Senate Republicans block bipartisan border package, scuttling deal they had demanded from Democrats  —  Senate Republicans blocked a bipartisan border package Wednesday, scuttling months of negotiations with Democrats on legislation intended to cut back record numbers of illegal border crossings.

Putin interview with Tucker Carlson shows Kremlin outreach to Trump's GOP  —  MOSCOW — As Russian state television propagandists salivated over Tucker Carlson's interview with President Vladimir Putin, the first of Carlson's falsehoods about his visit to Moscow was punctured, fittingly enough …

The Memo: Former Trump White House lawyer predicts crushing defeat at Supreme Court  —  A former attorney for the Trump White House predicts that the Supreme Court will rule unanimously against the 45th president on his claims to be immune from criminal prosecution.

Behind the border mess: Open GOP rebellion against McConnell  —  The Republican leader told POLITICO that his critics “had their shot” already.  But conservatives are not done whacking him over the immigration-for-Ukraine aid implosion.  —  Conservative hardliners once celebrated Mitch McConnell …

Judge denies Trump's motion for mistrial  —  Judge Lewis Kaplan on Wednesday denied former President Trump's motion for a mistrial following Trump's conviction for defaming E. Jean Carroll.  —  Trump's attorney Alina Habba moved for a mistrial after Carroll testified she had deleted …

Speaker Johnson: We Were Counting on Democrat to Be In Emergency Surgery During Impeachment Vote  —  A ghoulish way to run the government.  —  Speaker Mike Johnson and House Republicans were shocked as their impeachment resolution against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas went …

The Road to the General Election  —  NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist National Poll  —  Biden Competitive with Trump, Haley... Biden Opens Up Lead if Trump is Convicted  —  President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump remain in a statistical tie among registered voters nationally.

After Libs of TikTok posted, at least 21 bomb threats followed  —  The FBI and local law enforcement said bomb threats across the country have tied up government resources even when they turn out to be hoaxes.  —  Last March, police in Coralville, Iowa, investigated a bomb threat targeting a junior high school.

Lankford Reveals Threat from ‘Popular Commentator’ Over Border Security Negotiations  —  ‘If you try to move a bill that solves the border crisis during this presidential year, I will do whatever I can to destroy you’  —  Senator James Lankford (R-OK), who has been the lead Republican negotiating …

Former GOP representative mulling comeback bid in Montana  —  Denny Rehberg, who served in the House from 2001 to 2013, is considering a run for the seat Matt Rosendale is expected to vacate.  —  A familiar name might be returning to the ballot in Montana — after an nearly 12-year absence from politics.

The right-wing misreading of ‘Blazing Saddles’ is so telling  —  Editor's Note: Noah Berlatsky (@nberlat) is a freelance writer in Chicago.  The views expressed here are his own.  View more opinion on CNN.  —  CNN —  On social media at least, Mel Brooks' classic “Blazing Saddles” …

Justice Department Announces Charges and Arrest in Two Separate Illicit Technology Transfer Schemes to Benefit Governments of China and Iran  —  For Immediate Release  —  Cases Mark One-Year Since Launch of Disruptive Technology Strike Force  —  In two separate cases out of U.S. Attorneys' Offices …

Biden sets tighter standards for deadly soot pollution from tailpipes, smokestacks  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is setting tougher standards for deadly soot pollution, saying that reducing fine particle matter from tailpipes, smokestacks and other industrial sources could prevent thousands of premature deaths a year.

Jeanine Pirro Stuns Fox News Co-Hosts by Calling Black Colleague an ‘Oreo’  —  During a Fox News segment on how New York Mayor Eric Adams applauded his “chocolate” administration, things got a bit awkward.  —  Fox News host Jeanine Pirro called her Black colleague an “Oreo” …

Russia Is Boosting Calls for ‘Civil War’ Over Texas Border Crisis  —  An all-encompassing Russian disinformation campaign is using everything from bots to lifestyle influencers to powerful state-run media to sow division in the United States.  —  A Russian disinformation campaign …

Man awarded $25 million after Oklahoma newspaper mistakenly identified him as sports announcer who made racist comments  —  An Oklahoma jury awarded a man $25 million on Monday after finding the state's largest newspaper defamed him when they mistakenly identified him as the announcer …

Inside the deadly new GOP plan to rapidly privatize Medicare  —  Want to invest in a scam that lets you make billions with virtually no risk?  If you're morbidly rich, all you have to do is to open or buy an insurance company that's offering Medicare Advantage plans.

Pluralistic: The CHIPS Act treats the symptoms, but not the causes (07 Feb 2024)  — The CHIPS Act treats the symptoms, but not the causes: Monopoly destroyed America's high-tech capacity.  — Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.  — This day in history: 2004, 2009, 2014, 2019, 2023