Trump grand jury will not hear ‘hush-money’ case for the rest of this week: source  — Trump's Manhattan ‘hush-money’ grand jury will not consider the case this week.  — The grand jury has not heard evidence in the case since Monday, when a surprise witness testified.

DeSantis Calls Putin a ‘War Criminal,’ Clarifying Earlier Comment on Ukraine  —  The Florida governor and presumed G.O.P. presidential candidate previously described the Russia-Ukraine conflict as a “territorial dispute” and did not mention the Russian president.

Man at Center of Jan. 6 Conspiracy Theory Demands Retraction From Fox  —  A lawyer for Ray Epps has demanded that the Fox host Tucker Carlson publicly apologize for “false and defamatory statements” that Mr. Epps served as a federal agent during the Capitol attack.

Court rejects Trump's urgent bid to keep lawyer's records from special counsel  —  The ruling effectively permits the Justice Department to circumvent Trump's attorney-client privilege after a lower-court judge found that the documents likely contain evidence of a crime.

The Secret Joke at the Heart of the Harvard Affirmative-Action Case  —  A federal official wrote a parody of Harvard's attitude toward Asian Americans and shared it with the dean of admissions.  Why did a judge try to hide that from the public?  —  Last fall, some mysterious new activity appeared on the Supreme Court's docket.

What connects Trump's likely arrest with the bank bailouts?  —  Answer: the anti-democracy movement  —  What connects the two biggest stories now dominating the news — Donald Trump's likely arrest and the Fed's bailouts of shaky banks?  —  Start with multi-billionaire Peter Thiel, and follow the money.

Most trans adults say transitioning made them more satisfied with their lives  —  The Washington Post and KFF surveyed one of the largest randomized samples of U.S. transgender adults to date about their childhoods, feelings and lives  —  Transgender Americans experience stigma …

Biden approval dips near lowest point: AP-NORC poll  —  Approval of President Joe Biden has dipped slightly since a month ago, nearing the lowest point of his presidency as his administration tries to project a sense of stability while confronting a pair of bank failures and inflation that remains stubbornly high.

Sinema Trashes Dems: ‘Old Dudes Eating Jell-O’  —  The Arizona senator courts GOP donors by ridiculing her former Democratic colleagues.  Ever since Sen. Kyrsten Sinema became an independent in December, her Democratic colleagues have been restrained about the shift, careful not to alienate …

Where is DeSantis traveling on state business?  Legislature wants to make it a secret  —  Citing an increase in public records requests for the governor's travel schedule, Florida legislators are advancing a bill that would shield from the public any information about how and where Gov. Ron DeSantis and other state officials go.

Hunter Biden used FBI mole named ‘One-Eye’ to tip him off to China probes: tipster  —  MORE FROM:  —  Hunter Biden had an FBI mole named “One-Eye” who tipped off his Chinese business partners that they were under investigation, according to an Israeli energy expert arrested in Cyprus last month on gunrunning charges.

The Books That Show Conservatism at Its Best  —  Mr. Shields is a professor of government at Claremont McKenna College.  He has written widely on the American right and the politics of higher education.  —  When conservative undergraduates look around for mentors these days, who do they find?

All the Indictments Everywhere All at Once  —  Tonight is TNB!  Come hang with Amanda Carpenter, Bill Kristol, and me to talk about the six (6!) investigations of Trump, the possibility of indictment(s), and Meatball Ron Ron DeSantis making his move.  —  Tonight, 8pm in the East on Zoom.

Matt Taibbi Can't Comprehend That There Are Reasons To Study Propaganda Information Flows, So He Insists It Must Be Nefarious  —  from the not-how-any-of-this-works dept  —  Over the last few months, Elon Musk's handpicked journalists have continued revealing less and less with each new edition of the …

Nebraska Legislature set to vote on transgender health bill  —  The Nebraska Legislature was set to vote Thursday on a contentious bill that seeks to ban gender-affirming care for minors and led one lawmaker to stage a weekslong filibuster.  The vote to advance the bill was expected on the third …

Far-right extremist Riley Williams sentenced to 3 years in prison for storming Capitol on Jan. 6  —  WASHINGTON — A far-right extremist who was “obsessed” with white nationalist Nick Fuentes was sentenced Thursday to three years in prison for storming the U.S. Capitol and directing a mob toward …

A nightmare for women in Idaho could be coming to all of us soon  —  There's news from Idaho, and it's not good.  The only hospital in Sandpoint, Idaho, is terminating the provision of labor and delivery services.  Sandpoint is the largest city in Bonner County, with just shy of 9,000 people.

Conspiracies and a Holocaust meme mark the dawn of Karamo's Michigan Republican Party  —  The longtime headquarters of the Michigan Republican Party, four blocks from Michigan's Capitol and the seat of political power in this state, sits empty and disused.  —  A trust made up of former party …

AP source: Blackhawks will not wear Pride-themed jerseys  —  The Chicago Blackhawks will not wear Pride-themed warmup jerseys before Sunday's Pride Night game against Vancouver because of security concerns involving a Russian law that expands restrictions on activities seen as promoting LGBTQ rights in the country.

Hanwha Plans $147 Million Factory to Expand US Solar Capacity  —  Hanwha Solutions Corp. plans to spend $147 million on a plant in Georgia that supplies material for panels, drawing cheers from President Joe Biden who credits his climate law for jumpstarting efforts to build a solar supply chain in the US.

IRON MIKE WEIGHS IN!  Tyson Doesn't Think Trump Should Go to Jail, Says Bragg Has an Agenda  —  In an exclusive interview with Breitbart News, legendary boxing champ Mike Tyson defended former President Donald Trump and threw a few blows at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.  —  From Breitbart News:

Mental health curriculum is the latest target in Miami-Dade schools  —  Invoking Florida's new parents' rights law, the Miami-Dade School Board is embarking on a review of how students learn about managing their emotions, collaborating with others and developing their identities …

China Says It Opposes a Forced Sale of TikTok  —  Biden administration has demanded that video app divest itself from its Beijing-based parent or face nationwide ban  —  SINGAPORE—China said it would strongly oppose any forced sale of TikTok, responding for the first time to a Biden administration demand …

Protecting Nature Is More Important Than ‘Quickly’ Building Renewables, Most Americans Say  —  Nearly 80% of U.S. adults believe conservation is more important than a speedy renewable energy rollout, our poll finds.  That spells trouble for Biden's climate agenda.

Federal prosecutors reveal Proud Boys witness was informant  —  Federal prosecutors disclosed Wednesday that a witness expected to testify for the defense at the seditious conspiracy trial of former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and four associates was secretly acting as a government informant …

California could become the 1st state to ban caste discrimination  —  A bill introduced Wednesday in the California Senate could be a historic win in the fight against caste discrimination in the U.S. If it is signed into law, it would make the state the first to explicitly name caste as a protected category.