Poll: Cut federal spending — but not big-ticket programs  —  In the federal budget standoff, the majority of U.S. adults are asking lawmakers to pull off the impossible: Cut the overall size of government, but also devote more money to the most popular and expensive programs.

A new book-ban fiasco in Florida reveals the monster DeSantis created  —  By now, it should be blindingly obvious that many red-state book crackdowns are designed to encourage the impulse toward censorship.  By enabling lone actors to get dozens of titles removed from school library shelves …

GOP donors open to other Trump challengers as DeSantis tries to find footing  —  Interviews show the desire for a backup option in 2024 has intensified amid questions about the Florida governor  —  Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis were nowhere to be found at this year's spring gathering …

Twitter is dying  —  It's five months since Elon Musk overpaid for a relatively small microblogging platform called, Twitter.  The platform had punched about its weight in pure user numbers thanks to an unrivalled ability to both distribute real-time information and make expertise available.

Gun massacres & the collapse of American values: Nashville elementary school shooting is just another that we accept  —  My phone buzzed with a news alert, which happens numerous times throughout the day.  —  This one, at 1:45 p.m. on Monday, was yet another mass shooting.

D.C. U.S. Attorney declined to prosecute 67% of those arrested.  Here's why.  —  'I can promise you, it's not MPD holding the bag on this,' D.C. Police Chief Robert J. Contee III said.  'That's B.S.'  —  As the District grapples with rising crime and increasing attention from federal lawmakers …

Marjorie Taylor Greene's Twitter Account Restricted Over Trans Post  —  LOCKED OUT  —  Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's congressional Twitter account was restricted Tuesday after the Georgia Republican shared an image about a “Trans Day of Vengeance.”  Greene said the graphic was promoting an …

Fear pervades Tennessee's trans community amid focus on Nashville shooter's gender identity  —  “We were already fearing for our lives.  Now, it's even worse,” one transgender advocate in the state said.  —  Shortly after news broke Monday of a fatal shooting at a private Christian Nashville …

Manhattan DA Insiders Worry the Trump Hush Money Case Is Weak Sauce  —  Donald Trump looks like he could be indicted any day now.  Insiders who have worked on this particular case worry it may not be enough to convict him. … The indictment that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg …

Wisconsin's Supreme Court race could be the beginning of the end for GOP dominance  —  The stakes of this down ballot race could have a domino effect on abortion rights, the House majority — and maybe the 2024 presidential election.  —  Next week's Supreme Court election in Wisconsin …

He came to D.C. as a Brazilian student.  The U.S. says he was a Russian spy.  —  Johns Hopkins graduate Victor Ferreira was unmasked as GRU operative Sergey Cherkasov, according to a federal indictment and Western security officials  —  THE HAGUE — Like anyone who gets into his dream college …

Credit Suisse whistleblowers say Swiss bank has been helping wealthy Americans dodge U.S. taxes for years  — The bank notoriously pleaded guilty in 2014 to criminal charges for “knowingly and willfully” helping U.S. clients hide offshore assets and income from the IRS.

Katie Hobbs' Press Secretary Josselyn Berry Slammed For Trans-Rights Gun Meme After Shooting  —  Republicans in Arizona called the gun tweet from the Democratic governor's spokesperson offensive and demanded action.  —  The press secretary for Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs of Arizona shared …

Do Congressional Republicans really want to emulate China by banning TikTok?  —  Congressional Republicans have come up with a national strategy to permanently lose elections for a generation: Ban a social media app called TikTok that 94 million, primarily young Americans, use.

Republicans Face Setbacks in Push to Tighten Voting Laws on College Campuses  —  Party officials across the country have sought to erect more barriers for young voters, who tilt heavily Democratic, after several cycles in which their turnout surged.  —  Alarmed over young people increasingly proving …

The dangers of Dollar General  —  Dollar General is one of the most successful retailers in the world.  Last year, it recorded $37.8 billion in sales, up more than 10% over the prior year, and generated $3.3 billion in operating profit.  Over the last five years, its stock has increased by more than 120%.

F.D.A. Approves Narcan for Over-the-Counter Sales  —  The nasal spray reverses opioid overdoses and public health officials hope that making it more widely available could save lives and reduce the nation's high rates of drug fatalities.  —  Narcan, a prescription nasal spray that reverses opioid overdoses …

China threatens retaliation if Kevin McCarthy meets with Taiwan's president  —  A meeting between the House speaker and President Tsai Ing-wen while she is transiting through the U.S. would be a “provocation,” a Chinese official said Wednesday.  —  HONG KONG — China on Wednesday threatened retaliation …

A Guide to Understanding the Hoax of the Century  —  Thirteen ways of looking at disinformation  —  PROLOGUE: THE INFORMATION WAR  —  In 1950, Sen. Joseph McCarthy claimed that he had proof of a communist spy ring operating inside the government.  Overnight, the explosive accusations blew …

Idaho Is About To Become The First State To Restrict Interstate Travel For Abortion  —  A bill would create a whole new crime — dubbed “abortion trafficking” — which aims to limit minors' ability to travel for abortion care without parental consent.  —  Idaho already has some of the most …

Biden's awkward democracy summit  —  America still lacks an effective approach to the global south  —  If the US has taken to heart one big lesson in the 21st century, it is that democracy is not created at gunpoint.  The 20th anniversary of the Iraq invasion reminded Americans of that.

Attempt at examining shooting statistics falls flat  —  Emotions carry a lot of weight in political discourse, but not everyone will fall for that.  Some people want hard data, not feelings, before making a decision about where to stand on a given issue.  They want statistics.  —  To be honest, that's fair.

Fox tries to stop Rupert Murdoch from testifying in person at the Dominion trial  —  The judge overseeing the trial did not seem sympathetic to the company's argument that it would be an “inconvenience” for the 92-year-old chairman to provide testimony in court.

Juror in Oath Keepers trial reveals secrets from the deliberation room  —  In a newly released interview, the juror recounts being disturbed by the tactics of some defense attorneys.  —  Jurors in the recently concluded trial of six Oath Keeper affiliates were “horrified” …

Why You Fell for the Fake Pope Coat  —  The pope didn't actually wear that great jacket, but a lot of people were ready to believe he did.  —  Being alive and on the internet in 2023 suddenly means seeing hyperrealistic images of famous people doing weird, funny, shocking, and possibly disturbing things that never actually happened.

My 6-Year-Old Son Died.  Then the Anti-vaxxers Found Out.  —  Opponents of COVID vaccines terrorize grieving families on social media.  —  My 6-year-old boy died in January.  We lost him after a household accident, one likely brought on by a rare cerebral-swelling condition.

Russia stops sharing information on nuclear forces with the U.S.  —  Moscow had halted all information exchanges with Washington, said Sergei Ryabkov, Russia's deputy foreign minister.  —  A senior Russian diplomat said Moscow had suspended sharing information about its nuclear forces …

Ukraine's Zelenskyy: Any Russian victory could be perilous  —  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Tuesday that unless his nation wins a drawn-out battle in a key eastern city, Russia could begin building international support for a deal that could require Ukraine to make unacceptable compromises.