The Republican blueprint to steal the 2024 election  —  Ex-Judge who played key role in Trump-Pence feud speaks out for first time  —  J. Michael Luttig, appointed by President George H. W. Bush, formerly served on the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit for 15 years.

Breakingviews: Elon Musk probably won't buy Twitter  —  Four years ago, Elon Musk vowed to set up a peanut brittle company to take on Warren Buffett's iconic U.S. confectioner See's Candies.  Then he changed his mind.  It wouldn't be surprising if Musk's $44 billion deal to buy social network Twitter went the same way.

Scalise and Gaetz meet privately after tension over leaked audio  —  Reps. Steve Scalise and Matt Gaetz met Wednesday to discuss leaked audio of the House minority whip suggesting the Florida firebrand may have acted illegally after the Capitol riot.  And Scalise isn't quite offering a full-throated apology.

Elon Musk Isn't Buying Twitter to Defend Free Speech  —  Conservatives on Twitter have greeted Elon Musk as a liberator.  The mega-billionaire is in the process of purchasing the social-media platform and reorienting it toward what he calls “free speech.”  The conservative columnist Ben …

United States is ‘out of the pandemic phase,’ Fauci says  —  The United States is finally “out of the pandemic phase,” the country's top infectious-disease expert said Tuesday, as cases and hospitalizations are notably down and mask mandates are all but gone.

Trump's Spokeswoman Calls For Arrests Over 2020 Election at QAnon Rally  —  “They're gonna start arresting political opponents.  They're gonna start throwing political dissidents in jail,” Liz Harrington warned the crowd.  —  CJ  —  Former President Trump's chief spokeswoman spoke …

Biden Blocked From Winding Down Title 42 Border Policy Early  —  Federal judge issues a temporary restraining order blocking the administration from moving ahead with its plan to end pandemic-era border policy.  —  WASHINGTON—A federal judge in Louisiana has issued a temporary restraining order …

Donald Trump worried ‘dangerous’ fruits could be thrown at him by protesters, a new deposition reveals  — Donald Trump said “pineapples, tomatoes, bananas, stuff like that” could be thrown at him at protests.  — Trump's concerns were revealed Tuesday night, in his sworn deposition for an upcoming Bronx trial.

Scoop: Former U.S. ambassador accused of illegal foreign lobbying  —  Richard Olson, a former U.S. ambassador to Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, has been criminally charged for his alleged role in an undisclosed lobbying campaign for the Qatari government, records show.

Exclusive: MAGA Candidate Evicted from Home After Wife Asks Court for Emergency Order of Protection  —  His current wife is now the third domestic partner to accuse him of abusive or threatening behavior  —  Teddy Daniels, a far-right Republican candidate for lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania …

First on CNN: New York grand jury hearing evidence in DA's investigation into Trump Organization expires this week  —  (CNN)A special grand jury seated to hear evidence in the Manhattan district attorney's investigation into the Trump Organization's finances is set to expire at the end …

Just Call Trump a Loser  —  Let's assume Donald Trump runs again for president in 2024.  Yes, I know, caveats, caveats.  Republicans say it's too early to discuss '24.  A lot can change between now and then.  Maybe Trump won't actually run.  Maybe he's just teasing the possibility to milk the attention.

Trump unleashes his temper on GOP allies over Ohio Senate primary split  —  Not since Anthony Scaramucci was fired a mere 10 days into his White House gig has someone fallen out of Donald Trump's favor as quickly as David McIntosh.  —  At an April 9 rally in North Carolina …

Russia releases US Marine vet as part of prisoner exchange  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia and the United States carried out a dramatic prisoner exchange on Wednesday, trading a Marine veteran jailed in Moscow for a convicted Russian drug trafficker serving a long prison sentence in America …

How deep does the rot in the Russian army go?  —  The fiasco in Ukraine could be a reflection of either a bad strategy or a poor fighting force  —  THE JOB of organising NATO's biggest military exercise since the cold war kept Admiral James Foggo, then the commander of American naval forces …

Top Tory caught watching porn in Commons - sitting next to female minister  —  Three sources said that around a dozen women MPs at the meeting shared accounts of alleged sexism and harassment by their colleagues  —  A top Tory was watching porn on his mobile phone in the House of Commons …

CEO: Boeing Should Have Rejected Trump's Air Force One Deal  —  The company revealed that it has lost $660 million outfitting the next presidential jets—so far.  —  Boeing should have rejected then-President Donald Trump's proposed terms to build two new Air Force One aircraft, the company's CEO said Wednesday.

Marjorie Taylor Greene Rips Catholic Church For Helping Migrants: 'Satan's Controlling the Church'  —  Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) tore into the Catholic Church in a recent interview with right-wing activist Michael Voris of Church Militant.  In the wild interview …

Gov. Reeves Vetoes Suffrage Bill, Keeping Jim Crow-Era Voting Policy in Place  —  A Jim Crow-era policy meant to prevent Black citizens from voting will remain intact after Gov. Tate Reeves vetoed a bill to restore voting rights to people who have disenfranchising crimes expunged.

Trump Officials Awarded $700 Million Pandemic Loan Despite Objections  —  A congressional report raises new questions about a pandemic relief loan to a troubled trucking company with close ties to the Trump administration.  —  WASHINGTON — Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday released …

‘Someone is taking too many edibles’ — Despair mounts over Biden's domestic agenda  —  The White House began this week with a modest goal for resuscitating its domestic agenda: Get Joe Manchin to the negotiating table.  —  So far, the seats are empty.  —  With the clock ticking on their hopes …

Cawthorn Claims Establishment Running ‘Coordinated Drip Campaign’ Against Him: Expect ‘Attack Article’ Every Couple Days  —  Recent unflattering stories about Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) are part of a “coordinated drip campaign” by the “establishment” to end his fresh political career, he claimed in an Instagram video.

Multiple RNC staffers have spoken to Jan. 6 panel, sources say  —  Multiple current and former Republican National Committee staffers have spoken with the Jan. 6 select committee amid questions about the party's messaging and fundraising in the weeks after the 2020 election, according to two people familiar with the probe.

Doug Mastriano campaigned at an event promoting QAnon and conspiracy theories about 9/11  —  When candidates for public office indulge in conspiracy theories like QAnon, it's often with a wink and a nod.But just weeks before Pennsylvania's May 17 primary election, such ideas are being promoted in plain sight.

The WSJ Is Worried About The Chief Justice “Turn[ing]” Votes In Dobbs  —  I'm having flashbacks to NFIB and Bostock.  Has there been a leak?  —  On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board published a piece titled, “Abortion and the Supreme Court: This is the moment for the Justices to turn the issue over to the voters.”