Trump loses third bid this week to delay hush money trial  —  A New York appeals judge on Wednesday denied Donald Trump's third last-ditch attempt this week to delay his April 15 criminal trial on charges stemming from hush money paid to a porn star, paving the way for the first-ever trial of a former U.S. president.

Arizona Republicans Thwart Attempts to Repeal 1864 Abortion Ban  —  Democrats in both houses of the Legislature were blocked from advancing bills to roll back a reinstated 160-year-old ban on nearly all abortions in the state.  —  A decision by Arizona's highest court upholding an 1864 ban …

Crenshaw says Greene's expulsion threat for ‘attention,’ doesn't have much support  —  Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) said Wednesday that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is seeking “attention” with her expulsion threat against Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).  —  “Right now, I'm not sure …

emptywheel Makes CIPA History  —  Yesterday, Judge Aileen Cannon issued a surly order, acceding to Jack Smith's request to protect witnesses.  In reversing herself, Cannon scolded Smith for not making a more fulsome case to seal information. … Ultimately, Cannon argued the 11th Circuit precedent …

North Carolina 2024: Trump On Upside Of Too-Close-To-Call Race, Quinnipiac University North Carolina Poll Finds; Governor's Race: Stein Leads Robinson 52% - 44%  —  mail_outline  —  In a state considered pivotal to the outcome of the 2024 presidential election, President Joe Biden …

Trump Media director accused of ‘hacking’ files in attempted corporate ‘coup’: lawsuit … This photo illustration shows an image of former President Donald Trump next to a phone screen that is displaying the Truth Social app, in Washington, DC, on February 21, 2022.

Scoop: Biden plans order to limit southern border crossings by end of month … But Biden, briefed on polls of rising voter anger, wants a dramatic step. … - Biden would use authority in Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which gives the president broad leeway …

Shooting at Ramadan event in West Philadelphia leaves 3 injured, 5 in custody, police say  —  PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Three people were shot at the end of a Ramadan event with around 1,000 people in attendance in West Philadelphia's Parkside section Wednesday afternoon, according to police.

Inflation Continues to Climb (Paul Krugman Hardest Hit)  —  Inflation refuses to go away quietly.  The CPI numbers out today are raising concerns that we may not see the soft landing we were hoping for. … The DOW is down more than 500 points today in response to the news.

Klain on Biden: He is focused too much on bridges  —  The former chief of staff praised the president's accomplishments.  But he also wondered whether he had the right focus.  —  Former White House chief of staff Ron Klain openly questioned President Joe Biden's political strategy Tuesday night …

Elon Musk picks his speech battle  —  Happy Wednesday!  Hope your eyes are recovering.  Send news tips to: will.oremus@washpost.com.  —  Though Elon Musk often insists his goal with X is to promote free speech, his actions have rarely been those of the “free-speech absolutist” he once claimed to be.

Senate approves resolution targeting Biden highway climate rule, with Democratic support  —  The Senate on Wednesday passed a measure to nullify a Transportation Department rule targeting highway greenhouse gas emissions.  —  The Senate on Wednesday passed a measure to nullify …

US Sees Missile Strike on Israel By Iran, Proxies as Imminent  — Iran, proxies may strike Israeli military, government sites  — Attack would mark major widening of conflict in Middle East  —  The US and its allies believe major missile or drone strikes by Iran or its proxies …

Moskowitz fires back at Trump over remarks on Jewish Democrats  —  Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) fired back at former President Trump over his latest remarks about Jewish Democrats Wednesday.  —  Trump said any Jewish person who votes for Democrats or President Biden “should have their head examined” …

Exxon Declares War On Its Dissenters  —  ExxonMobil has launched an extraordinary lawsuit against two investment firms for the alleged offense of filing climate-focused shareholder proposals.  The fossil fuel giant's underlying goal: killing a federal regulatory effort that would make it easier …

Nebraska Republicans float special session to revive Trump-backed election rule change  —  The state currently awards some of its electoral college votes by congressional districts, a key backstop for President Joe Biden.  —  Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen is floating a special legislative session …

Congress must let Ukraine win, say Barbra Streisand, Sean Penn, Imagine Dragons, Timothy Snyder and other luminaries  —  Opinion by more than 35 artists, activists, scholars and others … CNN —  Together we call upon Congress to do the right thing.  —  Ukrainians are fighting for their existence.

German police arrest Iraqi couple suspected of genocide for enslaving Yazidi girls  —  German police have arrested an Iraqi couple alleged to be Islamic State members, on suspicion of genocide and crimes against humanity for enslaving two Yazidi girls, federal prosecutors said on Wednesday.