Duo accused of neo-Nazi plot to target Maryland power stations  —  Atomwaffen founder Brandon Russell and Sarah Clendaniel allegedly sought to attack substations around Baltimore  —  BALTIMORE — A neo-Nazi leader recently released from prison is accused of plotting an attack …

Centrist Republican lawmaker rules out sidestepping McCarthy on debt ceiling  —  WASHINGTON — A key centrist House Republican is ruling out a fallback option to avert a calamitous debt default, which would require a small number of GOP lawmakers to sidestep Speaker Kevin McCarthy and work with Democrats on a legislative solution.

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 …

DeSantis Allies Are Eyeing a '24 Super PAC  —  There are a handful of unofficial, and unsanctioned, “Draft DeSantis” groups raising money to encourage the Florida governor to run for president.  These sort of fundraising groups pop up online every few years as a nice little grift …

Musk's Twitter Has Just 180,000 U.S. Subscribers, Two Months After Launch  —  Around 180,000 people in the U.S. were paying for subscriptions to Twitter, including Twitter Blue, as of mid-January, or less than 0.2% of monthly active users, according to a document viewed by The Information.

Yes, DEI Can Erode Academic Freedom.  Let's Not Pretend Otherwise. … By Amna Khalid and Jeffrey Aaron Snyder  —  “We affirm both academic freedom and our responsibility to foster an inclusive learning community.  Importantly, these values neither contradict nor supersede each other.”

The Worst Judge in America Could Outlaw the Abortion Pill Nationwide.  It Gets Worse.  —  A single judge could outlaw the abortion pill nationwide.  And that's not even the worst of it.  —  When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, it promised to “return the issue of abortion to the people's elected representatives.”

Chinese Balloons Were Spotted Near US Bases During Trump's Era  —  Alleged Chinese spy balloons were spotted on several occasions during President Donald Trump's administration, including three instances where they traveled near sensitive US military facilities and training areas, according to people familiar with the matter.

Ron DeSantis to Take Control of Disney's District Board in New Bill  —  Florida lawmakers are proposing to give Ron DeSantis full control over the board overseeing Walt Disney Co.'s special district, as the Republican governor escalates his fight with the entertainment giant.

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 …

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.

McCarthy, Scalise go to war with U.S. Chamber after group backed some Democrats in 2020 and 2022 elections  — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise refuse to meet with the Chamber of Commerce after it previously endorsed Democrats running for office.

Russia's budget deficit soars as energy revenues slump by almost half  —  Fall in oil and gas sales coupled with sharp rise in defence spending highlight economic damage of Ukraine conflict  —  Russia's budget deficit reached Rbs1.76tn ($25bn) in January as the Kremlin boosted defence spending …

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 …

U-2 Spy Planes Snooped On Chinese Surveillance Balloon  —  The U.S. Air Force's U-2S Dragon Lady spy planes were among the assets tapped to monitor and collect intelligence on a Chinese government surveillance balloon during its recent trip across parts of the continental United States and Canada.

Gen. Glen VanHerck, Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command, Holds an Off-Camera, On-The-Record Briefing on the High-Altitude Surveillance Balloon Recovery Efforts  —  Gen. Glen VanHerck, Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command

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.

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 …

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.

Jeffrey Katzenberg's escape to L.A.  —  Early last year, the Hollywood mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg sat for lunch with Rick Caruso, a billionaire mall tycoon who was preparing his run for Los Angeles mayor.  —  Katzenberg told Caruso he understood why he was running.

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 …

Meet the Auschwitz survivor saluted by George Santos in Congress  —  Some doubted her story was real.  But it is, and it will break your heart  —  Jacob Kornbluh  —  When Rep. George Santos marked Holocaust Remembrance Day on the House floor by saying that the grandmother of one of his staff members …

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …