The Texas Legislature Finally Comes for Ken Paxton  —  The Texas attorney general has spent nearly eight years—and won two elections—under indictment.  So why a vote to impeach now?  —  At the start of this week, the Texas Legislature was sliding toward the conclusion of yet another underwhelming, but basically normal, session.

‘Trump Bucks’ promise wealth for MAGA loyalty.  Some lose thousands.  —  The products are advertised online as a kind of golden ticket that will help propel Trump's 2024 bid and make the “real patriots” who support him rich when cashed in.  —  In the recesses of the internet …

Scoop: Sinema enters debt ceiling negotiations  —  Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) has inserted herself into the debt ceiling negotiations, working with both sides to try to bridge differences on permitting reform, according to people familiar with the matter.

Ukraine's Top Commander Signals Counteroffensive Could Be Imminent  —  A blunt statement, accompanied by a slickly produced video of Ukrainian troops preparing for battle, appeared designed to rally the nation and to spread anxiety among Russian forces.  —  Reporting from Kyiv, Ukraine, and Washington

The ugly proxy war over Feinstein's Senate seat  —  The California senator's health and a promise Gov. Gavin Newsom made two years ago is complicating the state's first real Democratic primary in decades.  —  LOS ANGELES — California Gov. Gavin Newsom may soon earn the rare distinction …

India official drains entire dam to retrieve phone  —  A government official in India has been suspended after he ordered a reservoir to be drained to retrieve his phone.  —  It took three days to pump millions of litres of water out of the dam, after Rajesh Vishwas dropped the device while taking a selfie.

Scientists find way to make energy from air using nearly any material  —  Nearly any material can be used to turn the energy in air humidity into electricity, scientists found in a discovery that could lead to continuously producing clean energy with little pollution.

Yellen's Debt Limit Warnings Went Unheeded, Leaving Her to Face Fallout  —  The Treasury secretary, who considered ways to contain the fallout of a default when she was a Fed official in 2011, had urged Democrats to raise the limit while they still had control of Congress.

Patriot Front member pleads guilty to child pornography charges in Utah  —  SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah man arrested last year in Idaho with members of a white nationalist group has admitted to possessing child pornography.  —  Jared M. Boyce, 28, of Springville, pleaded guilty in a Utah court …

Mata v. Avianca, Inc. (1:22-cv-01461)  —  District Court, S.D. New York  —  Citation: Mata v. Avianca, Inc., 1:22-cv-01461, (S.D.N.Y.)  —  Cause: 28:1331 Fed.  Question  —  Nature of Suit: 310 Airplane  —  Jurisdiction Type: Federal Question … Document Number  —  Date Filed

Attacks on trans athletes have little basis in science  —  Experts say a paucity of research on transgender athletes makes it difficult to determine if trans women actually are faster or stronger.  The science is even murkier for young athletes.  —  Two female runners competing …

Rep. Matt Gaetz Guest-Hosts on Newsmax, Network Insider Calls It the 'Worst Idea I've Heard in a Long Time'  —  Newsmax viewers who tuned in to watch Greg Kelly Reports on Friday at 10 p.m. were not greeted by Greg Kelly, but by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL).  —  While it is not unusual …

Harris, 1st woman to give commencement speech at West Point, welcomes cadets to ‘unsettled world’  —  In her speech, Harris touched on the importance of having institutions reflect the diversity of the broader United States, making the comment at an institution that has made slow progress diversifying …

SoundCloud  —  Team DeSantis' hosted a donor briefing, but after analyzing leaked audio and slides presented to the attendees, the presentation failed to articulate a path to victory, leaving donors to ask questions and getting few direct answers.  —  Genre  —  Is there a transcript avaiable in any location?

Charlie Kirk's TPUSA Teamed Up With a Registered Sex Offender  —  Kirk decried the sexualization of kids at his Pastors Summit.  The founder of one of its sponsors was convicted of attempted “coercion and enticement” of a minor  —  TURNING POINT USA CEO Charlie Kirk is cheerleading …

‘Chilling effect’: National experts decry decision against abortion doctor Caitlin Bernard  —  Johnny Magdaleno Brittany CarloniIndianapolis Star  —  Dressed in white coats, Drs. Tracey Wilkinson and Caroline Rouse were among the first to arrive at Caitlin Bernard's Thursday hearing in front of the Indiana medical licensing board.

Biden keeps turning his political enemies into ‘terrorists’  —  The Biden administration refuses to believe those who threaten Supreme Court justices, vandalize churches or firebomb pregnancy centers are domestic terrorists.  —  Instead, it labels parents concerned about their children as terrorists.

Lev Parnas claims text messages show close ties to Ron DeSantis  —  MIAMI - “This is really the first time I'm [talking about] Ron DeSantis because it was primarily all Trump, Trump, Trump,” Lev Parnas told me this week.  “And now that Ron's running for president, I feel it's my duty to finally get the truth out there.”

Tuberville on inner city teachers: 'I don't know whether they can read and write'  —  U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville in a wide-ranging interview with Donald Trump Jr. on Thursday decried the quality of public school education, saying children today are “addicted” to social media and yet don't have basic proficiency in math and reading.

The $20 Billion Scam At The Heart Of Medicare Advantage  —  As Medicare privatization continues, insurers are milking massive profits from systematic overbilling and kneecapping modest Biden proposals to stop the scheme.  —  The health insurance behemoth Humana enjoyed a banner 2022.