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.

GOP presidential candidates avoid abortion as the 2024 campaign kicks off  —  CHARLESTON, S.C. — Republicans seeking the party's 2024 presidential nomination have so far ignored an issue that has been central to the conservative movement for decades: abortion.

The New York Times Is Not a Right-Wing Paper  —  There's a bumper-sticker slogan, invoked in defense of whatever left-wing cause célèbre happens to be in the news that given week: “When you're accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression.”

Moscow's Military Capabilities Are in Question After Failed Battle for Ukrainian City  —  A disastrous Russian assault on Vuhledar, viewed as an opening move in an expected spring offensive, has renewed doubts about Moscow's ability to sustain a large-scale ground assault.

Senior Democrats' Private Take on Biden: He's Too Old  —  High-level Democrats are rallying to President Biden's reelection, not because they think it's in the best interest of the country to have an 82-year-old start a second term but because they fear the potential alternative …

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 …

El Paso police respond to shooting inside Cielo Vista Mall; 1 killed, 3 hurt  —  A person was killed and three others were injured in a shooting Wednesday evening inside Cielo Vista Mall, El Paso police confirmed.  —  “We have one person in custody,” El Paso Police Department spokesman Sgt. Robert Gomez said at a news conference.

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.

U.S.: Proud Boys leader learned of upcoming arrest from D.C. police officer  —  Shane Lamond is under investigation by the FBI over his relationship with Enrique Tarrio, who faces seditious conspiracy charges  —  The leader of a right-wing extremist group learned days in advance …

Extraordinarily Confused Congressional Rep. Thinks Social Media Companies Are Secretly Communicating With Gov't Censors... Via Jira  —  I wrote last week about the bizarrely bad House Oversight hearing that was supposed to expose how Twitter, the deep state, and the, um “Biden Crime Family” …

Virginia governor blocks bill banning police from seeking menstrual histories  —  Glenn Youngkin essentially kills bill passed in Democratic-led state senate to ban search warrants for menstrual data on tracking apps  —  The Republican governor of Virginia, Glenn Youngkin …

As Russians inch forward near Bakhmut, Ukrainians dig fallback defenses  —  ORIKHOVO-VASYLIVKA, Ukraine — The closest Ukrainian artillery position to the raging battle for Bakhmut is tucked into a leafless tree line about 13,000 feet from the enemy.  The fighters here have been hanging on for weeks …

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.

Special counsel is locked in at least 8 secret court battles in Trump investigations  —  Special counsel Jack Smith is locked in at least eight secret court battles that aim to unearth some of the most closely held details about Donald Trump's actions after the 2020 election and handling …

California's population dropped by 500,000 in two years as exodus continues  —  The California exodus has shown no sign of slowing down as the state's population dropped by more than 500,000 people between April 2020 and July 2022, with the number of residents leaving surpassing those moving in by nearly 700,000.

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 …

‘32 Nasty:’ Rail Workers Say They Knew the Train That Derailed in East Palestine Was Dangerous  —  A freight train carrying toxic chemicals derailed 50 miles outside Pittsburgh, forced thousands to evacuate, and created a toxic cloud.  Workers knew the train had safety issues.

Koch network not sold on Pence, despite private entreaties  —  After the influential Koch network announced this month that it would endorse a rival candidate to former President Donald Trump, donors aligned with Mike Pence privately reached out in hopes of securing its backing.

The 1619 Project Gets Its Facts Wrong Yet Again  —  The 1619 Project miniseries keeps getting its timelines backward.  —  TO READ THE FULL STORY  —  RECOMMENDED  —  $5 Million Reparations Payment for Black Residents Not Enough, San Francisco Official Says  —  The House Republican Probe You Should Be Watching

Alarmed by DeSantis, Black leaders protest and prepare for 2024  —  TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Rev. Lowman Oliver marched for civil rights and racial equity across Florida in the 1960s, '70s, and '80s, hoping to build a state he viewed as just and equal for Black Americans.

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.

U.S. on Track to Add $19 Trillion in New Debt Over 10 Years  —  Congressional Budget Office projections released on Wednesday suggested rising interest rates and bipartisan spending bills are adding to deficits, amid a partisan fight on fiscal policy.  —  WASHINGTON — The United States …

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.