The reality of being a criminal defendant on trial finally dawned on Trump.  He didn't take it well.  —  Donald Trump will spend most of this spring in a drab county courtroom, and he's not happy about it.  —  Donald Trump is learning a hard lesson: Criminal defendants don't get to set their own schedules.

Johnson gambles on plan separating Israel aid from Ukraine funds  —  Marjorie Taylor Greene called the decision to put four different foreign aid bills on the floor a ‘scam,’ but it's unclear whether she will try to oust Johnson for it  —  After months of inaction, House Speaker Mike Johnson unveiled …

Who pays on Tax Day  —  Yesterday was the last day for Americans to file their 2023 taxes on time.  What is the biggest difference between Tax Day this year and Tax Day in 1980?  Millionaires pay a lot less.  —  Between 1945 and 1980, American households that made $1 million or more paid …

Supreme Court takes its deepest plunge into Jan. 6, with possible implications for Trump  —  The Supreme Court is expected to grapple Tuesday in detail for the first time with the chaos and violence of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol when it hears arguments in a case that could upend hundreds …

US Supreme Court lets Idaho enforce ban on transgender care for minors  —  The conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court on Monday let a Republican-backed law in Idaho that criminalizes gender-affirming care for transgender minors broadly take effect after a federal judge blocked it as unconstitutional.

Verified pro-Nazi X accounts flourish under Elon Musk  —  An NBC News review identified 150 verified “Premium” accounts that have posted or amplified pro-Nazi content.  —  Elon Musk's X is a thriving hub for Nazi support and propaganda, with paid subscribers sharing speeches by Adolf Hitler or content praising his genocidal regime.

Number of homicides plummets in major U.S. cities … - Polls show crime is a top concern ahead of the 2024 election — and it's an issue where Republicans regularly edge Democrats. … - At this pace, the murder rate in the U.S. could match its level in 2014 when many cities saw 30-year lows in violent crime and homicides.

Powerful conservative funds hand out millions to pro-Trump far-right groups  —  Groups led by Stephen Miller and Charlie Kirk among recipients of large sums from Bradley Foundation and Bradley Impact Fund  —  Two powerful conservative non-profits have donated millions of dollars to a number …

Maine joins effort to elect president by popular vote with new law  —  Maine will become the latest state to join an interstate effort to elect the nation's president by a popular vote, Gov. Janet Mills (D) announced Monday.  —  Mills said she will allow the legislation to become law without her signature …

Senate Democrats plot $79M advertising onslaught to hold on in November  —  After the retirement of Sen. Joe Manchin, Democrats' easiest path to holding the Senate is making sure all of their other incumbents win reelection.  —  Senate Democrats' campaign arm is launching …

Sydney mall attack: Confronting pro-Kremlin troll on false claims Jewish student was killer  —  Simeon Boikov, known as Aussie Cossack online, fled to the Russian consulate in Sydney last year  —  “I never falsely suggested anything,” Simeon Boikov tells me.

Democrats seek to seize control of deadlocked Michigan House in special elections  —  Democratic lawmakers are hoping to win back a majority in the deadlocked Michigan House and regain control of the state government in two special elections on Tuesday.  Democrat Mai Xiong is taking …

A tax mystery: Why are fewer people getting refunds?  —  The number of people who owe the government has also been rising.  —  If it seems like you're not getting a tax refund like you used to, you're not alone.  —  The share of taxpayers who get money back at tax time is slowly and, a little mysteriously, shrinking.

Trump's Truth Social Stock Is Plummeting — Again  —  The company's stock value tanked 18% after it announced a plan to add more shares.  —  LOADING  —  Shares of Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of Donald Trump's Truth Social platform, plummeted Monday …

They quit liberal public schools.  Now they teach kids to be anti-'woke.'  —  SOUTHWEST FLORIDA — Kali Fontanilla repeated the lesson title to herself one last time — “'A Com-plete History of Slavery in America'” — sipped her peppermint tea and hit record.

Crickets from Chirp Systems in Smart Lock Key Leak  —  The U.S. government is warning that “smart locks” securing entry to an estimated 50,000 dwellings nationwide contain hard-coded credentials that can be used to remotely open any of the locks.  The lock's maker Chirp Systems remains unresponsive …

Audit cites potential legal violations in purchase of $19,000 lectern for Arkansas governor  —  LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' office potentially violated state laws on purchasing, state property and government records when it purchased a $19,000 lectern …

With Trump in court, Biden begins campaign blitz in highly contested Pennsylvania  —  WASHINGTON ― While Donald Trump remains in a New York courtroom, President Joe Biden is taking his campaign to Pennsylvania, the biggest battleground of the 2024 election, to hammer the former president …