What Mitt Romney Saw in the Senate  —  In an exclusive excerpt from my forthcoming biography of the senator, Romney: A Reckoning, he reveals what drove him to retire.  —  For most of his life, Mitt Romney has nursed a morbid fascination with his own death, suspecting that it might assert itself one day suddenly and violently.

Video shows Lauren Boebert giving the middle finger to an usher after being kicked out of a performance of ‘Beetlejuice’  — Rep. Lauren Boebert was escorted out of a performance of “Beetlejuice” in Denver over the weekend.  — Surveillance footage shows her giving the middle finger to an usher as she leaves the venue.

The deep state tells Biden to retire  —  It's the worst-kept secret in Washington.  —  Joe Biden is too old to be president.  His increasing senility cannot be hidden from the public any longer.  Recent polling indicates that more than two-thirds of Democrats think Biden is too elderly to serve another term in the Oval Office.

DeSantis took undisclosed private flights and lodging through wealthy donors  —  The trips included a private flight to the prestigious home of the Masters tournament, with an overnight stay and a round of golf  —  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took at least six undisclosed trips on private jets …

Threats mount against prosecutors and FBI agents working on Hunter Biden probe  —  The FBI has created a stand-alone unit to investigate threats from members of the public who think agents and prosecutors haven't been tough enough on the president's son.  —  Prosecutors and FBI agents involved …

Judge rejects request to try all Trump Georgia defendants together next month  —  A state judge on Thursday rejected prosecutors' request to try all 19 defendants together in the Georgia 2020 election interference case next month.  —  “The Court joins the skepticism expressed by several federal courts …

Texas was state with most book bans in 2022, report shows  —  Number of book challenges nationwide doubled from 2021 as book ban movement gathers speed in Republican-led states  —  Texas made the most attempts to ban or restrict books in 2022, according to a new report from the American Library Association (ALA).

A closer look at California's $267 million war on “organized retail crime”  —  On Tuesday, California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) announced the state would spend hundreds of millions of dollars to combat “organized retail crime.”  More than $267 million will be distributed in grants to 55 cities and counties across the state.

House Republicans wrestle with key decisions as they plot next steps on impeachment inquiry  —  House Speaker Kevin McCarthy unilaterally gave his conference the green light to launch an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.  Now the harder work begins.

Trump has large lead over Haley, other Republicans in South Carolina, poll finds  —  Another 10 percent support South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, while 9 percent back Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose campaign has struggled  —  South Carolina Republican voters favor Donald Trump over his field …

DeSantis: Criminalizing women for getting abortions ‘will not happen in Florida’  —  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said Wednesday that he does not support criminalizing abortion in his state.  —  “We have no criminal penalty,” he said in a CBS News interview.  “The penalties are for the physician.”

Federal judge again declares Obama-era DACA program unlawful  —  A federal judge in Texas ruled Wednesday that a regulation intended to preserve the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program is unlawful, delivering a major blow to the Biden administration.

DeSantis and top Fla. health official warn against COVID shots for people under 65  —  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and the state's surgeon general are advising against the use of updated COVID-19 vaccines for anyone under the age of 65, a move that counters a new recommendation from the Centers …

Elon Musk Slammed by Second Country in Disastrous Week for Diplomacy  —  The world's richest man drew a rebuke from Taiwan's foreign ministry just days after being called out by Ukrainian officials.  —  The foreign minister of Taiwan has called out Elon Musk directly after the billionaire appeared …

In private meetings, Manchin grapples with his political future  —  Whether he runs for reelection or president, the Democratic senator has signaled he would probably leave the party and run as an independent  —  Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) is having trouble making a decision about his political future.

What Republicans are doing to Wisconsin is a warning sign to all Americans  —  The state's so gerrymandered that Republicans can lose the popular vote and win supermajorities.  Now they want to impeach a liberal justice before she's ruled on a single case  —  f you need a reminder …

Haley gets a bounce in New Hampshire — right into the veepstakes  —  Even supporters of Trump's rivals talk about them like potential vice presidents.  —  MERRIMACK, N.H. — Nikki Haley is finally getting a bounce in New Hampshire.  It's just not the one she wants.

In Poland, Testing Women for Abortion Drugs Is a Reality.  It Could Happen Here.  —  Nearly three years ago, Poland's Constitutional Tribunal effectively ended legal abortion in the country.  Since then, the Polish government has vigorously repressed the nation's reproductive rights movement …