Exclusive: U.S. to lift travel curbs on eight African countries  —  The Biden administration will lift travel restrictions on eight southern African countries imposed last month over concerns about the fast-spreading COVID-19 Omicron variant, the White House said Friday.

Report shows the extent of Republican efforts to sabotage democracy  —  Research identifies at least 262 bills were introduced in 41 states this year with the intent to hijack the election process  —  The Republican assault on free and fair elections instigated by Donald Trump is gathering pace …

Manchin told White House he would support version of tax on billionaires  —  His offer comes as fellow a Democrat, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, raises new concerns, illustrating that the party has work to do  —  Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) told the White House last week that he would support …

MAGA Diehards Melt Down Over Trump's Pro-Vax Push  —  Anger and confusion reign as Trump endorses vaccines many followers believe are poison  —  In the crisscrossed, Q-addled conspiracy world where Donald Trump is held up as America's great savior, and covid-19 vaccines are denounced as part …

White House reporters ask for virtual press briefings during the latest covid surge  —  With a fierce new variant of the coronavirus on the loose, White House reporters are urging press secretary Jen Psaki to move her daily briefings online — but it's an idea Psaki has been cool to so far.

How the Soviet Union's collapse explains the current Russia-Ukraine tension  —  On Christmas Day 1991, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev sat down at a table deep inside the Kremlin and prepared to deliver a monumental speech.  Associated Press reporter Alan Cooperman was among the few journalists allowed in.

Thompson says Jan. 6 committee focused on Trump's hours of silence during attack, weighing criminal referrals  —  The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol is focusing intently on Donald Trump's actions that day as it begins to discuss whether to recommend …

Giuliani associate Bernard Kerik plans to publicly release some documents requested by January 6 committee  —  Reporter: Records would be key to see Trump's activity prior to Jan. 6  —  Washington (CNN)Former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik says he is planning to publicly release …

New January 6 video shows three hours of violent and chaotic assault on police  —  Capitol Police officer: Trump supporters are being lied to  —  (CNN)The Justice Department this week released a three-hour video of a battle between rioters and the police at the US Capitol Building on January 6 …

Say it ain't Joe: Manchin's not the only big hurdle left for Biden's megabill  —  The Senate parliamentarian, a little-known nonpartisan rules referee, still has the power to ax big portions of the $1.7 trillion social spending plan.  —  Democrats are still courting the one person powerful enough …

14-year-old girl in dressing room of Burlington fatally shot by LAPD  —  In an incident the police chief called “devastating and tragic,” an LAPD officer fatally shot a teenage girl at a Burlington clothing store during a chaotic confrontation that also left a suspect dead and another person injured.

Uncounted: Inaccurate death certificates across the country hide the true toll of COVID-19  —  Some counties, like Cape Girardeau, have seen a spike in deaths that aren't attributed to COVID-19.  Many of them, blamed on natural causes, are likely from the coronavirus

Joe Manchin's ‘Scaled-Back’ Framework May Be Better Than It Sounds  —  Prioritizing certain initiatives over others is hard, but that could be what it takes to save Build Back Better.  —  It looks like negotiations over President Joe Biden's Build Back Better legislation are only mostly dead …

Two Georgia poll workers sue One America News, Giuliani over debunked fraud claims  —  Two Georgia election workers who were the target of vote-rigging conspiracy theories have sued the far-right One America News Network, its top executives, and former President Donald Trump's ex-lawyer Rudy Giuliani …

The Navy SEALs, a Christmas story  —  It might seem like a stretch to view the Navy SEALs, among the most fearsome warriors on the planet, as a Christmas story of humility and renewal, but let me explain.  —  Two years ago, the SEALs were near rock bottom.

Pregnancy apps have become a battleground of vaccine misinformation  —  How the What To Expect site managed to clean up its big anti-vaccine problem  —  For generations of parents, Heidi Murkoff's 1984 pregnancy guide “What to Expect When You're Expecting” has been a trusty companion …

Gableman calls for GOP state senator to resign as he signals he wants more taxpayer funding for his election review  —  Patrick Marley Katelyn FerralMilwaukee Journal Sentinel  —  MADISON - Former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman is calling on a GOP state senator to resign …

A 19-year-old has been charged in the carjacking of U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, police say.  Four other teens were also arrested  —  A 19-year-old from Wilmington, Del., was charged in federal court Thursday with participating in Wednesday's gunpoint carjacking of U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon …

‘Christmas’ Lights or ‘Holiday’ Lights?  —  The woke's vocabulary is a weapon in their culture war.  —  I never had kids and when I look at Facebook friends' photos of their own I realize that that's probably a good thing.  I am a graduate of the school of hard knocks.  I know how tough life can be.