Biden, in State of the Union, mixes bipartisanship with defiance  —  Speech is marked by unusual back-and-forth between president and Republican lawmakers  —  By Toluse Olorunnipa and Yasmeen Abutaleb  —  President Biden, facing a vocal and divided Congress, used his second State …

House GOP's under-the-radar Hunter Biden problem: DOJ got there first  —  House Republicans are itching to investigate Hunter Biden.  But they have a problem: The feds got there first.  —  Though their probes differ in focus and scope — Republicans are looking at possible conflicts …

Pennsylvania Democrats take back state House control with three special election wins  —  Pennsylvania Democrats won a trio of state House special elections Tuesday night, handing them a clear majority.  —  The victories give Democrats the upper hand in a chamber that has seesawed …

Notorious Russian nationalist Igor Mangushev shot dead in Ukraine  —  Notorious Russian army captain and mercenary Igor Mangushev has died in hospital, days after he was shot in the head at close range in occupied Ukraine, his friends have said.  —  Mangushev's wife Tatyana described his killing as an execution.

Putin implicated by Dutch prosecutors in downing of Malaysia passenger jet  —  Dutch prosecutors said Wednesday that it was likely Russian President Vladimir Putin personally signed off on a decision to supply long-range antiaircraft missiles systems to pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine …

‘He would never do such a thing!’  Trump posts photos of Ron DeSantis as a teacher, allegedly partying with high school girls, as he ramps up attacks on Republican rival  — Trump re-posted photos of Florida Gov. DeSantis allegedly in his twenties  — ‘Whistleblower’ story claimed he was pictured with high school seniors

Romney told Santos 'You don't belong here' in tense exchange in House chamber before SOTU  —  Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah told GOP Rep. George Santos of New York: “You don't belong here,” according to a member who witnessed the tense exchange in the House of Representatives chamber Tuesday night.

Doctors raise concerns over Florida possibly requiring student athletes' menstrual info  —  While a change in diet, medication, exercise and stress can all affect a girl's menstrual flow, doctors say cycle irregularities don't affect their ability to play sports and are raising privacy concerns …

Appeals court backs N.C. attorney general in battle to avoid criminal libel prosecution  —  A federal appeals court has sided with North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein in his bid to avoid prosecution under a state law criminalizing “derogatory” statements related to political candidates.

Half in U.S. Say They Are Worse Off, Highest Since 2009  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Reflecting on their personal financial situations, 35% of Americans say they are better off now than they were a year ago, while 50% are worse off.  Since Gallup first asked this question in 1976 …

Accused Libyan bombmaker in 1988 Lockerbie plane attack pleads not guilty  —  Abu Agela Mas'ud Kheir al-Marimi was extradited to U.S. on charges of making explosives used in downing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Scotland, one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in U.S. history

What it's Like When Ron DeSantis Takes Over Your College  —  Students at Florida's tiny New College are alarmed by Gov. Ron DeSantis' hostile takeover—and worry who his next targets will be.  —  Cameron Joseph  —  WASHINGTON, US  —  PB  —  Ron DeSantis has made a tiny liberal arts college …

Estimate of misspent Covid unemployment payments leaps to $191B  —  The Labor Department's internal watchdog identified nearly $30 billion more in pandemic unemployment benefits that were wrongfully sent out than previously estimated, according to testimony submitted Wednesday to the House Ways and Means Committee.