Gunman killed neighbors, child with AR-15-style rifle, sheriff says  —  A man using an AR-15-style weapon shot and killed five people Friday, including an 8-year-old — an angry response to the neighbors' request that he stop shooting in his yard while their baby was trying to sleep, Texas authorities said Saturday.

He blew the whistle on Trump's Truth Social.  Now he works at Starbucks.  —  The former high-ranking executive of Trump's media company says he's shared 150,000 internal documents with federal investigators.  Many of his new strip-mall coworkers have no idea who he is.

Top Fox Hosts Are Telling Friends They Could Be the Next to Go  —  Leak hunts, “snitches,” and anxiety reigned in the week after Fox fired Tucker Carlson … Management is on the prowl for leakers.  And the leakers themselves are dodging “snitches” by putting fake names in their phone to hide incoming calls from reporters.

The Kyrsten Sinema Theory of American Politics  —  Kyrsten Sinema knows what everybody says about her.  She pretends not to read the press coverage—"I don't really care"—but she knows.  She knows what her colleagues call her behind her back ("egomaniac," “traitor").

As Biden Runs Again, Black Voters' Frustration Bubbles  —  In interviews, Black voters, organizers and elected officials pointed to what some saw as unkept promises — raising questions about the enthusiasm of Democrats' most loyal voters.  —  President Biden began his re-election campaign …

The weight bias against women in the workforce is real — and it's only getting worse  —  “Pat, you think I eat too much?”  Ginni Rometty asked her boss Pat O'Brien at IBM, more than 30 years ago.  —  O'Brien was talking to Rometty about her weight, exhorting her to get in “good physical shape” …

Federal judge blocks Illinois assault weapons ban  —  A federal judge has temporarily blocked an assault weapons ban in Illinois, ruling that multiple plaintiffs who sued alleging that the law violates their Second Amendment rights have a “reasonable likelihood” to succeed in their argument.

LeRoy Carhart, abortion doctor whose battles reached Supreme Court, dies at 81  —  LeRoy Carhart, a former Air Force surgeon who later became one of the country's few specialists in late-term abortions, defying threats and protests while spearheading two cases that went to the Supreme Court …

How the Trump Years Weakened the Media  —  Reporters are on the side of the good guys, but they need to try harder to stay there.  —  Reporters raise their hands to ask questions during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on April 26.  Francis Chung/POLITICO

Republicans Effectively Voted to Raise Taxes.  They're Fine With That.  —  House GOP backed repealing clean-energy tax credits without offsetting tax cuts  —  WASHINGTON—Republicans finally found a tax increase they can support.  —  The party, united for decades around the view …

Defaulting on the national debt is much closer than anyone realizes  —  House Republicans and Senate Democrats cannot even agree whether they need to negotiate on the debt limit  —  Congressional bureau chief  —  Washington is lurching dangerously close to a self-induced financial calamity.

George Santos, Instead of Shrinking From the Spotlight, Steps Into It  —  Mr. Santos seems to be testing whether his notoriety will translate into a form of celebrity, if not eventual acceptance.  —  WASHINGTON — As he strode into a bar packed with margarita-sipping young Republicans here the other night …

Yale Law School Accepted a Donation for Clarence Thomas's Portrait.  Five Years Later, the Painting Is Nowhere To Be Seen.  —  In the spring of 2018, Yale Law School dean Heather Gerken happily acknowledged the receipt of a donation from the Texas billionaire Harlan Crow to fund the commission …

Spain is 1st Black woman to lead South Carolina Democrats  —  Christale Spain, a longtime party operative, was elected Saturday as chair of South Carolina's Democratic Party, becoming the first Black woman to lead the organization in what will be the Democrats' leadoff presidential voting state in 2024.

April 28, 2023  —  According to the nonpartisan Economic Policy Institute, legislatures in at least ten states have set out to weaken federal child labor laws.  In the first three months of 2023, legislators in Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, and South Dakota introduced bills …

The North Carolina Supreme Court Signs Off on a Political Gerrymander  —  We've talked about the North Carolina gerrymandering case, also called the independent state legislature theory case, that the Supreme Court is considering this term and how the Court's continued jurisdiction was compromised …

Senator Patty Murray says it's impossible to keep the economy growing without affordable, well-paid childcare  — Senator Patty Murray is once again pushing legislation to make childcare affordable and accessible.  — Under her proposal, costs would be capped, new centers could open, and workers would earn more.

Prosecutors in Jan. 6 Case Step up Inquiry Into Trump Fund-Raising  —  The Justice Department has been gathering evidence about whether the former president and his allies solicited donations with claims of election fraud they knew to be false.  —  As they investigate former President Donald …

Montana Governor Signs Law Banning Transgender Care for Minors  —  Gov. Greg Gianforte had been urged by his son, who is nonbinary, to reject the bill.  A transgender lawmaker was barred from the House floor after the debate.  —  HELENA, Mont. — The Republican governor of Montana …