In Waco, Trump stokes anger and valorizes violent actors  —  At a dubiously timed rally, he pairs calls for resistance with tacit assurances that those who did would be defended  —  Donald Trump walked down the steps from his private jet and onto the stage at his rally in Waco, Tex. …

Americans Pull Back From Values That Once Defined U.S., WSJ-NORC Poll Finds  —  Patriotism, religion and hard work hold less importance  —  Patriotism, religious faith, having children and other priorities that helped define the national character for generations are receding in importance to Americans …

Israel's Embassies Shutter Abroad as Diplomats Strike Against Netanyahu-led Overhaul  —  While the strike itself is likely temporary, the government's judicial overhaul has already started to inflict significant damage on Israel's reputation abroad, former Israeli envoy says

How Did America's Weirdest, Most Freedom-Obsessed State Fall for an Authoritarian Governor?  —  A journey through Ron DeSantis's magic kingdom In the course of a single month this year, the following news reports emanated from Florida: A gun enthusiast in Tampa built a 55-foot backyard pool shaped …

Ex-Tucker Carlson producer files new claims Fox News lawyers coached her testimony in Dominion lawsuit  —  Abby Grossberg sued Fox last week, alleging she was coerced into giving misleading testimony about the network's election fraud coverage.  She was fired Friday.

The gun that divides a nation … The AR-15 wasn't supposed to be a bestseller.  —  The rugged, powerful weapon was originally designed as a soldiers' rifle in the late 1950s.  “An outstanding weapon with phenomenal lethality,” an internal Pentagon report raved.

Texas Observer, legendary crusading liberal magazine, is closing and laying off its staff  —  The 68-year-old progressive publication, which published Ronnie Dugger, Molly Ivins and Kaye Northcott, hit financial troubles and wasn't able to broaden its audience, board members said.

Removal of ‘Ruby Bridges’ film from Pinellas school sparks outrage  —  A parent complained that the movie might teach white children to hate Black children.  —  The Disney movie “Ruby Bridges,” which tells the tale of a 6-year-old who integrated New Orleans schools in the 1960s …

The Jock/Creep Theory of Fascism  —  It's Real and It Works … A little while ago, I came up with the idea that that the difference between Italian Fascism and German Nazism was that Fascism essentially had “Jock-Douche” vibes while Nazism had “Creep-Loser” vibes.

Tax Cuts Are Primarily Responsible for the Increasing Debt Ratio  —  The need to increase the debt limit1 has focused attention on the size and trajectory of the federal debt.  Long-term projections show2 that federal debt as a percentage of the U.S. economy is on a path to grow indefinitely …

Nashville officials report ‘multiple patients’ from school shooting  —  Emergency officials in Nashville, Tenn., said on Monday they responded to an “active aggressor” at a school in the city with “multiple patients” reported.  —  The Nashville Fire Department said on Twitter that it responded …

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee is running for Houston mayor, scrambling the race for City Hall's top job  —  Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a mainstay in Houston politics for more than three decades, is running for mayor.  —  In broadcast remarks at City Cathedral Church, the congresswoman said on stage …

Russian jets of newer generation increase ‘dominance’ in combat zone, Ukrainian official says  —  Ukrainian officials said Russia has replaced ageing jets with updated Su-35s.  —  Newer generation fighter jets are giving Russia “increasing dominance” in the skies over the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine …

First Citizens to Acquire Silicon Valley Bank in Government-Backed Deal  —  Banking regulators, which announced the deal late Sunday, had been looking for a buyer since seizing control of the failed bank.  —  First Citizens BancShares will acquire Silicon Valley Bank, the California lender whose collapse …

Supreme Court declines to hear Kansas racial gerrymandering case, leaves congressional map in force  —  The US Supreme Court on Monday declined a request from voters in Kansas to review a state court decision they say allows for racial gerrymandering of congressional districts there.

Jon Stewart says Senate is ‘like an assisted-living facility’  —  Comedian and political commentator Jon Stewart joked that the U.S. Senate is like “an assisted living facility,” reflecting on his time spent on Capitol Hill fighting for benefits for veterans, first responders and their families.

They're Not Joking: House Republicans Actually Compare Themselves to the Mob  —  Sometime late last year, the leaders of the five power centers within the House Republican caucus started calling themselves the Five Families.  “You know my reference,” Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene …

Asian Americans are anxious about hate crimes.  TikTok ban rhetoric isn't helping  —  Ellen Min doesn't go to the grocery store anymore.  She avoids bars and going out to eat with her friends; festivals and community events are out, too.  This year, she opted not to take her kids to the local St. Patrick's Day parade.

The Dual Education of Hakeem Jeffries  —  Shaped by Black Brooklyn and trained by Manhattan's legal elite, the House Democrats' new leader is not easily pigeonholed.  —  The campus at Binghamton University was in uproar.  Whispers of outside agitators swirled among the mostly white student body.

Agatha Christie novels reworked to remove potentially offensive language  —  Poirot and Miss Marple mysteries have passages edited by sensitivity readers for latest HarperCollins editions  —  Several Agatha Christie novels have been edited to remove potentially offensive language, including insults and references to ethnicity.

How to save America's public transit systems from a doom spiral  —  Don't let buses and subways become another casualty of the pandemic.  —  America's largest public transportation systems are facing their greatest challenge in generations — a crisis with the potential to decimate their service …

Humza Yousaf wins leadership election of Scotland's ruling party, set to lead the country  — Humza Yousaf has been elected the new head of the Scottish National Party by party members.  — In a speech following the announcement, he said he felt like the “luckiest man in the world” …