New U.S. Sanctions on Russia Hits Top Officials, Defense and Tech Sectors … Despite international condemnation, Putin signs decrees declaring four regions of Ukraine part of Russia.  —  President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia signed decrees on Friday to declare four Ukrainian regions part …

Gerrymandering Isn't Giving Republicans the Advantage You Might Expect  —  Yes, the G.O.P. has a structural edge in the House, but it isn't anything near insurmountable for Democrats.  —  There is no shortage of reasons Republicans are expected to retake the House this year …

Gavin Newsom's trolling deftly unmasks Ron DeSantis's cruelty  —  It's hard to deny that Gov. Gavin Newsom harbors garish and even cringeworthy presidential ambitions.  The California Democrat regularly trolls Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, a top 2024 GOP contender, and Newsom surely knows playing foil …

You thought the Supreme Court's last term was bad?  Brace yourself.  —  The cataclysmic Supreme Court term that included the unprecedented leak of a draft opinion and the end of constitutional protection for abortion would, in the normal ebb and flow, be followed by a period of quiet …

Trump's legal team divided over how to handle Mar-a-Lago case  —  New lawyer's advice to seek an ‘off-ramp’ with Justice Department is not being heeded, people familiar with discussions say  —  After attorney Christopher Kise accepted $3 million to represent Donald Trump in the FBI's investigation …

'It's My Curse and My Salvation': Trump's Most Famous Chronicler Opens Up  —  NEW YORK — Late one recent afternoon, Maggie Haberman pulled into a parking spot in the lot at Gargiulo's, the old-time Italian restaurant in Coney Island where Donald Trump's father used to eat lunch.

Dysfunction in Texas AG's office as Paxton seeks third term  —  Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's staff this month quietly dropped a series of human trafficking and child sexual assault cases after losing track of one of the victims, a stumble in open court emblematic of broader dysfunction inside …

Trump allies have interviewed nearly 200 election officials to probe for weaknesses  —  Volunteers for “Operation Eagles Wings” are using surveys in eight states to seek support for conspiracy theories.  —  Two of Donald Trump's most prominent allies in his fight to overturn the 2020 election …

A new reminder that candidate quality matters  —  What's apparent at this point, just over a month before voting ends in the 2022 midterm election, is that nearly any national outcome is possible.  FiveThirtyEight's analysis of the state of play figures there's about a 3 in 10 chance …

GOP congressional candidate Joe Kent's ties to white nationalists include interview with Nazi sympathizer  —  Despite disavowing White nationalism last spring when one of its adherents endorsed him, a US House candidate in Washington subsequently gave a previously unreported interview in June to a Nazi sympathizer and White nationalist.

NYC human rights officials are ‘closely monitoring’ allegations against the owner of a gay bar  —  NBC News previously reported that Michael J. Cohen was accused of unwanted sexual conduct and discrimination.  Cohen's attorney said he is not under investigation.

It Isn't Journalism's Job To Hand-Hold People To The Correct Moral Conclusions  —  Stop hating your readers  —  One of the silliest ideas to infect mainstream journalism in recent years is the notion that when journalists produce work about a bad person, they must signpost that work …

Supreme Court holds investiture ceremony for Ketanji Brown Jackson  —  Investiture ceremony held for Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson  —  The Supreme Court on Friday hosted a formal investiture ceremony for Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to serve on the court …

NYC Proposal Offers Cash for Spotting Parking Violations in Bike Lanes  —  It's a familiar experience for pedestrians and bicyclists — a car or truck parked in a bike lane or on the sidewalk forces a detour into the street — and into traffic.  When vehicles block these travel paths, it's not just an annoyance and safety hazard.