memeorandum: Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the threat posed by China (CBS News)

Apoorva Mandavilli / New York Times:

Reaching ‘Herd Immunity’ Is Unlikely in the U.S., Experts Now Believe — Widely circulating coronavirus variants and persistent hesitancy about vaccines will keep the goal out of reach. The virus is here to stay, but vaccinating the most vulnerable may be enough to restore normalcy.

Ben Smith / New York Times:

Help, We Can't Stop Writing About Andrew Yang — The outsider brings provocative ideas and good vibes. But can an “empty vessel” really make it through New York's shark-infested media waters? — In January of last year, as the Iowa caucuses neared and before I'd heard of Covid-19 …

Discussion: Twitchy, New York Post and Vanity Fair

Alex Wigglesworth / Los Angeles Times:

Los Angeles County reports no new COVID-19 deaths — Los Angeles County public health authorities on Sunday reported no new deaths related to COVID-19. — Although officials cautioned that the figure was probably an undercount because of reporting delays on weekends, it still marked a bright spot …

Discussion: Gizmodo and The Week

Politico:

Senate Dems agonize over voting rights strategy — As Democrats kick off a debate over voting rights, Schumer said, “Failure is not an option.” But the path forward is murky at best. — “We know we've got to pass voting rights,” said Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.). Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images

Discussion: Roll Call, RedState and The Guardian

Matthew Cooper / Washington Monthly:

Where Are the Filibusters? — Psst. Don't tell anyone but the Senate is passing bills and Biden has been signing them. — During the course of Joe Biden's first 100 days as president, the Senate was repeatedly described as “broken.” Also, during the course of Joe Biden's first 100 days as president …

CBS Boston:

Brookline Will Keep Outdoor Mask Mandate In Place — BROOKLINE (CBS) — The outdoor mask mandate will remain in place until further notice in Brookline, Town Manager Mel Kleckner said Friday. — The announcement came on the same day that the state eased its outdoor mask mandate …

Discussion: Twitchy

NBC News:

In bitterly divided election in Southlake, Texas, opponents of anti-racism education win big — SOUTHLAKE, Texas — Nine months after officials in the affluent Carroll Independent School District introduced a proposal to combat racial and cultural intolerance in schools …

Daily Mail:

Angry parents blast rural Ohio high school after a lesbian couple, 18, are voted to be prom king and queen by their classmates — Annie Wise and girlfriend Riley Loudermilk, both 18, were crowned prom king and queen at Kings High School in a deeply conservative area of Ohio

James Caven / Dailystar.co.uk:

Hitler liked women peeing on him during sex and was incestuous with niece, doc claims — The tyrant killed himself in 1945 in Berlin — Adolf Hitler liked women urinating on him during sex and had an incestuous relationship with his niece, a documentary claims.

Jennifer Medina / New York Times:

In South Texas, Hispanic Republicans Try to Cement the Party's Gains — Conservative Hispanic leaders, especially women, are ascendant in the Rio Grande Valley, where Republicans are trying to forge lasting bonds with voters who swung sharply to the right in 2020.

Discussion: Politico

Jacob Kornbluh / The Forward:

Israel ambassador likely to be named this week, with shortlist narrowed to two — President Joe Biden has narrowed down his list of candidates for ambassador to Israel to two candidates who have strong ties to the pro-Israel community. Tom Nides, a former official in the Clinton and Obama administrations …

Lola Fadulu / Washington Post:

At a walk-up coronavirus vaccine clinic in D.C., every shot is a small victory — A man experiencing homelessness came from across town after hearing he wouldn't need an appointment to get the coronavirus vaccine. A grieving mother saw the clinic's white tents while doing an errand.

Isaac Stanley-Becker / Washington Post:

Many police officers spurn coronavirus vaccines as departments hold off on mandates — Low immunization levels suggest hesitancy is pervasive, posing risks to public safety — Police officers were among the first front-line workers to gain priority access to coronavirus vaccines.

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money

American Greatness:

The Deep State is Back — When Biden says “America is back” and praises “our democracy,” it's clear he means a return to the pre-Trump status quo, including the meddlesome and ungoverned Deep State. — Recently, the FBI searched Rudy Giuliani's Manhattan apartment.

