State Rep. Bryan Slaton resigns ahead of expulsion vote over inappropriate relationship with aide  —  Slaton faced the prospect of becoming the first Texas House member to be expelled since 1927.  —  Rep. Bryan Slaton resigned from the Texas House on Monday after an investigation determined …

GOP Senator Cassidy Pushing to End Biden Student Debt Relief  —  A Republican senator accused President Joe Biden of “mortgaging our country's financial health” by extending a pause in student loan payments while he pursues a plan to cancel some of the loan debt, though he acknowledged …

Ron DeSantis bets big on his Disney feud  —  Interviews with voters, along with three polls, show strong GOP support for DeSantis over Disney in their fight, despite skepticism from some donors and strategists.  —  LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has heard plenty of warnings from donors …

Georgia GOP chairman says he was just following orders from Trump lawyers  —  Lawyers representing David Shafer, the embattled chairman of the Georgia Republican Party, are arguing their client should not be charged with any crimes for his actions following the 2020 election …

Trump prohibited from posting evidence in hush money case to social media, judge rules  —  Judge Juan Merchan largely sided with a request from the Manhattan district attorney's office regarding what Trump can publicly say about aspects of the case.  —  The New York state judge presiding …

The food fight in the White House: Biden's diet  —  There's a delicious (surf and) turf battle inside the Biden White House — over the president's plate.  — The food fight has pitted Joe Biden — who prefers carbs over greens — against First Lady Jill Biden, who has been pushing …

Incel nation  —  One problem I have with the whole “mental illness” frame for talking about mass shooters, is that the “mental illness” often appears to be garden variety authoritarian ethno-nationalist misogyny, with the misogyny being the really critical ideological lynchpin (h/t commenter Karen from Texas):

Kanye West treasurer resigns, alleges possible ‘unlawful’ campaign transaction  —  The head of the rapper's political operation denies any wrongdoing.  —  Patrick Krason, the treasurer for Kanye West's still-active presidential campaign account, told a federal regulator he had resigned on Monday …

Exclusive: McConnell details GOP efforts to not ‘screw this up’ in 2024 Senate battle  —  Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell should be brimming with confidence.  —  Republicans are in the driver's seat to take the Senate majority: with 23 seats held by Democrats, compared to just 11 for Republicans.

Government charges ‘Pink Beret’ Jan. 6 rioter IDed after an ex spotted her in a viral FBI tweet  —  An ex of Jennifer Inzunza Vargas Geller told NBC News that he recognized the woman in a tweet on his friend's phone while standing in line at a Joann Fabric and Crafts store.

Former Navy reservist sentenced to additional 4 years for Jan. 6 riot  —  Prosecutors described Hatchet Speed as an avowed antisemite,  —  A former Navy reservist who the government said expressed admiration for Hitler, among other antisemitic views, was sentenced to four years in prison …

Why Texas, a clean energy powerhouse, is about to hit the brakes  —  The state's clean energy boom could be impeded by Texas leaders' push for legislation that would boost natural gas and place new restrictions on wind and solar projects  —  Already No. 1 in wind power …

Why non-White people might advocate white supremacy  —  Police have identified the man who shot and killed at least eight people at an outlet mall in Allen, Tex., over the weekend as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia.  —  Garcia was killed at the scene, meaning that efforts to determine the motivation for his actions are slower to emerge.

Under the Radar, Right-Wing Push to Tighten Voting Laws Persists  —  The clashes in state capitals have faded, but the Republican push for stricter state election laws is organized and planning for the long term.  —  The first recent wave of legislation tightening voting laws came in 2021 …

Democratic donors hope to recruit NBA legends Grant Hill and Dwyane Wade to run for Senate in Florida  —  Hill and Wade are unlikely to run, but some party operatives see their star power as key to defeating Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla.  —  NBA legends Dwyane Wade and Grant Hill have rocketed …

Governor Ron DeSantis Cracks Down on Communist China  —  BROOKSVILLE, Fla. — Today, Governor DeSantis signed three bills to counteract the malign influence of the Chinese Communist Party in the state of Florida.  Last year, Governor DeSantis called on the Legislature to build upon the efforts …

Gunman in Texas shooting was discharged from Army after 3 months  —  Officials are still trying to piece together the shooter's motivations and investigating suspected links to white supremacists.  —  ALLEN, Tex. — The gunman who killed eight people at an outlet mall in suburban Dallas …

North Dakota governor signs bill restricting transgender pronouns, bathroom use  —  North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) on Monday signed a bill that allows public school teachers and state government employees to misgender transgender students and colleagues, and it bars transgender young people …