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

House Republicans punt on national abortion ban amid fears of 2024 backlash  —  House Republicans are abandoning a years-long push by their party to pass a federal abortion ban and are exploring other ways to advance their anti-abortion agenda - a remarkable shift that underscores how the GOP …

Lindsey Graham Erupts at CNN's Dana Bash in Tense Exchange Over Abortion Access  —  ‘NO!  NO!  NO!’  —  Graham touted false claims and resorted to attacking the media when asked about abortion.  —  When pressed on abortion rights during a tense CNN interview on Sunday, Sen. Lindsey Graham …

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.

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 …

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.

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.

GOP Governor Just Comes Out And Says It: ‘Donald Trump Is A Loser’  —  New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) didn't hold back on Sunday and called former President Donald Trump that one word that gets to him more than any others: a loser.  That's why Trump has never conceded the 2020 election.

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.

‘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

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.

Our lawmakers are more religious than we are  —  Members of Congress are more Christian — and more religious — than the American public by wide margins, according to an analysis of data reviewed by Axios. … - It also shows how the nation's two-party system, with its partisan primaries …

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.

Top Court Rules Against Israel's Ban on Palestinians From Joint Memorial Day Event  —  Defense Minister Yoav Gallant's refusal to let bereaved Palestinian families enter Israel to participate in memorial ceremony is opposed by the attorney general  —  Israel's Supreme Court granted a petition …

Lula's stance on Ukraine war mars his Iberian trip  —  Brazilian president's intransigence highlights EU's difficulty convincing global south to hold Russia accountable  —  Brazil's president is touring the Iberian peninsula in an attempt to boost ties with the EU, but his persistent claims …

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 …

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 …