FL CFO Backs Bill to Use Tax Dollars to Pay for Trump's Legal Defense  —  This is just gross.  —  Florida's Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis announced today that he is supporting State Senator Ileana Garcia's bill SB 1740 to create a “Florida Freedom Fighter's Fund” …

The Inside Story Of Barack Obama's 2024 Campaign Calculations  —  ‘Existential’ fears, a focus on young people, and a history of helping Biden behind the scenes  —  Barack Obama is worried about America in 2024.  —  This is an “all hands on deck moment,” a source close to former President Obama told TPM, describing his thinking.

U.S. Supreme Court says Texas can't block federal agents from the border  —  The high court's order effectively maintains long-running precedent that the federal government — not individual states — has authority to enforce border security.  —  The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday ordered Texas …

The Fall of the House of Dead Bounce Ron  —  I wrote a few days ago that Ron DeSantis's long campaign collapse was likely the most ignominious and vertiginous in the presidential primary era, which dates in stages from the 1960s and early 1970s.  Some skeptics pointed to Jeb! in 2016 or Rudy Giuliani in 2008.

The tide turns on Florida book bans  —  For years, Florida has been at the vanguard of removing books from school libraries.  Florida Republicans, including Governor Ron DeSantis (R), insisted that school librarians were seeking to “groom” children with pornographic materials.

US and British militaries launch new round of joint strikes against multiple Houthi sites in Yemen  —  The U.S. and British militaries bombed multiple targets in eight locations used by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen on Monday night, the second time the two allies have conducted coordinated …

Scoop: Israel proposes 2-month fighting pause in Gaza for release of all hostages  —  Israel has given Hamas a proposal through Qatari and Egyptian mediators that includes up to two months of a pause in the fighting as part of a multi-phase deal that would include the release …

Fetterman's break from the left excites Republicans  —  The Pennsylvania Democrat is straying from liberal orthodoxy on the border and Israel, giving GOP colleagues hope that he might keep surprising them.  —  Republicans once slammed John Fetterman as a “radical socialist” who was “too dangerous” to get elected.

Court pushes back E. Jean Carroll trial, allowing Trump to testify after New Hampshire  —  NEW YORK—Former President Trump's defamation trial brought by E. Jean Carroll won't resume until Wednesday morning, according to a court spokesperson, a timeline that enables Trump to wait until …

Norman Jewison, acclaimed director of ‘In the Heat of the Night’ and ‘Moonstruck,’ dead at 97  —  Norman Jewison, the acclaimed and versatile Canadian-born director whose Hollywood films ranged from Doris Day comedies and “Moonstruck” to such social dramas as the Oscar-winning “In the Heat of the Night,” has died at age 97.

Republicans Push To Legalize ‘Property Owners’ Killing Homeless People in Kentucky  —  In Kentucky, politicians are preparing to vote on a law that would authorize the use of force against unhoused people who are found to be camping on private property.  —  Republican politicians in Kentucky …

Ethics Ratings of Nearly All Professions Down in U.S.  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans' ratings of nearly all 23 professions measured in Gallup's 2023 Honesty and Ethics poll are lower than they have been in recent years.  Only one profession — labor union leaders — has not declined since 2019 …

Appeals Court Revives Mexico's Lawsuit Against Gunmakers  —  The decision, which is likely to be appealed, is one of the most significant setbacks for the gun industry since passage of a federal law that provided immunity from some lawsuits.  —  A federal appeals panel in Boston ruled …

Ron DeSantis Spent More Than $53 Million To Win 23,420 Votes In Iowa  —  It's a conservative estimate that doesn't take into account what DeSantis spent in the final weeks of his campaign.  —  Ron DeSantis ran for president for less than nine months before ending his campaign following the Iowa caucuses …