CBS News:

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the threat posed by China — Norah O'Donnell speaks with Secretary Blinken in a wide-ranging interview that touches on China's recent military aggression, winding down the long war in Afghanistan and the immigration crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Discussion: Reuters, Fox News and The Week

Gillian Brockell / Washington Post:

Mary Lincoln wasn't ‘crazy.’ She was a bereaved mother, new exhibit says. — Callie Hawkins had been working at President Lincoln's Cottage museum for 10 years when she became pregnant. She and her husband were thrilled, and she joked with her co-workers about the baby's “perfect” due date — Feb. 12 — Abraham Lincoln's birthday.

John Nichols / madison.com:

Robin Vos is a threat to democracy — Good news. Wisconsin's population increased by 3.6%, to 5,893,718, according to the 2020 U.S. Census. That's not a huge gain, but it's sufficient to maintain the state's current level of representation in the U.S. House.

Amy Kazmin / Financial Times:

India's ruling BJP suffers setback in state elections — Failure in West Bengal despite aggressive campaign delivers rebuke of Modi's pandemic leadership — India's prime minister Narendra Modi suffered a significant political setback on Sunday when his Bharatiya Janata party failed …

Discussion: Associated Press and Al Jazeera

Timothy L. O'Brien / Bloomberg:

Supreme Court's Ethics Problems Are Bigger Than Coney Barrett — A lot of hand-wringing has accompanied Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett's $2 million book deal (including from those of us who wish we had a $2 million book deal). While there's always reason to worry when big piles …

Will Bunch / The Philadelphia Inquirer:

Why it took Joe Biden to carry out the Bernie Sanders presidency | Will Bunch — It was just over five years ago — while Bernie Sanders was crisscrossing America's early primary states, packing large arenas with throngs cheering his plans for free college, government child care …

Discussion: Bloomberg

Eric Levitz / New York Magazine:

Avoiding White Backlash Is a Racial-Justice Issue — From the time of the Constitution's ratification until Joe Biden's junior year of college, the United States was governed by a de-jure racial caste system that denied most Black Americans political power and economic opportunity.

Associated Press:

U.S. general: Afghan forces could face ‘bad possible outcomes’ — WASHINGTON — Afghan government forces face an uncertain future and, in a worst-case scenario, some “bad possible outcomes” against Taliban insurgents as the withdrawal of American and coalition troops accelerates in the coming weeks …

Discussion: HotAir

Tara Palmeri / Politico:

POLITICO Playbook: Trump tightens his grip on the GOP — DRIVING THE DAY — There are some very encouraging new numbers for President JOE BIDEN this morning: Sixty-four percent of Americans said they're optimistic with the direction of the country, according to an ABC/Ipsos poll.

Discussion: Insider, The Wrap and The Daily Caller

mailchi.mp:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: — A Statement from Michael Wood: I am proud of the campaign we ran, and regret nothing. This was always going to be a long shot, but I hope that others around the country will do the same, and fight for our party and our country. — I would like to thank …

Barney Frank / The Hill:

Why Biden's COVID relief package may have changed everything — Share to Facebook Share to Twitter — The Biden administration and its Congressional allies have not only achieved immediate political and economic victories with passage of their COVID relief legislation …

Jemima McEvoy / Forbes:

Cindy McCain Slams Arizona Republicans For ‘Ludicrous’ Election Recount — Prominent Arizona Republican Cindy McCain on Sunday disavowed an ongoing GOP-backed audit of the results of the 2020 election in her state (nearly six months after President Joe Biden's win), joining a chorus of Democrats …

Discussion: Electoral-vote.com, Slate and Washington Post

Anoa Changa / NewsOne:

Conservatives Launch Lawsuits Attacking Historic Government Aid For Black Farmers — Five white farmers last week sued USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack in his official capacity, alleging reverse discrimination for his treatment of Black farmers, in particular. The lawsuit claimed the effort …

Discussion: Raw Story, POLITICUSUSA and Talking Points Memo