Two Democrats want McConnell's 2011 debt-ceiling fix proposal to be adopted  —  Two Democratic senators called on Congress to adopt a proposal that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) made in 2011 to address a standoff over raising the debt ceiling, which would grant the president …

New York Times Writers Call Out the Paper's Anti-Trans Onslaught  —  “This is not quite business as usual anymore,” one of the organizers of an open letter to the NYT told Hell Gate.  —  On Wednesday morning, a group of almost 200 journalists and writers released an open letter addressed …

Exclusive: Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows subpoenaed by special counsel in Jan. 6 investigation  —  Donald Trump's former chief of staff Mark Meadows has been subpoenaed by the special counsel investigating the former president and his role in the January 6, 2021, insurrection, a source familiar with the matter told CNN.

Democrats troll Nikki Haley on her home turf with billboard  —  Democrats trolled former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley's presidential announcement on Wednesday with a mobile billboard using her own words against her.  —  South Carolina Democrats drove a billboard truck Wednesday morning playing …

First on CNN: FBI searched University of Delaware for Biden documents, source says  —  The FBI has conducted two searches at the University of Delaware in connection with the investigation into President Joe Biden's handling of classified documents, a source familiar with the investigation told CNN.

First on CNN: DOJ officially decides not to charge Matt Gaetz in sex-trafficking probe  —  The Justice Department has informed lawyers for at least one witness that it will not bring charges against Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz after a years-long federal sex-trafficking investigation.

Ohio Train Derailment: In East Palestine, Anxiety and Distrust Run Deep  —  Nearly two weeks after a train carrying toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, confusing messages from government officials have frayed locals' trust.  —  EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — All around …

Judge to Trump: Too late to offer DNA to rebut rape claim  —  Former President Donald Trump missed his chance to use his DNA to try to prove he didn't rape a longtime magazine advice columnist, a federal judge said Wednesday, clearing away a potential roadblock to an April trial.

George Santos Married a Brazilian Woman.  House Is Asked to Find Out Why.  —  A letter to ethics watchdogs in the House of Representatives questioned if Mr. Santos's seven-year marriage was a scheme to aid a woman's immigration bid.  —  When Representative George Santos of New York was 24 …

Donald Trump Changes Tune on Mail-in Voting, Ballot Collection  —  After years of attacks on early voting, Trump follows other Republicans in suggesting party should embrace tactic  —  After years of assailing early voting, Donald Trump is having a change of heart.

D.C. police lieutenant delivered pre-Jan. 6 tips from Tarrio to Capitol Police, Proud Boy's lawyer says  —  In the weeks before Jan. 6, 2021, Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio shared information about his group's planned activities with a D.C. police lieutenant, who then passed it along …

AMERICAN VIEWS 2022: Part 2, TRUST MEDIA AND DEMOCRACY  —  OVERVIEW  —  Democracy in America relies on an independent press to inform citizens with accurate information.  Yet today, two forces pose significant challenges to this function: the growing struggle of news organizations …

Jon Stewart Shreds JD Vance And Tucker Carlson for ‘Baloney’ Reaction to Ohio Train Disaster: ‘They Play Act This Concern For Working People’  —  Jon Stewart blasted both Tucker Carlson and Ohio Senator J.D. Vance's reaction to the Ohio train derailment— arguing that although both were outraged …

Giuliani associate regrets buying into ‘deep state’ conspiracy — and thinks Trump committed crimes bribing Ukraine  —  Lev Parnas, one of the associates of Rudy Giuliani's working on the Ukraine conspiracy has been released from prison on home confinement and he's speaking out about his experience working to help Donald Trump.

Gavin Newsom says Kimberly Guilfoyle ‘fell prey’ to the culture at Fox News and was a ‘different person’ when they were married  — California Gov. Gavin Newsom told CNN his ex-wife Kimberly Guilfoyle “fell prey” to Fox News.  — Guilfoyle was a “different person” when they were together, Newsom said.

Top Republicans plot Santos' ouster as embattled freshman weighs reelection  —  Embattled Rep. George Santos is contemplating a nightmare scenario for House Republicans: Trying to stick it out in Congress, even if he is indicted on criminal charges.  —  After previously signaling to Republicans …

How a Fog of Questions Over a Spy Balloon and U.F.O.s Fed a Diplomatic Crisis  —  U.S. officials now suspect that the balloon was sent to spy on bases in Guam and Hawaii and that other downed objects were not surveillance machines.  Washington's evolving view reflects U.S. and Chinese difficulties in discerning each other's intentions.

The Kremlin's Grand Delusions … Despite a series of blunders, miscalculations, and battlefield reversals that would have surely seen him thrown out of office in most normal countries, President Vladimir Putin is still at the pinnacle of power in Russia.  He continues to define the contours of his country's war against Ukraine.

Warren Calls Out Buttigieg and Schumer in Speech Urging Washington Get Tougher on Monopolies  —  Elizabeth Warren has a message for some of her fellow Democrats: Stop protecting corporate monopolies.  —  In a sweeping policy speech on Wednesday laying out a grand vision for renewing …

The Sleeper Charge Related to January 6  —  How do you get Capone?  —  We learned this week that following the 2020 presidential election the Trump campaign hired an outside research firm to attempt to bolster its claims of election fraud.  The firm, Berkeley Research Group …

Broward high schools remove book reported by parents' group and labeled by DeSantis administration as pornographic  —  Broward school libraries will remove a sexually explicit teen graphic novel that Gov. Ron DeSantis administration categorized as “pornography.”  —  The book, “Let's Talk About It.

The Wisconsin GOP's High Court Crackup  —  They've picked a helluva time for a food fight  —  The election that the media has dubbed “the most important election nobody's ever heard of,” is just weeks away, and has already drawn international attention.  —  The “Stakes are monstrous,” declared Britain's Guardian.

Alex Murdaugh Spent $50K A WEEK on Drugs, Defense Lawyer Claims  —  WHAT A TRIP  —  Alex Murdaugh was spending $50,000 a week on drugs he bought from his distant cousin—and future co-defendant—during his yearslong drug problem, his defense attorney claimed in court Wednesday.

World Bank President, Dogged by Climate Questions, Will Step Down Early  —  David Malpass, under fire for months by critics who accused him of climate denialism, said he would resign in June, a year before his term ends.  —  Gelles questioned the World Bank president about his views …

How Deadly Was China's Covid Wave?  —  Two months after China ended “zero Covid,” rough estimates suggest that between 1 and 1.5 million people died — far more than the official count.  —  China's official count  —  83,150 deaths  —  Model based on Shanghai outbreak  —  1.6 million deaths