Losing Ballot Issues on Abortion, G.O.P. Now Tries to Keep Them Off the Ballot  —  After abortion rights supporters swept six ballot measures last year, Republican legislatures seek to make it harder to get on the ballot, and harder to win if there is a vote.

Gun Violence Is Actually Worse in Red States.  It's Not Even Close.  —  America's regions are poles apart when it comes to gun deaths and the cultural and ideological forces that drive them.  —  POLITICO illustration/Source: Nationhood Lab at Salve Regina University

Gun Idolatry Is Destroying the Case for Guns  —  On June 26, 2018, our family experienced one of the most terrifying nights of our lives.  It began with a strange and chilling direct message to our son — an image of three Klan hoods.  That was strange enough, but sadly not all that surprising.

US evacuating diplomats in Sudan amid fierce fighting  —  U.S. troops are carrying out a precarious evacuation of American embassy staffers in the African nation of Sudan, shuttering the U.S. embassy there as fighting rages for a ninth day, according to a senior Biden administration official.

Graham spars with CNN's Dana Bash over abortion pill ruling  —  Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) sparred with CNN's Dana Bash over the recent abortion pill ruling, questioning whether the Food and Drug Administration has gone “too far” in approving the medication.

NBC News poll: Nearly 70% of GOP voters stand behind Trump amid indictment, investigations  —  But large majorities of all Americans are sour on a Trump v. Biden rematch in 2024.  —  A whopping two-thirds of Republican primary voters say they stand behind former President Donald Trump …

McCarthy's debt ceiling plan is theater unworthy of a high school gym  —  When Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) nominated Kevin McCarthy for House speaker on the eighth ballot in January's 15-ballot spectacle, he spoke words meant to reassure the party's right-wing holdouts about the California Republican.

Five takeaways from the Supreme Court's abortion pill ruling  —  The Supreme Court's decision is good for science and especially good for women.  —  Late Friday, the Supreme Court wisely left the abortion medication mifepristone fully available on the market, at least for the months ahead.

‘Kids Were Marched Everywhere.  This Was a Concentration Camp.’  —  In 1819, the federal government instituted a program of state-sponsored abductions and forced assimilation of Native American children.  It lasted 150 years and spawned a legacy of horrific abuse.  Now, survivors and their descendants are speaking out

Trump Defends Push To Restrict Abortion Rights After Rebuke  —  Donald Trump, stinging from a rebuke by a leading anti-abortion group, used a speech in Iowa to spotlight his actions as president to try to restrict abortion rights.  —  Donald Trump, stinging from a rebuke …

Chinese Censorship Is Quietly Rewriting the Covid-19 Story  —  Under government pressure, Chinese scientists have retracted studies and withheld or deleted data.  The censorship has stymied efforts to understand the virus.  —  Mara Hvistendahl, an investigative reporter who has worked …

Inside the pro-DeSantis super PAC that could make or break his 2024 run  —  There's no Ron DeSantis presidential campaign yet, but there is a Donald Trump one and it's attacking him daily.  That makes “Never Back Down,” the top super PAC supporting his expected run, an especially crucial player …

Sacklers Gave Millions to Institution That Advises on Opioid Policy  —  Even as the nation's drug crisis mounted, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine continued to accept funds from some members of the Sackler family, including those involved with Purdue Pharma.

Shifting production from China is impossible, says shipping boss  —  Beijing's world trade dominance will make cutting it out of global supply chains a tough task  —  Companies are expanding production outside of China to reduce the risk from rising geopolitical tensions …

Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, April 22, 2023  —  April 22, 9pm ET  —  Click here to see ISW's interactive map of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.  This map is updated daily alongside the static maps present in this report.  —  Click here to access ISW's archive of interactive …

Wagner group surges in Africa as U.S. influence fades, leak reveals  —  The Wagner group is moving aggressively to establish a “confederation” of anti-Western states in Africa as the Russian mercenaries foment instability while using their paramilitary and disinformation capabilities …