Trump plays catch-up with GOP rivals on fights over race and gender in schools  —  Some conservatives say they see Trump as a latecomer on this front, where state-level leaders wield more power and his record as president was thinner by comparison  —  When Donald Trump hit the campaign trail …

Santos, already raising funds for 2024, is asked by FEC to clarify if he's running for reelection  —  His fundraising has triggered a requirement that he declare a 2024 campaign.  —  The Federal Election Commission is asking embattled Rep.  —  George Santos

Fetterman, Recovering After Stroke, Labors to Adjust to Life in the Senate  —  The first-term Democrat is adapting to Congress while coping with the lasting effects of a near-fatal stroke, and the institution is adapting to accommodate him.  —  WASHINGTON — At Senator John Fetterman's desk …

Pence Gets Subpoena From Special Counsel in Jan. 6 Investigation  —  The move by Jack Smith, the special counsel, is one of the most aggressive in his investigation of Donald Trump's efforts to stay in power and is likely to lead to a battle over executive privilege.

The making of Anna Paulina Luna  —  Luna's sharp turn to the right, her account of an isolated and impoverished childhood, and her embrace of her Hispanic heritage have come as a surprise to friends and family who knew her before her ascent to the U.S. House this year.  —  By Jacqueline Alemany and Alice Crites

DeSantis wanted to ban guns at event, but not to be blamed, emails show  —  As Gov. Ron DeSantis prepared for an election night party in downtown Tampa last year, city officials received a surprising — and politically sensitive — request.  —  The Republican governor's campaign wanted weapons banned …

Obama veteran Ben LaBolt to become White House communications director  —  Kate Bedingfield, a senior Biden adviser for four years, will leave the post for a strategic role in President Biden's expected reelection campaign  —  Ben LaBolt, a former adviser to Barack Obama who has worked …

FBI conducting search of former Vice President Mike Pence's home  —  The FBI is currently conducting a search of former Vice President Mike Pence's home in Indiana, a source familiar with the situation tells CNN.

Compact A Black Professor Trapped in Anti-Racist Hell  —  On the sunny first day of seminar, I sat at the end of a pair of picnic tables with nervous, excited 17-year-olds.  Twelve high-school students had been chosen by the Telluride Association through a rigorous application process …

Pentagon Downed Object Over Alaska, Official Says  —  The incident comes less than a week after U.S. fighter jet shot down a Chinese spy balloon over the Atlantic.  —  WASHINGTON — The Pentagon downed an unidentified object over Alaska on Friday at the order of President Biden, according to U.S. officials.

Biden prepares largest Pentagon budget in history as spending cuts loom  —  The Biden administration is preparing to ask Congress for the largest Pentagon budget in history, according to the Defense Department's chief financial officer, as partisan squabbling over the debt ceiling raises …

Scientists fear a Great Toxic Dustbowl could soon emerge from the Great Salt Lake  —  On the shore of Great Salt Lake, Utah CNN —  Like the rest of the West, Utah has a water problem.  But megadrought and overconsumption aren't just threats to wildlife, agriculture and industry here.

Pentagon looks to restart top-secret programs in Ukraine  —  If approved, the move would authorize U.S. Special Operations troops to employ Ukrainian operatives to observe Russian movements and counter disinformation  —  The Pentagon is urging Congress to resume funding a pair of top-secret programs …

Florida legislature expands Ron DeSantis' program to fly migrants to blue states  —  Florida lawmakers passed a bill Friday expanding a program used to fly migrants to Democratic-led cities and states.  Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration will now be able to relocate migrants elsewhere …

White House Nixes Super Bowl Interview With Fox News … It's official: President Joe Biden will not take part in a pre-game interview leading up to this year's Super Bowl.  —  “We offered an interview with our top news anchors with no strings attached — they're walking away from a huge audience …

The NRA Has Lost Over a Million Members Since Corruption Allegations Surfaced  —  The National Rifle Association keeps shrinking.  —  Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre told attendees at the gun-rights group's most recent board meeting that the organization is down to 4.3 million members, according to multiple sources.

S.F. officials were flooded with disturbing emails after Paul Pelosi attack.  Here's what they said  —  The attack on Paul Pelosi prompted a flood of vitriolic emails to San Francisco officials, many from people influenced by conspiracy theories who accused the district attorney of lying and corruption …

Amish country farmers say George Santos took puppies, left bad checks  —  One breeder recounted how the future member of Congress made off with four golden retrievers, leading to a criminal charge in 2017  —  YORK COUNTY, Pa. — It was after dark when George A. Santos approached the farmer …

The Relentless Attack on Trans People Is an Attack on All of Us  —  Over the past year, we have seen a sweeping and ferocious attack on the rights and dignity of transgender people across the country.  —  In states led by Republicans, conservative lawmakers have introduced or passed dozens …

Biden administration braces for ruling that could ban abortion pills  —  Doctors and advocates are urging people to pre-order and stockpile abortion pills while they still can in the face of a looming court decision that could wipe out access to the drugs nationwide.

Miami preschool teacher paints kids in blackface for lesson.  ‘You should know better’  —  Last Friday, Courtney Politis was preparing for her daughter's first birthday party when another parent from her child's school sent her photos of at least three students from her daughter's class dressed in blackface.

DHS lawyers up as Republicans come for Mayorkas' job  —  The Department of Homeland Security has hired impeachment attorneys as the new House GOP majority moves to boot Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the southern border, according to three DHS officials familiar with the agreement.

Biden to visit Poland around Ukraine war anniversary  —  President Joe Biden will visit Poland this month to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, returning to the region as the war enters a volatile new phase without a clear path to peace.

‘The Last of Us’ Is a Zombie Show for the Post-Covid Era  —  Dystopian fiction once reflected a concern about big, chillingly technocratic government.  Now, our worry is something even worse.  —  Joanna Weiss is a POLITICO Magazine contributing writer and the editor of Experience magazine, published by Northeastern University.

What Donald Trump KNEW About the Chinese Spy Balloon  —  What did President Trump know?  —  What did former President Donald Trump know about the Chinese spy balloons that are reported to have spied on the mainland United States and U.S. military overseas?

The Missing GOP Agenda … Sarah Huckabee Sanders did not mince words in her response to the State of the Union address on Tuesday.  The Arkansas governor, just weeks into her term, blamed President Biden for appeasing the radical Left.  She gave a preview of what the GOP presidential nominee will say next year.

Missouri attorney general launches investigation into children's hospital's transgender center  —  A former hospital employee said that employees at the transgender center ‘lie’ to the parents of patients  —  Transgender patients say they regret transitioning

House briefing on China spy balloon turns tense with Greene comments: ‘I chewed them out’  —  A classified briefing for House lawmakers on the Chinese spy balloon turned tense on Thursday when Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) went after administration officials for waiting days before shooting down the surveillance device.

What do conservative donors want?  —  Conservative philanthropy is in crisis.  It needs to be self-critically clear and honest about its position, as well as disciplined in pursuing its issues and aims.  —  Part of The Giving Review's online symposium, “Conservatism and the Future of Tax-Incentivized Big Philanthropy.”