Kristi Noem doubled down on dog-killing to win over MAGA — now her story is backfiring in her face  —  South Dakota's governor gets the sadism of Trump supporters, but screws up by saying the quiet parts out loud  —  Squint hard enough and perhaps one can see how Gov. Kristi Noem, R-S.D. …

FBI data shows America is seeing a ‘considerable’ drop in crime.  Trump says the opposite.  —  Jeff Asher is a New Orleans-based crime data analyst who has worked at the CIA and Department of Defense.  He leans towards caution when describing trends in his line of work.

Ted Cruz Wants Airlines to Keep Your Cash When They Cancel Your Flight  —  Cruz and three other congressional lawmakers offered legislation that could undermine the Biden administration's new airline refund rule  —  AFTER THE BIDEN administration issued a final rule last week …

Trump Holds Edge Over Biden in Seven Key Swing State Polls  —  Home Polls Trump Holds Edge Over Biden in Seven Key Swing State Polls  —  Democrats Maintain Lead over Republicans in Five Senate Races  —  New Emerson College Polling/The Hill swing state polls find President Biden trailing …

Former NSA Employee Sentenced to Over 21 Years in Prison for Attempted Espionage  —  For Immediate Release  —  Jareh Sebastian Dalke, 32, of Colorado Springs, was sentenced today to 262 months in prison for attempted espionage in connections with his efforts to transmit classified National …

GOP lawmakers say Marjorie Taylor Greene's motion to vacate has fizzled … - “Even trolls online have said they don't want it,” one member told Axios.  — “I dont think she's going to do it - I think that window for her has passed,” another argued.

Yet another dubious election deadline maneuver, in Florida  —  The retirement-announcement two-step strikes again  —  Rep. Bill Posey (R-Fla.) staunchly supported challenging the 2020 election results in the run-up to Jan. 6, 2021.  “Running fair and transparent elections is something America must live up to,” he said that day.

How Far Trump Would Go  —  The former President, at Mar-a-Lago on April 12, is rallying the right at home and seeking common cause with autocratic leaders abroad.Photograph by Philip Montgomery for TIME  —  Donald Trump thinks he's identified a crucial mistake of his first term: He was too nice.

Senate Democrats unveil Big Oil report after 3-year investigation … - The joint 66-page report from the Senate Budget and House Oversight Committees claims some of the largest oil companies have internally acknowledged since the 1960s that fossil fuels cause climate change.

Trump says Republicans always wanted to leave abortion law to states.  That's false.  —  Republicans have consistently pushed for national restrictions on abortion, including former President Donald Trump himself.  The 2024 election could give them the opportunity.

Michael Cohen is cashing in on the Trump trial with TikTok livestreams — and it could be a problem  —  “Trump 2024?  More like Trump 20-24 years,” Cohen said on a recent stream.  —  Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's former attorney, appears on a series of TikTok live streams in April, 2024.

India's Modi government operated ‘nest of spies’ in Australia before being disrupted by ASIO  —  abc.net.au/news/modi-government- operated-nest-of-spies-in-australia-/ 103786892  —  Indian spies were kicked out of Australia after being caught trying to steal secrets about sensitive defence projects …

The Maryland Senate race testing Democrats' commitment to diversity  —  David Trone says his money would free up national Democrats to focus on other states — but Angela Alsobrooks would make history.  —  Nearly every major Democrat in Maryland is lining up behind Angela Alsobrooks' attempt …

Senate GOP “Breakfast Club” plots post-McConnell changes … - The Breakfast Club is an unofficial group but it's as close as the Senate gets to the House Freedom Caucus, which has been a persistent thorn in the side of GOP leadership during one of the most chaotic sessions in that chamber's history.

Can former CNN pundit John Avlon flip a Long Island congressional seat blue with his West Wing throwback politics?  —  It was a Saturday afternoon in mid-March, and John Avlon was comparing himself to a Norman Rockwell painting.  “You know,” he told me, the one where “there's the guy standing …

Pelosi accuses MSNBC host of being ‘apologist for Donald Trump’  —  Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) accused MSNBC's Katy Tur of being an “apologist” for former President Trump on Monday.  —  During an appearance on the network, Pelosi touted President Biden's record on the economy …

Why an Immunity Ruling in Trump's Favor Might Not Alter the Shape of His Trial  —  Prosecutors believe Donald J. Trump's official acts in trying to overturn the election should be admissible evidence even if the Supreme Court rules they cannot be the basis of the charges.

Cigna's nopeinator (permalink)  —  Cigna - like all private health insurers - has two contradictory imperatives:  —  I. To keep its customers healthy; and  —  II. To make as much money for its shareholders as is possible.  —  Now, there's a hypothetical way to resolve these contradictions …

Texas governor says state will ignore ‘illegal’ Biden Title IX revisions  —  Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said on Monday his state will not abide by the Biden administration's sweeping new changes to Title IX, the federal civil rights law prohibiting sex-based discrimination at government-funded schools.

Bill Barr says Trump often suggested executing his rivals during heated White House outbursts  —  Despite Bill Barr's repeatedly voicing concerns about Donald Trump, he has now said he will vote for him again this November  —  Bill Barr has claimed Donald Trump often suggested executing …