Joe Manchin: I will not vote to eliminate or weaken the filibuster  —  Joe Manchin III, a Democrat, represents West Virginia in the Senate.  —  When Americans vote to send their two senators to Washington, they trust that they will work to represent the interests of their state on equal footing with 98 other senators.

FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces Initial Actions to Address the Gun Violence Public Health Epidemic … Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing six initial actions to address the gun violence public health epidemic.  The recent high-profile mass shootings in Boulder …

Matt Gaetz trip to Bahamas is part of federal probe into sex trafficking, sources say  —  Federal investigators are looking into a Bahamas trip Matt Gaetz allegedly took in late 2018 or early 2019 as part of an inquiry into whether the Florida representative violated sex trafficking laws, multiple sources told CBS News.

Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill admits affair, won't run for U.S. Senate: 'There's no excuse'  —  After initially denying reports of an affair, Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill on Wednesday afternoon told AL.com that he had “an inappropriate relationship” with a 44-year-old woman …

More Contagious Virus Variant Is Now Dominant in U.S., C.D.C. Chief Says  —  The B.1.1.7 variant, first identified in Britain, is now the source of most new coronavirus infections in the United States, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

A Medical Student Questioned Microaggressions.  UVA Branded Him a Threat and Banished Him from Campus.  —  Kieran Bhattacharya is a student at the University of Virginia (UVA) School of Medicine.  On October 25, 2018, he attended a panel discussion on the subject of microaggressions.

G.O.P. Group Warns of ‘Defector’ List If Donors Uncheck Recurring Box  —  The National Republican Congressional Committee says to donors who opt out of recurring monthly donations: “We will have to tell Trump you're a DEFECTOR.”  —  The political arm of House Republicans is deploying …

Trump Organization Hires Criminal Defense Lawyer  —  Ronald Fischetti will represent the firm in Manhattan district attorney's probe into former president's business dealings  —  The Trump Organization has hired Ronald Fischetti, an experienced New York criminal-defense attorney …

Corporate Taxes Are Wealth Taxes  —  And their decline has led to a steep drop in tax rates for the affluent.  —  The main cause of the radical decline in tax rates for very wealthy Americans over the past 75 years isn't the one that many people would guess.

New Mexico Is the Second State to Ban Qualified Immunity  —  Lawmakers passed the New Mexico Civil Rights Act on Wednesday.  —  New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the New Mexico Civil Rights Act — also known as House Bill 4 — advancing fair and equal treatment under the law on Wednesday.

An Interview With the Man Who Keeps Uploading My Feet to WikiFeet  —  Back in the fall, I received an unexpected text from a man I had just started seeing.  “Are u on wikifeet?”  —  Assuming he was joking, I laughed and said no. Then he sent me a link to my wikiFeet page.

AP Exclusive: Northam endorses McAuliffe for Va. governor  —  RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday that he is backing Terry McAuliffe in the race to succeed him, handing his predecessor one of the contest's most coveted endorsements.

EXCLUSIVE: Pence returns to MAGA world with Trump-backed political group  —  Former Vice President Mike Pence will take a step back into public life and a possible 2024 run with the launch Wednesday of the Advancing American Freedom advocacy group, designed to merge traditional conservative thinking with Trumpism.

National Archives can't resurrect Trump's tweets, Twitter says  —  Twitter will not allow the National Archives to make former President Donald Trump's past tweets from his @realDonaldTrump account available on the social media platform, the company told POLITICO on Wednesday …

Rep. Zeldin says he will seek GOP gubernatorial nomination in NY  —  WASHINGTON — Long Island Rep. Lee Zeldin said Thursday he will run for governor of New York, launching his bid for the Republican nomination with an attack on Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo for diminishing the state and a promise to bring it “back from the brink.”

How right-wing media keeps smearing George Floyd with the racist ‘no angel’ narrative  —  In an appalling bit of shorthand, the riveting courtroom drama in Minneapolis has come to be called “the George Floyd trial.”  —  Floyd died in police custody last spring and is obviously not the one on trial.

This Trump backer defended the Jan. 6 riot in print — without mentioning he was in the Capitol  —  The top editor of a self-described “politically incorrect” Orthodox Jewish newspaper — a Donald Trump booster who scored a recent interview with the former president's impeachment attorney …

Trump's Former Campaign Manager Is Advising Caitlyn Jenner  —  WORLDS COLLIDE  —  Donald Trump's former campaign manager Brad Parscale is advising Caitlyn Jenner on a potential run for governor of California, a person with knowledge of the matter confirmed to The Daily Beast on Wednesday evening.

NRA chief Wayne LaPierre acknowledges he did not disclose bankruptcy plans or luxury yacht trips to other top officials  —  Wayne LaPierre, who positioned the National Rifle Association as an uncompromising lobbying powerhouse over the past three decades, admitted Wednesday …

Unpacking the edits in ‘60 Minutes’ report on Ron DeSantis, Florida vaccines  — FLORIDA - FACEBOOK FACT-CHECKS - CORONAVIRUS  —  A CBS correspondent questioned Gov. Ron DeSantis on the state's partnership with Publix to distribute vaccines in Palm Beach County.

POLITICO Playbook: Donors fret Trump's grip on GOP as they descend on Palm Beach  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  The Republican Party's biggest donors are descending on DONALD TRUMP'S turf, Palm Beach, this weekend to huddle over the future of the party.  But don't take the location as a sign …

Capitol riot defendant flips to help prosecutors against Proud Boys  —  (CNN)At least one of the Capitol riot defendants has flipped against the Proud Boys, agreeing to provide information that could allow the Justice Department to bring a more severe charge against the group's leadership, according to an attorney involved in the case.

Before becoming a terrorist leader, ISIS chief was a prison informer in Iraq for U.S., records show  —  In confidential interrogation reports, Iraqi detainee M060108-01 is depicted as a model prisoner, “cooperative” with his American captors and unusually chatty.

Biden officials rebuff appeals to surge Covid-19 vaccine to Michigan amid growing crisis  —  WASHINGTON — Amid Michigan's worst-in-the-nation coronavirus surge, scientists and public health officials are urging the Biden administration to flood the state with additional vaccine doses.

Kentucky governor signs bipartisan bill expanding voting access  —  Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) on Wednesday signed a bipartisan bill that expands voting access in the state.  —  Why it matters: The legislation, passed by the GOP-controlled legislature, comes as Republicans in other states push for more voting restrictions.

Nasty notes left for Trump staffers came from celebs, not Obama aides, Dave Chappelle says  —  When former President Donald Trump first moved into the White House in January 2017, his staffers said they found nasty notes stuffed into the drawers and cabinets — a claim Obama aides fiercely denied.

The GOP's continuing Donald Trump problem  —  Donald Trump isn't finished inflicting pain on the Republican Party.  Republicans' unwillingness to deal with their Trump problem, as late as his second impeachment, could well cost them dearly in 2022 and beyond.

U.S. prepared to lift sanctions inconsistent with Iran nuclear deal  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is prepared to remove sanctions on Iran to resume compliance with the Iran nuclear deal, including those that are inconsistent with the 2015 pact, the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday, without providing details.