The culture wars next frontier: Public libraries … LLANO, Tex. — In early November, an email from a citizen dropped into the inbox of Judge Ron Cunningham, the silver-haired head chair of the governing body of Llano County in Texas's picturesque Hill Country.

Putin's dictatorship is based now on fear rather than spin  —  The origins of the war in Ukraine lie in Russian economic stagnation, corruption and the leader's dwindling popularity  —  The writer is a professor of economics at Sciences Po and co-author of ‘Spin Dictators: The Changing Face of Tyranny in the 21st century’

U.S., allies plan for long-term isolation of Russia  —  A new strategy would mark a return to containment after years of seeking cooperation and coexistence with Moscow  —  Nearly two months into Vladimir Putin's brutal assault on Ukraine, the Biden administration and its European allies …

Nina Turner in the Democratic primary for the 11th Congressional District  —  The 11th Congressional District Democratic primary in Cleveland, its eastern and southeastern suburbs, and parts or all of Lakewood features a rematch (without the 11 other candidates) of last August's special Democratic primary …

Vice President Harris Serves Israeli Settlement Wine at Passover Event  —  Kamala Harris inadvertently served wine from Psagot winery, which named one of their wines after former U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo for condemning European Court of Justice ruling on settlement products

Columbiana Centre Shooting Update: Male Charged; Additional Suspects Wanted  —  Chief W.H. ‘Skip’ Holbrook announces the arrest of a 22-year-old male in connection with this afternoon's shooting incident at Columbiana Centre.  Columbia Police Department (CPD) investigators continue to work …

Mar-a-Lago Machine: Trump as a Modern-Day Party Boss  —  Hoarding cash, doling out favors and seeking to crush rivals, the former president is dominating the G.O.P., preparing for another race and helping loyalists oust officials who thwarted his attempted subversion of the 2020 election.

Jewish group demands Le Pen remove ‘white supremacist dog whistle’  —  “If she does not change the photo, we will call to vote for Macron,” National Jewish Rally leader Jean-Richard Sulzer said.  —  A Jewish group affiliated with French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen's National Rally party called …

Inflation comes for the Big Mac  —  Rising prices are hitting Americans where it hurts: the drive-thru. … That's the biggest jump since 1981.  — Prices at full-service restaurants are even higher — they've gone up 8%, the biggest jump of any restaurant category.

I'm a Longtime Professor.  The Real Campus “Free Speech Crisis” Is Not What You Think.  —  I'm a college professor, which is one of those jobs that people outside the profession love to ask you about.  For the better part of a decade, most of those conversations have been about one thing: free speech.

Trump, Allies ‘Inarguably Committed’ Crimes With Jan. 6 ‘Coup’: Kirschner  —  Former U.S. Army prosecutor Glenn Kirschner contended on Saturday that former President Donald Trump and his allies “inarguably committed” crimes in what he described as their effort to carry out a “coup” …

Of our boomboxes, smokers, punches and bullets: New York City's public safety problem  —  The old pal who'd invited me days earlier into a group chat called “Shmolice” was checking WorldStar Thursday morning to see if his beating on the Q train had made it to the go-to source for videos of street fights and other dysfunctional behavior.

'He's doing their bidding': Critics say Republicans use auditor general for partisan attacks  —  Office of the Auditor General in Lansing |  When the Michigan State Capitol opened in 1879, the auditor general's office was meant to be one of the largest spaces within the expansive new building …

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly vetoes GOP bill banning transgender athletes  —  Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly shot down two hotly debated Republican bills — one banning transgender athletes from girls' sports, and another forcing schools to let parents challenge classroom curriculum …

Historic loss of flagship deals humiliating blow to Russia's naval power  —  The Russian-Ukrainian war has produced yet another hallmark event in the history of warfare.  —  On April 14, after 49 days of Russia's all-out war, Ukraine inflicted a devastating blow upon the Kremlin's pride …