Matthew McConaughey may be a viable candidate for Texas governor; poll shows actor ahead of Abbott  —  McConaughey leads Gov. Greg Abbott, 45% to 33%.  But his middle-of-the-road appeal may not open an easy path for him to November's finale, experts warned.

Navalny's doctor: Putin critic ‘could die at any moment’  —  MOSCOW (AP) — A doctor for imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is in the third week of a hunger strike, says his health is deteriorating rapidly and the 44-year-old Kremlin critic could be on the verge of death.

Indianapolis police chief says gunman bought weapons legally despite earlier warning.  —  Brandon Hole, the 19-year-old who the police say fatally shot eight people at a FedEx facility on Thursday night, legally purchased two semiautomatic rifles he used in the attack more than six months earlier …

One America News Network Stays True to Trump  —  A recent OAN segment said there were “serious doubts about who's actually president,” and another blamed “anti-Trump extremists” for the Capitol attack.  —  Months after the inauguration of President Biden, One America News Network …

3 people were killed and 2 others injured in a shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, sheriff says  —  (CNN)Authorities are looking for whoever opened fire at a tavern in southeast Wisconsin overnight, killing three people and seriously wounding two others, the Kenosha County sheriff said.

Most Americans want to end lifetime Supreme Court appointments  —  Susan Walsh/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo  —  A majority of Americans want to end lifetime appointments for U.S. Supreme Court justices, according to an Ipsos poll for Reuters, though less than half are in favor of other efforts to reform the judiciary.

What Is The Difference Between The Wright And Babbitt Shootings?  —  Below is column in USA Today on charging decisions in the Wright and Babbitt shootings.  The sharp contrast in the two decisions raises serious questions over the legal and political issues that rage around such cases.

CDC: Half of US adults have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose  —  Roughly half of U.S. adults have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released Saturday.

Marjorie Taylor Greene scraps planned launch of controversial ‘America First’ caucus amid blowback from GOP  —  (CNN)Conservative Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is scrapping the planned launch of her “America First” caucus after receiving blowback from leaders in her own party …

Senators in the dark on parliamentarian's decision  —  A parliamentarian ruling touted as a breakthrough for the Democratic agenda is putting the Senate in uncharted territory and sparking confusion.  —  More than a week after Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough signaled that Democrats …

Most Louisiana lawmakers have gotten a COVID-19 vaccine; see who has, hasn't  —  With the Louisiana Legislature entering the second week of its 2021 session, at least 68% of the legislators say they have been vaccinated against COVID-19, according to a survey conducted by The Advocate |  The Times-Picayune.

I'm the Head of Planned Parenthood.  We're Done Making Excuses for Our Founder.  —  We must reckon with Margaret Sanger's association with white supremacist groups and eugenics.  —  Ms. McGill Johnson is the president and chief executive of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Misinformation Is Destroying Our Country.  Can Anything Rein It In?  —  Trump is gone, but the right-wing media is alive and well—and will further undermine our democracy if we let it.  —  On the night after the November 3 election, hundreds of supporters of Donald Trump filled the parking lot …

NSA official installed as Trump left office resigns after he was sidelined  —  Michael Ellis, a former Republican political operative, resigned Friday as the National Security Agency's top lawyer, having been sidelined for three months after President Biden took office.

As mask mandates end, Oregon bucks trend with permanent rule  —  PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — As states around the country lift COVID-19 restrictions, Oregon is poised to go the opposite direction — and many residents are fuming about it.  —  A top health official is considering indefinitely …

Nomadland!  Judas!  Minari!  Who's Getting The Oscar and Why It Still Matters  —  Despite the fact that the industry was devastated and many major releases were bumped ahead to this year, 2020 ended up serving a rich and diverse crop of Oscar nominees.  The films' prevailing topics …

Grassroots fury at Kemp bubbles up in county GOP meetings around Georgia  —  The grassroots anger at Gov. Brian Kemp and other top state officials who refused to overturn former President Donald Trump's election defeat bubbled up on Saturday at several county GOP meetings across the state …

Rick Scott navigates Trump, winning back the Senate — and his own ambitions  —  The silver bowl was small, but the symbolism was immense.  —  When Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) handed former president Donald Trump the National Republican Senatorial Committee's first-ever “Champion for Freedom Award” …

Being Black in America is exhausting  —  “Everyone I know is just so tired,” tweeted Jenna Wortham of the New York Times Magazine on Wednesday.  While the Black writer doesn't specify who “everyone” is, it's a good bet they are also Black.  And Wortham's use of “tired” is an understatement.