Neo-Nazi leader and girlfriend accused of targeting Md. power stations  —  A neo-Nazi leader recently released from prison has been arrested again and accused of plotting an attack on the Maryland power grid with a woman he met while incarcerated.  —  Brandon Russell, 27, and Sarah Clendaniel …

Record numbers of people are worse off, a recipe for political discontent: POLL  —  4 in 10 Americans say they are worse off financially since Biden took office.  —  Four in 10 Americans say they've gotten worse off financially since Joe Biden became president, the most in ABC News/Washington Post polls dating back 37 years.

Kamala Harris Is Trying to Define Her Vice Presidency.  Even Her Allies Are Tired of Waiting.  —  Ms. Harris is struggling to carve out a lane for herself in what may be one of the most consequential periods in the vice presidency.  —  WASHINGTON — Kamala Harris was frustrated.

Ticket to ride: NYC mayor gives free bus tickets to Canada for asylum-seekers  —  The hustle and bustle of New York City are just too much for some illegal aliens, so they are taking advantage of free tickets to Canada.  Free to them, of course, but no one is saying exactly where the money is coming from for the tickets.

Marines Charged in Capitol Riot Got Highly Sensitive Spy Jobs After Jan. 6 … A Marine charged with taking part in the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol was transferred into a highly sensitive intelligence assignment at the headquarters of the National Security Agency after the violent attempt …

Convicted Jan. 6 Capitol rioter caught secretly filming woman undressing at tanning salon owned by his father: Police  —  An Iowa father who recently pleaded guilty to interfering with police during the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol has found himself once again embroiled in scandal …

Inside the Trump Campaign's Plan to Take Down Nikki Haley  —  “The difference between her and DeSantis is she's an also-ran.  Donald Trump doesn't need to fear her.  He's gonna toy with her.” … Nikki Haley's decision to become the first Republican to jump into the 2024 race against Donald Trump …

Federal judge says constitutional right to abortion may still exist, despite Dobbs  —  A federal judge in Washington, D.C., suggested Monday that there may be a constitutional right to abortion baked into the 13th Amendment — an area she said went unexplored by the Supreme Court …

The Defiance of Salman Rushdie  —  After a near-fatal stabbing—and decades of threats—the novelist speaks about writing as a death-defying act.  —  When Salman Rushdie turned seventy-five, last summer, he had every reason to believe that he had outlasted the threat of assassination.

George Santos Invited a Guest to the State of the Union.  He Said Yes.  —  Michael Weinstock, a Democrat who once ran for Mr. Santos's district, said he wanted to raise attention to health issues of 9/11 rescue workers like himself.  —  Representative George Santos, a Republican facing scrutiny …

China's military keeps rivals on edge with balloon strategy  —  Data gathered by swelling ‘lighter than air’ programme could have defence applications  —  The Chinese balloon that transfixed America in recent days was no surprise to Cheng Ming-dean.  “This balloon has been appearing for a long time! …

Ranks of Republicans Refusing a ‘Clean’ Debt Ceiling Hike Grows … Republican pragmatists in the House of Representatives have a message for President Joe Biden: We don't support a clean debt ceiling increase, either.  —  Rep. Dusty Johnson says that the group of pragmatic conservatives …

Unfortunately, the Biggest Election Case of the Supreme Court Term Could Be Moot  —  Will a power grab by the new Republican majority on North Carolina's Supreme Court—ostensibly to reverse a power grab by the earlier Democratic majority on North Carolina's Supreme Court …

Eric Trump tourmate claims Jewish people are frauds and “Hitler was actually fighting the same people that we're trying to take down today”  —  Scott McKay also claims Jewish people are responsible for 9/11, presidential assassinations, and child sacrifices  —  Eric Trump has been touring …

Ted Cruz, Marjorie Taylor Greene Raise Hell Over Sam Smith's Grammys Performance  —  Right-wingers are using Pfizer's sponsorship to fuel conspiracies that Satan is controlling the federal government and coming for your kids  —  THE GRAMMYS WAS its usual lavish spectacle featuring scores of styled-out celebrities on Sunday night.

AI-Generated ‘Seinfeld’ Show Banned on Twitch After Transphobic Standup Bit  —  “Nothing, Forever,” has been banned for at least 14 days.  —  Jason Koebler  —  “Nothing, Forever,” the infinitely-generating AI version of Seinfeld that tens of thousands of people were watching has been banned …

Melania Trump watched 2019 ISIS raid from Situation Room, suggested ‘hero dog’ story in media  —  Melania Trump in October 2019 sat in and watched the U.S. raid that led to the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a compound in Syria, according to a new memoir set for release this week.

White House Calls Proposed GOP Commission a ‘Death Panel’ for Medicare, Social Security  —  The White House slammed a proposal by House Republican committee and caucus chairs to set up a panel examining Social Security and Medicare solvency as part of debt-limit negotiations, likely shutting the door on the approach.

The State of the Union speech can only be as powerful as the president delivering it  —  (Or, really, the office of the presidency)  —  On Tuesday night, President Biden will deliver the State of the Union address.  Like so many things, this puts in squarely in the path of many bad takes about presidential speeches.

This Judge's Ruling Could Be Very Bad for Alex Murdaugh  —  Jurors will get to hear about the South Carolina lawyer's alleged scheme to cover up millions in debt just before the murders of his wife and son.  —  South Carolina jurors will be allowed to hear about Alex Murdaugh's alleged financial crimes …

Failure to raise U.S. debt ceiling would lead to ‘economic and financial catastrophe,’ Yellen says  — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said raising the debt ceiling is non-negotiable, as House Republicans continue efforts to negotiate ahead of a bill.  — Yellen said the U.S …

Kevin McCarthy's newly appointed sergeant at arms opposed installing security fencing around the Capitol for Joe Biden's State of the Union address.  —  News and analysis from Capitol Hill for when you only have a few minutes, from POLITICO.

Aid, rescuers rushed to Turkey, Syria after deadly quake  —  1 of 9  —  Countries have rushed to dispatch aid, personnel and equipment to help rescue efforts in quake-stricken areas of Turkey and Syria.  Here's a glance at what's being provided so far:  — The European Union …

The Road to a Supreme Court Clerkship Starts at Three Ivy League Colleges  —  The chances of obtaining a coveted clerkship, a new study found, increase sharply with undergraduate degrees from Harvard, Yale or Princeton.  —  WASHINGTON — When Ted Cruz attended Harvard Law School …

Cops Seemingly Put a Fake MLK Quote on a Cruiser to Celebrate Black History Month  —  The director of The Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University said “we have no record of the maxim.”  —  PB  —  The police department in Columbus …

One smart way to win over working-class voters and help the economy  —  Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has held his job for less than a month, so it's probably too early for him to think about running for president.  But it's not too soon for other governors considering a White House run …

Dark Brandon Takes His Shot  —  Plus: Lordy, those Wisconsin tapes.  —  Are you not entertained?  —  “The whole response to the balloon thing,” complains Damon Linker, “vividly illustrates how degraded American public life has become.  Politicians spouting BS to gain likes and applause online …

The grid is under attack  —  A record number of attacks on electrical grids plunged thousands of Americans into darkness last year, as authorities worry neo-Nazis are targeting critical infrastructure … On the evening of December 3, the lights went out in Moore County.