‘Something Was Badly Wrong’: When Washington Realized Russia Was Actually Invading Ukraine  —  This oral history was compiled and woven together by writer and historian Garrett M. Graff, based on dozens of hours of interviews by POLITICO national security reporters Erin Banco, Lara Seligman …

Strapped to a gurney, death row inmate Donald Dillbeck saves his last words for DeSantis  —  RAIFORD — Donald Dillbeck didn't mince words in the minutes before the state executed him Thursday night.  —  “I know I hurt people when I was young.  I really messed up,” Dillbeck, 59, said …

Exclusive: How a box with classified documents ended up in Trump's office months after FBI searched Mar-a-Lago  —  The Justice Department wants to know how a box containing a handful of classified records scattered among copies of presidential schedules turned up at Mar-a-Lago late last year …

New cracks emerge in Elon Musk's Twitter  —  Jira went down, Slack's gone, and site performance is degraded.  What's next?  —  Today, let's check in on Elon Musk's Twitter, where sudden software outages and another dubious transparency effort have left the company's remaining workers more beleaguered than usual.

China calls for Russia-Ukraine cease-fire, peace talks  —  1 of 2  —  China has called for a cease-fire between Ukraine and Russia and the opening of peace talks as part of a 12-point proposal to end the conflict.  The plan issued Friday morning by the Foreign Ministry also urges the end …

'Dilbert's' Scott Adams: ‘White people should get the hell away from Black people’  —  During his online program, the controversial East Bay cartoonist offered up his latest provocation, arguing that Black people constitute a ‘hate group’  —  Pro-Trump “Dilbert” creator Scott Adams …

After a Decade of Tracking Politicians' Deleted Tweets, Politwoops Is No More  —  Whether officials were deleting an embarrassing post or just correcting a typo, Politwoops tracked them all.  But service changes made after Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter have rendered it impossible for us to continue tracking these tweets.

Mike Pence Should Drop His Grand Jury Subpoena Gambit  —  Former Vice President Mike Pence recently announced he would challenge Special Counsel Jack Smith's subpoena for him to appear before a grand jury in Washington as part of the investigation into former President Donald Trump's efforts …

Will D.C.'s Least-Popular Team Owner Get Bought Out by Bezos?  —  It's been a busy and heavy week, with the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine; President Biden visiting Kyiv; a talkative grand juror relishing her moment in the spotlight; belated national attention …

Florida surgeon general fudged data for dubious COVID analysis, tipster says  —  The state closed the investigation, leaving more questions than answers.  —  Florida's health department opened and then closed an investigation into the state's polarizing surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo …

All U.S. extremist mass killings in 2022 linked to far right, report says  —  Right-wing extremists committed every ideologically driven mass killing identified in the U.S. in 2022, with an “unusually high” proportion perpetrated by white supremacists, according to a new report published Thursday.

GOP goes after DEI degrees  —  A new bill calls for the removal of degrees in critical race theory (CRT), gender studies, and other majors and minors that promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) from Florida's public colleges. … - It also threatens state colleges and universities …

Will a $1.6bn defamation lawsuit finally stop Fox News from spreading lies?  —  Advertising boycotts don't restrain the rightwing network, but the Dominion lawsuit may succeed in holding them to account  —  If you've paid even the slightest attention to how Fox News operates …

The GOP field descends on Iowa, readying to eat some humble pie  —  DES MOINES, Iowa — Sen. Tim Scott arrived in Iowa this week amid buzz about a presidential bid to come.  But shortly after stepping foot in the state, that enthusiasm was complemented by the humbling elements that come with politicking in such an intimate place.

WILLIAMSON CONFIRMS PRESIDENTIAL RUN IN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW, BECOMING FIRST PROMINENT DEMOCRAT IN 2024 RACE  —  WASHINGTON — Marianne Williamson confirmed in an interview with Medill News Service on Thursday that she is running for president as a Democrat, becoming the first announced candidate for the party.

It's not ‘homophobia’ to admit Pete Buttigieg got his job because he's gay  —  An unfortunate symptom of a society that's suffering from a serious case of identity politics is that people are celebrated simply for their membership to a particular, and usually immutable, identity group.

The right's new culture-war target: ‘Woke AI’  —  ChatGPT and Bing are trying to stay out of politics — and failing  —  Christopher Rufo, the conservative activist who led campaigns against critical race theory and gender identity in schools, this week pointed his half-million Twitter followers toward …

‘A Great, Great, Great Man’: The Cringey Gushing Over Jimmy Carter … Is it the very unseemliness of the death watch over poor Jimmy Carter that has forced everyone to talk balls?  —  We human beings often react this way when we catch ourselves doing something that's in poor taste or otherwise undignified.

GOP Rep. John James won't seek Michigan's open Senate seat  —  Republican Rep. John James filed paperwork Friday to run for reelection to his Detroit-area House seat, opting against a campaign for the Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Debbie Stabenow in 2024.

'Biden's the most impressive president of my lifetime': Mehdi Hasan on Fox News, tough questions and post-Trump politics  —  The progressive journalist praises the bluntness of British colleagues and says the real ‘cancel culture brigade’ is on the right  —  ne evening this month on cable television …

Don't Let Politics Cloud Your View of What's Going on With Teens and Depression  —  Last year, a study came out showing that left-leaning adolescents were experiencing a greater increase in depression than their more conservative peers.  Indeed, while girls are more likely to be depressed than boys …

Backlash in Texas as diversity initiatives put on hold in vast university system  —  Latino and Black leaders in Texas pushed back on claims that diversity and inclusion hiring programs are illegal as the vast University of Texas System put a hold on such programs at its institutions and campuses.

Let's All Do the DeSantis Shimmy!  —  I suppose all contemporary young politicians dream of meeting their moment.  At the enthusiastic dawn of their politico careers, they entertain a fantasy that some day, as a great historical challenge looms into view, their future selves will rise to the occasion — and masterfully dodge it!

How Wagner Group Is Using Pop Culture to Recruit New Russian Fighters  —  Created with sketchtool.  —  The U.S. has shared intelligence with authorities in Chad that the head of Russian paramilitary company Wagner Group is working with Chadian rebels to destabilize the government …