Republican hopes fade as Warnock momentum picks up in Georgia  —  ATHENS, Ga — Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker barnstormed Georgia in a final plea for votes amid signs of growing momentum for the Democratic incumbent — and fading GOP hopes — ahead of Tuesday's runoff.

Blasts Hit Russian Air Bases as Moscow Launches Missile Barrage on Ukraine  —  Intense fighting continues in eastern Ukraine as Russia presses its offensive on Bakhmut  —  Explosions hit two Russian air bases on Monday, while Ukrainian officials hinted at a capability to strike deeper within …

Elon Musk and Matt Taibbi Set Off Debate Over Release of Twitter Files  —  A release of internal documents from Twitter set off intense debates in the intersecting worlds of media, politics and tech.  —  It was, on the surface, a typical example of reporting the news: a journalist obtains internal documents …

Exclusive: China operating over 100 police stations across the world with the help of some host nations, report claims  —  Beijing has set up more than 100 so-called overseas police stations across the globe to monitor, harass and in some cases repatriate Chinese citizens living in exile …

Hackers linked to Chinese government stole millions in Covid benefits, Secret Service says  —  Hackers linked to the Chinese government stole at least $20 million in U.S. Covid relief benefits, including Small Business Administration loans and unemployment insurance funds in over a dozen states, according to the Secret Service.

FBI joins investigation into North Carolina power outage caused by ‘intentional’ attacks on substations  —  With no suspects or motive announced, the FBI is joining the investigation into power outages in a North Carolina county believed to have been caused by “intentional” and “targeted” …

Manhattan DA Hires Ex-DOJ Official to Help Lead Trump Investigation  —  The official, Matthew Colangelo, also worked on the New York attorney general's investigation of the former president.  —  The Manhattan district attorney is hiring a former senior justice department official with a history …

Social Security offices critical to disability benefits hit breaking point  —  State operations that review claims face massive backlogs, leaving disabled Americans waiting months and even years for judgments  —  The Disability Determination Division in Austin was at a breaking point.

A New Clash Between Faith and Gay Rights Arrives at a Changed Supreme Court  —  A Colorado graphic designer says she has a First Amendment right to refuse to create websites for same-sex weddings despite a state anti-discrimination law.  —  Follow our live coverage of the Supreme Court hearings …

Fearing scandal, Air Force blocked generals' foreign consulting deals … During the height of the war in Afghanistan, U.S. military leaders flocked to the Caspian Sea nation of Azerbaijan to embrace its president, Ilham Aliyev, despite a report from the U.S. Embassy comparing the mustachioed strongman …

Billions in Covid Aid Went to Hospitals That Didn't Need It  —  The federal funds benefited some well-off medical systems but weren't enough for many that were struggling to provide pandemic care  —  When Covid-19 struck, the U.S. government gave hospitals tens of billions of dollars to help them cope with the strains of the pandemic.

Rudy Giuliani: Ethics charges for election fraud claims take major step forward with trial-like hearing in DC  —  The efforts to discipline attorneys who aided former President Donald Trump's legal gambits to undermine the 2020 election take a major step forward Monday with the start …

Corruption Charges Dismissed Against Ex-Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin  —  A federal judge in Manhattan ruled that prosecutors failed to demonstrate an “explicit quid pro quo” that must underpin the bribery charges against Mr. Benjamin.  —  A federal judge in Manhattan dismissed bribery …

White House responds to Trump demanding to terminate parts of the Constitution after ‘Twitter files’ release  —  The ‘Twitter Files’ detailed how and why Twitter censored Hunter Biden's laptop  —  Jonathan Swan hits Trump for dining with Ye, Nick Fuentes at Mar-a-Lago: ‘Two is worse than one’

Michael Avenatti facing more prison time for stealing millions of dollars from clients  —  Michael Avenatti, the once swaggering celebrity lawyer who was undone by his proclivity for embezzlement and fraud, faces a potentially long prison term when he is sentenced Monday for dodging taxes and stealing millions of dollars from clients.

Biden Is Putting South Carolina First.  I Won't Vote for That.  —  President Biden's three-part plan to reform the Democratic presidential primary calendar was almost a home run — save for one flaw that dooms it entirely.  —  Our party's lineup of states that nominate …