Russia warns U.S. to stop arming Ukraine … Russia this week sent a formal diplomatic note to the United States warning that U.S. and NATO shipments of the “most sensitive” weapons systems to Ukraine were “adding fuel” to the conflict there and could bring “unpredictable consequences.”

Twitter Weighs Poison Pill to Prevent Musk From Increasing Stake Significantly  —  Tesla CEO's $43 billion offer contains as many questions as answers  —  Twitter is weighing a poison pill that would prevent Elon Musk from increasing his stake in the company significantly, a person familiar with the situation said.

Gov. Greg Abbott announces deals with two more Mexican governors to halt Texas' vehicle inspections at the border  —  The announcements come a day after Abbott reached a similar deal with Nuevo León's governor, who agreed to add security at a major border bridge in exchange for an end …

CNN Exclusive: 'We need ammo.  We need fraud examples.  We need it this weekend.' What the Meadows texts reveal about how two Trump congressional allies lobbied the White House to overturn the election.  —  The texts, which have not been previously reported, were sent by Republican Sen. Mike Lee …

Trump plans J.D. Vance endorsement in crowded Ohio Senate race, sources say  —  Former President Donald Trump plans to endorse J.D. Vance in Ohio's crowded Senate Republican primary, according to three sources with knowledge of his decision.  —  In recent days, Trump has begun calling donors …

Ed Buck to face judgment for injecting two men with fatal doses of drugs in sexually deviant pattern  —  Ed Buck, once a fixture of West Hollywood's political scene, was sentenced Thursday to 30 years in prison for drug and sex crimes that included providing lethal doses of methamphetamine to two men.

GOP Primary poll reveals front runners in Georgia  —  ATLANTA (CBS46) — The race for Georgia's Governorship begins with the GOP primary in just six weeks.  —  Former President Donald Trump has endorsed David Perdue, but his attempt to unseat Brian Kemp isn't showing up in the polls.

Democrats' redistricting gains hit a roadblock: The Supreme Court  —  Wisconsin Democrats thought they had won the redistricting war.  They took over the governor's office, competed in and won state judicial races and filed lawsuits as early as they could, determined to prevent another cycle of Republican-leaning maps.

Jan. 6 Panel Presses Stephen Miller on Whether Trump Sought to Incite Crowd  —  In about eight hours of questioning, investigators pressed the former White House aide on former President Donald J. Trump's use of “we” in his speech to supporters before the riot.  — Give this article- - - Read in app

Seeking: GOP dealmakers who won't ‘burn the House down’.  Apply to: Kevin McCarthy.  —  When Rep. Fred Upton announced his retirement from Congress, colleagues in both parties lined up to lament.  The one who misses him the most, in the end, may be Kevin McCarthy.

The AP Interview: UN food chief says Mariupol is starving  —  KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The head of the U.N. World Food Program said people are being “starved to death” in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol, and he predicted the country's humanitarian crisis is likely to worsen as Russia intensifies its assault in the coming weeks.

Democrats in tough races revolt over Biden administration border move … President Biden is facing a growing mutiny from Democratic candidates — including five vulnerable senators — who are questioning his administration's decision to lift a pandemic health order that has drastically …

Inside the Campaign Against “Putin's Pope”  —  Like a lot of insiders associated with Vladimir Putin, Vladimir Mikhailovich Gundyayev has faced calls for international ostracism in the weeks since the invasion of Ukraine.  It's no surprise why: He's used his powerful Moscow perch to endorse …

Biden's pollster on the recipe for how to ‘not get our a—  kicked’ in the midterms  —  In the coming weeks and months, the Playbook team will be out covering the key districts and states that will decide the outcome of the midterm elections.  This week, co-author Ryan Lizza was in Las Vegas …

Ukraine's battle for control of its skies  —  Defence Correspondent in Donbas, Ukraine  —  Much of the focus of the war in Ukraine has so far been about the battle on the ground - but the fight to dominate the skies is just as important.  The BBC has been given an exclusive interview …

Sen. Dianne Feinstein defends her job performance, says she won't step down after colleagues raise concerns  —  WASHINGTON — Sen. Dianne Feinstein defended her service representing California in the Senate in the wake of reporting by The Chronicle that colleagues of hers are concerned about her ability to continue serving.

Under Biden DHS Has Released More Than 756,000 Southwest Border Migrants  —  Not counting more than 146,000 kids and 620,000 ‘got-aways’ — and the president has no plan to stop it  —  Back in November, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas “estimated” that 375,000 illegal migrants encountered …

RNC votes to withdraw from presidential debates commission  —  The Republican National Committee on Thursday voted unanimously to withdraw from the Commission on Presidential Debates, following through on threats to bar GOP presidential nominees from participating in debates sponsored by the nonprofit organization.

First look: Sinema raises $1.6 million during Q1  —  Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) raised $1.6 million during the first quarter of 2022, and nearly 75% of her contributions totaled less than $100, Axios has learned. … The numbers also give Sinema, a key holdout alongside Sen. Joe Manchin …