Civilians are leaving eastern Ukraine amid warnings of escalating fighting there.  The Justice Department charges a Russian oligarch with violating U.S. sanctions, and the Pentagon trains Ukrainian soldiers …

US: 2 posed as agents, gave gifts to Secret Service officers  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal prosecutors on Wednesday charged two men they say were posing as federal agents, giving free apartments and other gifts to U.S. Secret Service agents, including one who worked on the first lady's security detail.

Liberal media critic Eric Boehlert dies in bicycle collision  —  Eric Boehlert, a liberal critic who offered blistering takedowns and analysis of mainstream and conservative media, died Monday in a bicycle collision in his New Jersey hometown.  He was 57.  —  “Through his journalism …

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.

By denying a Ukrainian culture, Putin flattens his own … In his 1926 poem “Debt to Ukraine,” Vladimir Mayakovsky wrote: “It's hard to crush people into one.  Don't raise yourself so high.”  After all, the poet continued: “Do we know the Ukrainian night?  No, we do not know the Ukrainian night.”

Elon Musk delayed filing a form and made $156 million … Elon Musk was 11 days late in publicly declaring he had amassed a large stake in Twitter.  That omission may have earned him $156 million, according to a half-dozen legal and securities experts.  —  That's because of a 50-year-old law …

Judge issues first outright acquittal of Jan. 6 riot defendant  —  A judge has issued the first outright acquittal of a defendant charged in the Capitol riot.  —  Following a two-day bench trial in U.S. District Court in Washington, New Mexico engineer Matthew Martin was acquitted Wednesday …

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.

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.

House votes to hold ex-Trump aides Navarro, Scavino in contempt of Congress  —  The House voted Wednesday to hold two former aides to President Donald Trump in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with subpoenas related to the investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob.

Judge rejects Trump's demand he step back from suit against Hillary Clinton  —  A federal judge — nominated to the bench by President Bill Clinton in 1996 — on Wednesday emphatically rejected Donald Trump's demand that he recuse from Trump's sprawling lawsuit against Hillary Clinton …

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:

Congresswoman Who Downplayed the Capitol Riot Is Very Concerned About a Slap Joke  —  CALL THE GAZPACHO!  —  Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) downplayed the violence at the Capitol, voted against awarding congressional medals to Capitol Police officers injured in the insurrection …

‘Continuous drumbeat that sounds like genocidal language’ on Russian state TV journalist says  —  The White House unveiled a severe, new round of punitive measures aimed squarely at Vladimir Putin's regime on Wednesday, as clear statements from Russian media signal the probable intent …

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.

Dems attack GOP candidate for record as defense lawyer, cite ‘child pornographer’ clients after defending KBJ  —  The Richard Irvin campaign is accusing Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker of trying to ‘hijack’ the GOP primary  —  Democrats attack GOP candidate's record as defense attorney after defending Ketanji Brown Jackson

Gov. Greg Abbott's plan to bus migrants to Washington, D.C., will be voluntary  —  Abbott said he's responding to the Biden administration announcement that it will lift a pandemic-era emergency health order that allowed immigration authorities to turn away migrants at the border, even those seeking asylum.

Florida's Scott exposes fissures with DeSantis  —  TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott on Wednesday showed an unwillingness to embrace the harsh rhetoric of Gov. Ron DeSantis over Disney's rejection of Florida's “Parental Rights in Education” bill, dubbed the “Don't Say Gay” bill by opponents.