U.S. weighs sending top-level official to meet Zelenskyy in Kyiv  —  The Biden administration is holding internal discussions about sending a high-level official to Kyiv to show further support to Ukraine, two U.S. officials told POLITICO.  —  No decision on the potential visit has yet …

Book details tension with McConnell over Trump's bid to reverse Biden's electoral win  —  In the weeks after he lost the 2020 election, then-President Donald Trump had a plan to stay in office - and he wanted Mitch McConnell to know about it.  —  If Trump could successfully pressure Republican …

Colleagues worry Dianne Feinstein is now mentally unfit to serve, citing recent interactions  —  WASHINGTON — When a California Democrat in Congress recently engaged in an extended conversation with Sen. Dianne Feinstein, they prepared for a rigorous policy discussion like those they'd had with her many times over the last 15 years.

Grand Rapids police release video of officer fatally shooting Patrick Lyoya … A Black man facedown on the ground was fatally shot in the back of the head by a Grand Rapids police officer, the violent climax of a traffic stop, brief foot chase and struggle over a stun gun, according to videos of the April 4 incident released Wednesday.

Gov. Greg Abbott eases truck inspections at key border crossing in Laredo  —  Texas Gov. Greg Abbott relented Wednesday, agreeing to ease the additional safety inspections of trucks at the busiest border entry point near Laredo in exchange for promises of more border security by Mexican officials along one 8-mile stretch of the border.

Kentucky legislature overrides governor's veto of sweeping abortion bill  —  (CNN)Kentucky's GOP-controlled legislature on Wednesday overrode Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear's veto of a broad abortion bill that bans most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, restricts access to medication abortion …

Biden White House waives executive privilege for more Trump records  —  President Biden has authorized the National Archives and Records Administration to hand over a new tranche of Trump White House documents to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

DNC panel strips Iowa of guaranteed first vote for president; state party can still apply for coveted spot … Iowa Democrats are no longer guaranteed a place at the front of the presidential nominating calendar after a panel of Democratic National Committee members voted Wednesday …

Le Pen Backs NATO-Russia Reconciliation and Reduced French Role in Alliance  —  PARIS — Rejecting a “herd-like conformity” with the Biden administration, Marine Le Pen, the French far-right candidate for the presidency, said Wednesday that France would quit NATO's integrated military command …

CNN+ Is Said to Surpass 100,000 Subscribers in Its First Week  —  Under pressure from new owner Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. to justify its costs, CNN's streaming service eclipsed 100,000 subscribers in its first week, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Democrats ‘stunned’ as Youngkin vetoes 25 bipartisan bills — including 3 from Hampton Roads lawmakers  —  Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed 25 bills this week — all from Democrats — that received bipartisan support in the General Assembly, a move some lawmakers viewed as an act of retaliation.

Here Are All House Members Russia Didn't Sanction  —  The Russian Foreign Ministry announced sanctions on most members of the House of Representatives on Wednesday.  —  In response to what were called “anti-Russian sanctions” imposed on 328 deputies of the Russia's federal assembly …

74% Of Americans Think Worst Of War In Ukraine Is Yet To Come, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; More Than 8 In 10 Think Vladimir Putin Is A War Criminal  — mail_outline  —  As the world witnesses the atrocities in Ukraine committed by Russian troops, the vast majority of Americans …

How Jared Kushner and the Trump admin traded U.S. foreign policy for $2 billion  —  Chris Hayes: “Essentially, the Trump administration sold U.S. foreign policy, Jamal Khashoggi's life, and American principles on liberal democracy and freedom of the press for $2 billion that went straight into Jared Kushner's pocket.”

Yellen Warns Nations Staying Neutral in Russia's War With Ukraine  —  The U.S. has cautioned China, India and others not to aid Moscow or undercut sanctions  —  WASHINGTON—Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said countries that maintain their ties to Russia after its invasion …

Kentucky is the first state to end virtually all in-state abortions  —  Kentucky is the first state where clinics will completely stop providing abortions.  The state legislature enacted a far-reaching abortion law Wednesday with so many restrictions, including a 15-week ban …

Culture War, Corporate Dominance, and the Authoritarian Movement  —  The clash between Right Wing reactionaries and Disney showcases where power lies and what the future might look like  —  Outside the gates of Disney World, protesters have squared off in opposition.

How to Make Sense of the New L.B.G.T.Q. Culture War  —  To understand the contours of the renewed culture wars over sex education, sexual orientation and gender identity, start with a Rorschach test.  —  According to Gallup, the share of younger Americans who identify as lesbian, gay …

The Movement to Defund and Abolish Immigration Jails Is Winning Major Victories  —  Last month, the national movement to end immigration detention achieved two major campaign victories that invite our attention and signal opportunities ahead.  The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) …

On Homelessness, Eric Adams Has Made Sadism New York's Official Policy  —  New York mayor Eric Adams's ongoing push to remove all homeless encampments from the city is a theater of cruelty: a waste of resources that does nothing to address homeless New Yorkers' need for housing.  —  Have you read Jacobin in print?

Billionaire Facing Record $2 Billion Tax Case Says Covid Worsened His Dementia  —  Lawyers for the 80-year-old software tycoon are again arguing that he's incompetent to stand trial in the largest tax evasion prosecution in American history.  —  Attorneys for the billionaire Robert Brockman claimed …

Mark Meadows removed from N.C. voter rolls amid fraud investigation  —  Mark Meadows, a former top Trump aide, has been removed from the voter rolls in North Carolina as the state investigates allegations that he committed voter fraud in the 2020 election, election officials said Wednesday.