Biden may not run — and top Dems are quietly preparing  —  Joe Biden's closest advisers have spent months preparing for him to formally announce his reelection campaign.  But with the president still not ready to make the plunge, a sense of doubt is creeping into conversations around 2024: What if he decides not to?

Trump's visit to Ohio derailment gives Biden's team some breathing room  —  Donald Trump's visit to the site of a toxic train derailment in Ohio is offering a political opening to battered Biden administration officials — by calling new attention to the former president's record of rolling …

America's Choice in Ukraine  —  A year of war in Ukraine hasn't changed Vladimir Putin, and we hope Western politicians preaching “peace” were listening to his speech on Tuesday.  The Russian promised nothing but more war and blamed the West for it.  His choice in turn means …

Arizona's top prosecutor concealed records debunking election fraud claims  —  Newly released documents show how Republican Mark Brnovich publicized an incomplete account of his office's probe of the 2020 election in Maricopa County  —  By Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Isaac Stanley-Becker

Trump ally with ties to ‘fake elector’ scheme advances in Wisconsin Supreme Court race  —  A Donald Trump ally who advised Republicans on legal efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential race has advanced to the Wisconsin Supreme Court general election, putting him one step closer to a seat on the powerful bench.

NPR says it's cutting jobs by 10% as ad revenue drops  —  NPR's chief executive announced the network would lay off roughly 10% of its current workforce - at least 100 people - and eliminate most vacant positions.  CEO John Lansing cited the erosion of advertising dollars, particularly for NPR podcasts …

Russian propagandists said to buy Twitter blue-check verifications  —  The verifications mean their tweets, mostly opposing U.S. aid to Ukraine, are given added prominence  —  SAN FRANCSICO — Accounts pushing Kremlin propaganda are using Twitter's new paid verification system to appear …

Rep. Eastman sparks outrage after asking about the potential economic benefits of the deaths of abused Alaska children  —  JUNEAU - Wasilla Republican Rep. David Eastman sparked outrage online after asking whether there could be economic benefits from the death of abused children.

The Corruption of Fox News: Worse Than You Thought  —  Isn't it comforting to have your worst suspicions confirmed?  —  Last week, the release of a legal filing in Dominion Voting Systems' $1.6 billion defamation case against Fox News disclosed text messages, emails, and deposition testimony …

Donald Trump Has Been Lying About Trump Tower For Decades  —  As the former president tries to fend off authorities, new revelations about Trump Tower suggest that the building is—and always was—something of a fraud.  —  For decades, Trump Tower has embodied the various stages of Donald Trump.

The Forgotten Ron DeSantis Book  —  The Florida governor's long-ignored 2011 work, Dreams From Our Founding Fathers, reveals a distinct vision of American history and how it should influence the present.  History works for Ron Desantis as an argument.  It would be a mistake, though …

Russian Wagner chief Prigozhin blames ammunition shortage for high deaths  —  Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin has posted an image of his dead troops in Ukraine, blaming army chiefs for their deaths and urging ordinary Russians to help his group.  —  Prigozhin had already launched …

Supreme Court skeptical of limiting powerful legal shield for internet companies  —  Washington — The Supreme Court appeared resistant on Tuesday to limiting the scope of a federal law that has served as a powerful legal shield for internet companies, expressing concerns about the ramifications …

US adults identifying as LGBTQ double in a decade: Gallup poll  —  The portion of U.S. adults identifying as LGBTQ has doubled over the last decade, according to a Gallup poll released on Wednesday.  —  Gallup found that 7.2 percent of Americans identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual …

The Mask Mandates Did Nothing.  Will Any Lessons Be Learned?  —  The most rigorous and comprehensive analysis of scientific studies conducted on the efficacy of masks for reducing the spread of respiratory illnesses — including Covid-19 — was published late last month.

Rejecting the use of ‘Latinx’ is transphobic  —  In 2018, Univision interviewed me to discuss the meaning of the identity label Latinx.  I was nervous because I had never discussed gender and sexuality in a “formal” Spanish setting, let alone on national television — my 92-year-old abuelita was going to be watching!

Michigan Poll: DeSantis over Trump by Five  —  A consistent theme in early polling of the 2024 Republican primaries is that Ron DeSantis beats Donald Trump if the race comes down to a head-to-head, two-man binary choice.  A new poll from Echelon Insights surveying Michigan Republican primary voters tells us …

George Santos reported spreading campaign cash to other Republicans.  The money never showed up.  —  One of George Santos' first acts as a candidate for Congress in 2019, according to his campaign finance filings, was making a series of four-figure donations from his campaign to a pair …

Jennifer McClellan will win special election and become Virginia's first Black congresswoman, CNN projects  —  Virginia state Sen. Jennifer McClellan will win the special election for Virginia's 4th Congressional District and will become the first Black woman to represent the commonwealth in Congress, CNN projected Tuesday.

Texas superintendent resigns after 3rd grader finds his gun unattended in a school bathroom  —  The boy found the gun at Rising Star Elementary School.  Robby Stuteville resigned as superintendent of the Rising Star Independent School District following backlash.

‘All-out revolution’: Proud Boy describes group's desperation as Jan. 6 approached  —  A top lieutenant of the Proud Boys' chairman, Enrique Tarrio, described on Wednesday a growing desperation among the group's leaders as Jan. 6, 2021, approached and then-President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the election results sputtered.

The Forces Tearing Us Apart Are Not Quite What They Seem  —  A toxic combination of racial resentment and the sharp regional disparity in economic growth between urban and rural America is driving the class upheaval in American partisanship, with the Republican Party dominant …

Sen. Jon Tester to seek reelection in major boost for Democrats  —  The party faces a tough Senate map in 2024, so the Montanan's announcement Wednesday drew sighs of relief from many on the left  —  Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) announced Wednesday that he will seek reelection to a fourth term …