The Belarusian railway saboteurs who helped thwart Russia's attack on Kyiv  —  When Russian troops first streamed across the Belarusian border into Ukraine for what they had assumed would be a lightning assault on Kyiv, they were intending to rely on the region's extensive rail network for supplies and reinforcements.

Putin abandons hopes of Ukraine deal and shifts to land-grab strategy  —  Russian president was considering settlement with Kyiv last month but now sees no prospect of that  —  Vladimir Putin has lost interest in diplomatic efforts to end his war with Ukraine and instead appears set on seizing …

D.C. police officer says Sen. Mike Lee opposed Jan. 6 investigation to cover up his actions  —  Lee argued an independent investigation into the insurrection would be too partisan.  —  Police officers who defended the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2020, accused Sen. Mike Lee of lying about his reasons …

Elizabeth Warren Calls Out Kevin McCarthy As A ‘Liar And Traitor’  —  “That is really the illness that pervades the Republican leadership right now.  That they say one thing to the American public and something else in private,” she said.  —  Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) …

Saudis' Biden snub suggests crown prince still banking on Trump's return  —  Refusal to help US punish Russia and $2bn investment in Kushner fund signal crown prince's displeasure with Trump's successor  —  Saudi Arabia appears to be banking on Donald Trump's return to office by refusing …

Joe Kahn can be a great New York Times editor  —  I know him.  Here's why I think he might be the man for this perilous moment.  —  Unlike The Washington Post, whose last three top editors came from other news organizations — the Wall Street Journal, the Boston Globe and the Associated Press …

He Fuels the Right's Cultural Fires (and Spreads Them to Florida)  —  Christopher Rufo helped make critical race theory a conservative rallying cry.  Now he sees L.G.B.T.Q. issues as an even more potent line of attack.  — Give this article- - - Read in app

Bonfires of Vengeance  —  Ron DeSantis' attack on Disney isn't “populism”  —  Happy Sunday.  —  My good friend Matt K. Lewis describes Ron DeSantis's retaliation against Disney as “the clearest sign yet that the Republican Party has reordered itself as a populist, working-class party—instead of a pro-business party.”

Fight Club Conservatives, Gangster Government, and the Rule of Law  —  In his excellent discussion of Fight Club Conservatives, my NR colleague Phil Klein quotes Newsweek opinion editor Josh Hammer, who tweets of the State of Florida's revocation of Disney's special district …

Wynn Bruce dies after lighting himself on fire outside Supreme Court  —  A climate activist who lit himself on fire on Earth Day outside the United States Supreme Court Building has died, according to reports.  —  Wynn Bruce, 50, of Boulder, Colorado, died Saturday, a day after he set himself ablaze …

Orrin G. Hatch, longest-serving Republican in Senate history, dies at 88  —  Orrin G. Hatch, a conservative Utah Republican who came out of political nowhere to win a U.S. Senate seat in 1976 and ended his career 42 years later as the longest-serving Republican in the chamber's history …

Filing Provides New Details on Trump White House Planning for Jan. 6  —  Testimony disclosed by the House committee investigating the riot showed that Mark Meadows and Freedom Caucus members discussed directing marchers to the Capitol as Congress certified the election results.

Pence Refusing to Get in Secret Service Car on Jan. 6 ‘Chilling’: Raskin  —  Former Vice President Mike Pence's refusal to get into a Secret Service vehicle during the January 6 Capitol riot is being called “chilling” as the House select committee prepares to reveal its findings sometime before the end of the year.

Readout of President Biden's Call with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett of Israel  —  President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke today with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett of Israel to discuss shared regional and global security challenges, including the threat posed by Iran and its proxies.

Republicans Have Picked An Election Denier To Run Michigan's Elections  —  WASHINGTON — Michigan Republicans endorsed Kristina Karamo, a first-time candidate who has spread lies about the 2020 election, to run all the state's elections as the party's candidate for secretary of state.

How a ruthless Irish gang found a home away from home in Dubai and an enemy in the White House  —  Documents leaked to ICIJ tie the Kinahan organized crime cartel to companies and enablers in the Middle East's top secrecy haven.  —  In the world of boxing, Daniel Kinahan packs a heavy punch …