US and Germany ready to send tanks to Ukraine - reports  —  After months of reluctance, the US and Germany reportedly plan to send tanks to Ukraine, in what Kyiv hopes will be a game-changer on the battlefield.  —  US President Joe Biden's administration is expected to announce plans to send at least 30 M1 Abrams tanks.

Marjorie Taylor Greene aims to be Trump's VP pick in 2024  —  WASHINGTON — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., is angling to be Donald Trump's running mate in 2024, according to two people who have spoken to the firebrand second-term congresswoman about her ambitions.

Mystery Deepens Around George Santos's $700,000 in Campaign Loans  —  In amended campaign finance reports, Mr. Santos seemed to suggest that the loans did not come from his personal funds, as he had originally stated.  —  An updated campaign finance report filed on Tuesday raised new questions …

McCarthy Ejects Schiff and Swalwell From Intelligence Committee  —  In an act of official retribution for how Democrats treated Republicans when they were in the majority, the speaker barred the Californians from the panel, arguing that they were not fit to serve.

The AP Interview: Pope Francis: Homosexuality not a crime  —  Pope Francis criticized laws that criminalize homosexuality as “unjust,” saying God loves all his children just as they are and called on Catholic bishops who support the laws to welcome LGBTQ people into the church.

Frozen: Trump's primary challengers balk at jumping into the unknown  —  By this time four years ago, the Democratic presidential campaign was in full swing, with Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg and Kirsten Gillibrand all having opened exploratory committees or announced runs.

Elon Musk Caves to Pressure From India to Remove BBC Doc Critical of Modi … Twitter and YouTube censored a report critical of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in coordination with the government of India.  Officials called for the Big Tech companies to take action against a BBC documentary …

Marylanders could get a shorter workweek under new bill … “Thank god it's Friday,” may be a phrase that many Marylanders will soon forget.  A new bill in the General Assembly proposes a pilot program that would encourage and study a shift to a four-day workweek for both private and public workers.

One-quarter of mass attackers driven by conspiracy theories or hateful ideologies, Secret Service report says  —  Following the latest string of mass shootings in the U.S., the Secret Service published a 60-page report Wednesday detailing trends in mass attacks in public spaces to share patterns …

AJC poll: As Kemp readies State of the State address, he's never been stronger  —  Gov. Brian Kemp is opening his second term in an unusual position for a much-targeted incumbent in one of the nation's premier political battlegrounds: His approval rating now sits at a record high …

Trump declares himself the winner of his own club championship - in the Trumpiest way ever  —  The former president said he played a strong round two days before the tournament, and decided that would count as his first-round score. … Donald Trump has declared himself a winner ... again.

A leader in gun control efforts, California confronts its limits  —  A nation awash in guns — and a patchwork of state laws — has infused the push for restrictions with a sense of futility  —  MONTEREY PARK, Calif. — California's efforts to reduce gun violence have long been a point of pride among the state's liberal lawmakers.

Biden finally gets a win against inflation  —  The war on inflation may be far from over, but the economy has reached a key, little-noticed milestone: Workers' wage gains are finally outpacing the rise in consumer prices.  —  Americans' average income has beaten inflation for the past six months …

A Warning to the Media about the Next Presidential Race  —  If you set out on a road trip, would you trust your GPS to guide you to your destination if you had wound up on dead ends the last half-dozen times you used it?  Would you follow the investment advice of an expert who had cost …

S.B.F. Mama Drama  —  Barbara Fried was a beloved law professor whose midlife political awakening inspired Mind the Gap, a powerful network of 2,500 donors that helped the Democrats dominate the '18 midterms.  Now, she's the latest victim of her son, Sam Bankman-Fried.

Doomsday Clock set at 90 seconds to midnight  —  • РУССКИЙ  • УКРАЇНСЬКА … The Doomsday Clock was set at 90 seconds to midnight, due largely but not exclusively …

DOJ Sues Google Over Ad Technology  —  The Justice Department's antitrust lawsuit, which a group of states joined, was the fifth by U.S. officials against the company since 2020.  —  David McCabe reports on tech policy from Washington, and Nico Grant reports on Google from San Francisco.

West grapples with dilemma over Iran nuclear talks  —  Even as relations touch new lows, US and European officials are keeping the door open to diplomacy  —  For months, the west has been hardening its rhetoric against Iran as the Islamic republic has cracked down on protesters and sold drones …

Lawmakers codify abortion rights in state constitution, sending it to voters  —  ALBANY, N.Y. — The next decision will be with voters on whether New York will enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution.  —  The state Assembly and state Senate voted Tuesday afternoon on the second passage …

A Pitched Battle on Corporate Power  —  Biden's expansive executive order seeks to restore competition in the economy.  It's been a long, slow road to get the whole government on board—but there are some formidable gains. … On July 9, 2021, President Joe Biden signed one of the most sweeping changes to domestic policy since FDR.

Pizzeria Owner Who Said Nancy Pelosi Needed to ‘Hang’ Convicted of Jan. 6 Charges  —  The Pennsylvania pizzeria owner who demanded that police at the U.S. Capitol “bring Nancy Pelosi out” to the mob of Donald Trump supporters on Jan. 6 has been convicted of all five charges against her.

Beto O'Rourke Is Holding On to $100K In Tainted Crypto Cash … Beto O'Rourke claims he returned a $1 million campaign contribution from Sam Bankman-Fried before the crypto kingpin's meteoric collapse in November.  But campaign records show O'Rourke is holding on to $100,000 of that donation …