Twitter set to accept Musk's original $43 bln offer  —  Twitter Inc (TWTR.N) is poised to agree a sale to Elon Musk for around $43 billion in cash, the price the chief executive of Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) has called his “best and final” offer for the social media company, people familiar with the matter said.

Ukraine Live Updates: U.S. Says It Wants Russian Military ‘Weakened’  —  Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said he wanted to make sure that Russia would not be able to “do the kinds of things that it has done” in the invasion or rebuild its capacity.  It reflected an increasingly emboldened stance by the Biden administration.

Joe Manchin's Approach to Biden's Presidency Is Paying Off in West Virginia  —  Over the past year, Manchin has seen the largest job approval rating improvement of any senator  — 57% of West Virginia voters approve of Manchin's job performance, up from 40% during the first quarter of 2021.

Sen. Duckworth's pushback after Biden rejected her for VP covered in new book  —  WASHINGTON — A new book, making headlines for catching House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy in a lie, also details Sen. Tammy Duckworth's strong pushback to the Biden team rejecting her for vice president …

Political Correctness Is Losing  —  It's been seven or eight years since a wave of illiberal norms around the discussion of race and gender began to hit an expanding array of progressive institutions.  The name for this phenomenon kept changing, from political correctness to call-out culture …

White House's Jen Psaki offered a binder full of Covid spending details.  Taking a peek was a process  —  WASHINGTON — It was a striking visual for the television cameras.  White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki took to the lectern, waving a thick, 385-page binder as evidence that contrary …

The 101 Best Movie Sequels of All Time  —  Whether they come after, before, or between their predecessors, these films have their own indelible legacies.  —  Presented by  —  You loved the movie and you want more.  The studio loves money, and they want more too.

FBI chief Wray addresses 59% jump in police officer murders  —  There was a 59% increase in the murders of police officers, with 73 officers killed in 2021 — underscoring an issue that doesn't get enough attention, FBI Director Christopher Wray told CBS in an interview airing Sunday evening.

Utah Democrats back independent McMullin in Senate race against Lee  —  Utah Democrats have taken the unusual step of endorsing independent candidate Evan McMullin in his race against Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), who has faced questions about his furious efforts to overturn the 2020 election to keep former president Donald Trump in power.

In San Francisco, Revenge of the Obama Democrats  —  A political vibe shift in the nation's bluest city.  —  MAYOR LONDON BREED DURING A PRESS CONFERENCE AT CITY HALL IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF., ON WEDNESDAY, FEB. 16, 2022.  (BULWARK EDIT / GABRIELLE LURIE/THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE VIA GETTY IMAGES)

Let the mask mandate die  —  At first, a Florida federal judge's decision last Monday to overturn the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's mask mandate was received with delight and relief.  Videos of passengers cheering and flight attendants weeping for joy spread far and wide on social media.

Biden's decline is obvious to everyone but the press  —  Something is wrong with President Joe Biden, and everyone knows it.  —  Last week, Biden was asked if his administration will consider delaying the end of Title 42, a pandemic immigration restriction that allows for fast deportation …

Hawley endorses Thiel-backed Arizona Senate candidate  —  Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley is endorsing Arizona Senate candidate Blake Masters, flexing his muscle in a high-profile Republican primary and cementing a new ideological alliance shaping the midterm election.

Toyota's second U-turn  —  Shortly after January 6, 2021, Toyota announced that it would reassess “our future PAC criteria” in light of “the horrific attack on the U.S. Capitol.”  That review did not last long.  Within weeks, Toyota resumed donating to Republican members of Congress that voted to overturn the election.

Who's Afraid of the Subway?  —  Riding every line in the days after the Sunset Park shooting.  —  On the third Saturday night in April, four days after the first mass shooting on the New York City subway in nearly 40 years, the West 4th Street station felt mostly like it always has.

American Voters Haven't Been Afraid Like This in a Long Time  —  He is chairman of the Harris Poll and C.E.O. of Stagwell Inc.  —  In a rare convergence, America's voters are not merely unhappy with their political leadership, but awash in fears about economic security, border security …

Private Equity Giant KKR Bought Up Hundreds Of Group Homes.  Some People In Its Care Paid A Steep Price.  —  BrightSpring Health Services, which KKR bought in 2019, says it helps thousands of people with disabilities “live their best lives.”  But a BuzzFeed News investigation found conditions …

Loss is victory for far-right in France's election  —  One of the headlines from the presidential election in France is that the far-right has come out of the cold and gone mainstream  —  PARIS — The far-right has gone mainstream in France.  —  That's the headline from the landmark showing …

John Fetterman vs. Every Predatory Financier in America  —  Wall Street money rains on the Pennsylvania Senate race.  —  Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D-PA) speaks with guests during a rally at the UFCW Local 1776 headquarters in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, April 16, 2022.

Inept 'People's Convoy' chased out of Bay Area by egg-throwing kids  —  The dreams of the “People's Convoy” quickly died in the Bay Area after a critical tactical error: turning onto a street with a Safeway and a group of bored kids.  —  The trucker convoy, which aimed to emulate …