Playbook: Why Ukraine aid is headed nowhere fast  —  With help from Eli Okun, Garrett Ross and Bethany Irvine  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  SUOZZILAND — After a failed governor run and a second chance granted by the grace of GEORGE SANTOS, veteran New York Democrat TOM SUOZZI is headed …

Lara Trump says she'd spend ‘every single penny’ of RNC funds to elect father-in-law  —  Lara Trump on Tuesday doubled down on her support for her father-in-law, former President Trump, vowing to spend “every single penny” of Republican National Committee (RNC) funds to reelect him to the White House.

New documents underscore why the Supreme Court must let Jack Smith's Trump case move forward  —  January 6 was just the tip of the iceberg — Trump's criminal conspiracy was sprawling  —  Despite taking their own sweet time to render what should have been a five-minute decision ruling …

Statement from President Joe Biden on House GOP's Baseless Impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas  —  History will not look kindly on House Republicans for their blatant act of unconstitutional partisanship that has targeted an honorable public servant in order to play petty political games.

Lindsey Graham, a longtime foreign policy hawk, bows to Trump on Ukraine  —  The shift sends another warning sign to U.S. allies about the isolationist posture spreading within the Republican Party  —  Last May, Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) visited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv …

High School Girls Basketball Team Quits After Crowd Allegedly Spews Racial Slurs  —  School officials in Scarsdale and East Ramapo have announced an investigation into the incident.  —  A high school girls' basketball game in Scarsdale, New York came to an early finish on Saturday …

Extending our Mastodon social media trial  —  In July 2023 we announced our plan to establish a BBC presence in the distributed collection of social networks known as the Fediverse, a collection of social media applications all linked together by common protocols, as part of our research into social technologies.

After facing off with Senate ‘Freedom Caucus’, McConnell urges Johnson on Ukraine  —  But the GOP leader did not push the speaker to bring up the Senate-passed foreign aid bill, specifically.  —  The Ukraine fight has been a painful one for Mitch McConnell, fueling conservative calls …

Democrats on track to maintain majority in Pennsylvania state House  —  Democratic school board member Jim Prokopiak appeared on track to represent Pennsylvania's 140th state House district in Tuesday's special election, signaling the party will likely maintain its majority in the state's lower chamber.

‘The Campaign Is a Mess’: RFK Jr. Hit With Staff Exodus Over ‘Lavish Spending’ and ‘Amateurish’ Leadership  —  Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s campaign is in disarray amid an exodus of campaign workers who say disorganization, lavish spending, amateurish leadership, and a severe disconnect between …

GOP Congressman Spews Racist Screed on Fall of “Western Civilization”  —  Texas Republican Representative Chip Roy may have stirred up disunity in the GOP earlier this year with his threats to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson, but he's in lockstep with the rest of his party on one thing …

Jared Kushner Says He Won't Be Part of a Second Trump White House  —  He said he's enjoyed being “out of the spotlight.”  —  Jared Kushner says he wouldn't take a role in a hypothetical second Trump administration, explaining that he's enjoyed being out of the glare of constant public scrutiny …

Ex-French President Sarkozy Appeals Prison Term, Says Lawyer  —  Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy appealed a one-year prison sentence over illegal campaign financing that was partly upheld, to the country's highest court.  —  The Paris Court of Appeal backed the 12-month sentence …

NATO Allies Ramp Up Defense Budgets Amid Worries About Trump  — Announcement follows Trump's threats to under-spenders  — NATO allies already discussing measures in case Trump returns  —  A record 18 out of NATO's 31 countries are expected to meet the alliance's defense spending goal this year …

It took me three tries to register to vote — and I'm a voting reporter  —  Votebeat is a nonprofit news organization reporting on voting access and election administration across the U.S.  —  A version of this post was originally distributed in Votebeat's free weekly newsletter.

Immigration Leads Reasons Biden's Detractors Disapprove  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — As President Joe Biden starts his reelection year with more Americans disapproving than approving of how he is handling his job, Gallup finds his detractors mainly focused on issues when explaining their view …