Nato states agree to supply heavy weapons to Ukraine  —  Russia admits ‘significant losses of troops’ as Donbas region prepares for fresh offensive  —  Nato member states have agreed to supply new types of advanced weaponry to Ukraine, alliance representatives have said …

‘Gutted’: Inside the Manhattan DA's Unraveling Trump Probe  —  The Manhattan DA's case against Donald Trump increasingly seems to be going nowhere. … Over the last several weeks, the Manhattan District Attorney's investigation into former President Donald Trump has appeared to be unraveling …

Supreme Court Highlights: Senate Confirms Ketanji Brown Jackson  —  The 53-47 vote elevated the first Black woman to the pinnacle of the judicial branch as senators erupted in cheers.  Three Republicans joined Democrats in supporting President Biden's nominee.  —  Here's what you need to know:

McConnell pressed on contradiction with Trump and moral red lines  —  Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said during an Axios NewsShapers interview with Jonathan Swan that he'd be obligated to support former President Trump despite the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol if the GOP renominates him for president in 2024.

Exclusive: Leaked Messages Reveal the Origins of the Most Vile Hunter Biden Smear  —  Late in the 2020 presidential campaign, trailing in the polls, Donald Trump and his allies worked to make a campaign issue out of a trove of files on a laptop that his opponent's son, Hunter Biden, had apparently abandoned at a Delaware repair shop.

LEAKED MEMO: The New York Times has issued a Twitter ‘reset,’ urging reporters to 'meaningfully reduce how much time you're spending on the platform'  — NYT Executive Editor Dean Baquet said in a memo that Twitter is now “purely optional” for staffers.  — Baquet said that the newsroom …

Yakuza Boss Arrested at Manhattan Steakhouse for Alleged Rockets-for-Heroin Scheme  —  “The drugs were destined for New York streets, and the weapons shipments were meant for factions in unstable nations.”  —  A Japanese organized crime kingpin conspired to broker massive deals …

Man posed as DHS worker, claimed ties to Pakistani intelligence, prosecutor says  —  One of two men accused of posing as federal law enforcement employees and ingratiating themselves with Secret Service agents had visas for travel to Iran and Pakistan, and told others that he had ties …

Request for investigation sent before alleged abuse by Greitens  —  Missouri state Sen. Jamilah Nasheed grew concerned enough about Gov. Eric Greitens' potential for violence in April 2018 that she sent a letter asking the Department of Public Safety to investigate rumors of an incident involving …

Judge restores Jan. 6 defendant's gun rights over DOJ objection  —  A judge has restored a Texas woman's right to possess firearms just weeks after she was sentenced for illegally entering the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.  —  U.S. District Court Judge Trevor McFadden issued an order …

American Airlines Restarts Philadelphia Regional Routes With Landline Buses  —  American Airlines is the latest carrier to contract Landline for connecting “flights” operated with buses.  The move comes as U.S. airlines face the concurrent challenges from a pilot shortage primarily hitting regional operators …

Trump deflects blame for Jan. 6 silence, says he wanted to march to Capitol … PALM BEACH, Fla. — Former president Donald Trump voiced regret Wednesday over not marching to the U.S. Capitol the day his supporters stormed the building, and he defended his long silence during the attack …

A Texas teacher faces losing her job after fighting for gay pride symbols in school  —  The school year at MacArthur High in Irving, Texas, began last fall with the administration scraping off rainbow stickers that had been posted on campus, prompting hundreds of students to walk out in protest.

A Push for Normalcy Tests the Gerontocracy  —  Yesterday afternoon, President Joe Biden hosted a good old-fashioned bill-signing ceremony at the White House.  Before an audience of several dozen in the State Dining Room, the president celebrated the long-awaited enactment of a postal-reform bill.

How Sacramento's mass shooting killed the myth of ‘tough-on-crime’ prosecutors  —  Anne Marie Schubert — the veteran district attorney for Sacramento County, covering California's capital city — doesn't quite fit the profile of the perfect guest for the right-wing Fox News Channel …

Bin Laden's niece praises Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz for backing Capitol rioters  —  Osama bin Laden's niece, Noor bin Ladin, has praised Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) as well as Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) for publicly defending the US Capitol rioters.

Peruvian prime minister's praise of Hitler sparks wave of protest  —  Aníbal Torres said his words were misunderstood but offered to apologize in person to Israeli ambassador Asaf Ichilevich  —  The Israeli embassy in Lima has led a wave of protest after Peru's prime minister …

After Touting Ivermectin as a Covid Treatment, Fox News Hosts Ignore New Study Showing It Doesn't Work  —  A full week has passed since the New York Times flagged a major new study showing that ivermectin does not work against Covid-19.  Despite this, Fox News - a network that spent …

Biden Offers Amazon Workers Rhetoric, But No Action  —  The president lauded a union drive and declared “Amazon, here we come” — but he's refused to even follow his own task force's limited recommendations to boost unionization.  —  On Wednesday, President Joe Biden made headlines pledging …

Jeff says goodbye, Ashish says hello  —  Welcome to POLITICO's West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration.  With help from Allie Bice.  —  JEFF ZIENTS, the Biden administration's outgoing “Covid czar,” gathered current and former members …