Putin's latest defeat: Failing to curb the eastward expansion of NATO  —  INVASIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES: One of Russian President Vladimir Putin's stated aims of his so-called “special military operation” in Ukraine was to stop the eastern expansion of the NATO alliance.

GOP panics over ‘ultra-MAGA’ Pennsylvania Senate wild card  —  Influential Republicans in Washington and among the nationwide party elite are having a belated “oh s—t” moment over the previously unimaginable prospect that Kathy Barnette could win their party's nomination for the open Senate seat in Pennsylvania.

The Bankruptcy of the Democratic Party Left  —  You'd Think They'd Get Tired of Losing  —  How much is the Democratic Left losing?  Let us count the ways.  —  1. Build Back Better.  This was the vessel into which all the hopes and priorities of the Democratic Left were poured.

Justices will meet for the first time since publication of draft opinion on Roe shook the foundations of the court  —  POLITICO editor speaks out about bombshell report  —  (CNN)The Supreme Court is set to meet behind closed doors on Thursday for the first time since the astonishing leak …

Conservative parents take aim at library apps meant to expand access to books  —  E-reader apps that became a lifeline for students during the pandemic are now in the crossfire of a culture war raging over books in schools and public libraries.  —  In several states, apps and the companies …

The Kinds of Seats that Flip in Midterms  —  KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE  — While increasingly salient issues like abortion could change the political environment, Republicans still appear on track for a strong showing in the U.S. House.  — Recent midterms have hollowed …

America's Crisis of Self-Doubt  —  W  —  e live in an age of increasing national self-doubt.  —  The American project, as such, is under assault.  Our history is the subject of a revisionist critique that is all-encompassing, unsparing, and very often flatly inaccurate.

A Son's Eulogy for Midge Decter (1927-2022)  —  Where did she come from?  —  That's what we were asking ourselves, my sister and my father and I, after she left us and this world on the morning of May 9, 2022.  Of course, we know where she came from in the strictest sense.

Elon Musk's Belated Disclosure of Twitter Stake Triggers Regulators' Probes  —  SEC is investigating Tesla CEO for tardy notification after buying 5% of Twitter's stock; FTC has separate probe under way of purchase reporting  —  WASHINGTON—Federal regulators are investigating Elon Musk's late disclosure …

I Criticized BLM.  Then I Was Fired.  —  The data about police shootings just didn't add up, but no one at Thomson Reuters wanted to hear it.  —  Writes Zac Kriegman  · Subscribe … Common Sense is a reader-supported publication.  If you appreciate our work, please become a subscriber today.

North Korea says it has detected its first covid case of the pandemic  —  TOKYO — North Korea says it has detected a case of the BA.2 omicron subvariant in its capital, Pyongyang, the first time the country has acknowledged a positive coronavirus infection since the pandemic began more than two years ago.

Chuck Schumer's Political Malpractice  —  Pennsylvania's GOP discovers the downside of crazy  —  Before we get to Chuck Schumer's latest episode of legislative bumf***ery, I want to call your attention to what's happening in Pennsylvania, where the GOP is belatedly discovering the downside of sleeping with the crazy.

As Roe v. Wade repeal looms, video game industry stays mostly silent  —  In the wake of a leaked draft Supreme Court opinion essentially confirmed that Roe v. Wade's days are numbered, most of the video game industry's biggest companies have remained conspicuously quiet — though not all.

Biden flexes power in primaries to boost moderates  —  When President Biden jumped into an Ohio congressional race to offer a surprise endorsement, progressives weren't pleased.  —  In the final stretch of a Cleveland area rematch, Biden threw his weight behind Rep. Shontel Brown (D-Ohio) …

BREAKING: FBI Whistleblower Leaks Document Showing Bureau Targeting ‘News Media’  — Document reveals the FBI labeled Project Veritas as “news media,” and categorized the probe as a “Sensitive Investigative Matter” due to Veritas being journalists.  This is a direct contradiction …

U.K. Donor Said to Have Funneled Russian Money to Tories  —  The cash was part of a fund-raising blitz that helped propel Prime Minister Boris Johnson's party to victory in 2019.  Records track $630,225 to a Russian bank account.  — Give this article- - - Read in app

Biden administration cancels Alaska oil and gas lease sale  —  The Biden administration has canceled one of the most high-profile oil and gas lease opportunities pending before the Interior Department.  The decision, which halts the potential to drill for oil in over 1 million acres …

Illegal migrants first to get ‘pallets’ of hard-to-find baby formula  —  The nationwide shortage of baby formula that has sent moms desperately rushing from store to store has evaded one lucky group: illegal immigrants detained by the border patrol.  —  According to videos posted by a Florida lawmaker …

The Far-Right Troll Known As “Baked Alaska” Just Blew Up His Own Jan. 6 Plea Hearing  —  Gionet was set to plead guilty to a misdemeanor for parading at the Capitol.  He proclaimed his innocence instead.  A trial is set for March 7.  —  WASHINGTON — Anthime “Tim” Gionet …

Republicans reserve $53M in TV ads in bid to win Senate  —  The National Republican Senatorial Committee will begin reserving television airtime in the party's bid to recapture control of the U.S. Senate, with the first commercials set to begin as soon as this week.

Starbucks Baristas Are Unionizing, and Even Howard Schultz Can't Make Them Stop  —  On April 4, the first day of Howard Schultz's third go-round as chief executive officer of Starbucks Corp., he set the tone with an espresso tasting.  Dozens of baristas gathered in rows at the company's headquarters …

Akhil Amar Calls Out Post-Roe Fearmongering  —  No one would mistake Akhil Reed Amar of Yale Law School for a pro-life activist or any sort of enthusiast for overturning Roe v. Wade.  But the prominent constitutional law scholar is known for being a straight shooter willing to call out those on his own side …

Yes, Safe Smoking Kits Include Free Crack Pipes.  We Know Because We Got Them.  —  Crack pipes are distributed in safe-smoking kits up and down the East Coast, raising questions about the Biden administration's assertion that its multimillion-dollar harm reduction grant program wouldn't funnel taxpayer dollars to drug paraphernalia.