AP
NEW YORK (AP) — Several conservative media figures in the U.S. have taken up the cause of Canadian truckers who have occupied parts of Ottawa and blocked border crossings to protest COVID-19 restrictions and vaccine mandates. Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity cheered the truckers on while showing four live reports from Ottawa this week...
Canadian judge orders an end to blockade at border bridge
A Canadian judge has ordered protesters at the Ambassador Bridge over the U.S.-Canadian border to end the 5-day-old blockade that has disrupted the flow of goods between the two countries and forced the auto industry on both sides to roll back production.
apnews.com
US evacuating most Ukraine embassy staff over invasion fears
The United States is evacuating almost all of the staff from its embassy in Kyiv as Western intelligence officials warn that a Russian invasion of Ukraine is increasingly imminent.
apnews.com
EXPLAINER: Where could revelations about Trump records lead?
Revelations that Donald Trump took government records with him to Mar-a-Lago are creating a political headache for the former president and a potential legal one too.
apnews.com
‘It’s time to go home’: Justin Trudeau tells truck protesters
Ontario court orders protesters to end blockade of intl bridge as province declares state of emergency.
Federal judge blocks counties from charging Texas officials with crimes for encouraging mail-in voting | CNN Politics
A federal judge has temporarily blocked several Texas counties from pursuing criminal charges against public officials who encourage voters to use mail ballots in next month’s primary election.
www.cnn.comSuit: South Carolina GOP chose 'worst' map for Black voters
Civil rights groups have added several congressional districts to a lawsuit over “racially gerrymandered” redistricting maps, accusing South Carolina Republican lawmakers in an amended lawsuit filed Thursday of unconstitutionally redrawing lines so as to disadvantage Black voters. New maps for...
Federal judge: Capitol riot was not 'legitimate political discourse'
A federal judge took a shot at the Republican National Committee, saying the Jan. 6 Capitol riot was not "legitimate political discourse."
www.washingtonexaminer.comUS aims to counter China by opening Solomon Islands embassy
The U.S. says it will open an embassy in the Solomon Islands, laying out in unusually blunt terms a plan to increase its influence in the South Pacific nation before China becomes “strongly embedded.” The reasoning was explained in a State Department notification to Congress that was obtained...
Five things to know as US warns Russia could invade Ukraine ‘any day now’
Biden administration officials on Friday sounded the alarm that a Russian military invasion of Ukraine was an immediate threat, warning that it could happen before the Winter Olympics end on Feb. 2…
thehill.com
Biden splitting frozen Afghanistan funds in two. Here's how it would be divided.
The U.S. aims to allow $3.5 billion of the assets to be used for programs to benefit the Afghan people.
www.cbsnews.com
Ukraine-Russia crisis: Biden, Putin to speak as White House says 'credible prospect' of imminent Russian invasion
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan urged Americans still in Ukraine to leave within the next 24-48 hours due to a credible threat of an invasion.
www.usatoday.com
Judge blocks part of Texas elections overhaul days before voting begins
Texas was expected to appeal the decision, which comes just days before early voting begins for the first-in-the-nation primary on March 1.
www.nbcnews.com
Between Russia and Ukraine, Americans say either stay out or side with Ukraine - CBS News poll
A slight majority favor the U.S. stay out of negotiations around Russia and Ukraine.
www.cbsnews.com
'A harder race': Georgia Democrats face new political dynamics after Abrams masking debacle
The backlash underscored both Democrats' struggles with pandemic politics and the intense spotlight that’s now on Abrams compared to when she ran in 2018.
www.nbcnews.com
Archives threatened to go to Congress and Justice Department to get Trump to turn over records | CNN Politics
Worried that a trove of White House records that had been brought to Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate contained classified material, a top official in the former President’s orbit warned his aides last fall: Do not touch those boxes.
www.cnn.com
Republicans introduce 'HUNTER' Act to ban taxpayer funds for crack pipes
A pair of Republican lawmakers authored new legislation to ban federal taxpayer dollars from funding crack pipes, needles and other drug paraphernalia, following a firestorm over a viral report that alleged the Biden administration would be funding crack pipes for addicts.
‘Theft’: Advocates decry US decision to withhold Afghan funds
President Biden’s move to put aside Afghan funds for 9/11 victims sets ‘problematic precedent’, advocates say.
Republican senator targets Biden's Fed nominee Raskin
The U.S. Senate Banking committee's top Republican on Friday took renewed aim at President Joe Biden's nominee to a senior Federal Reserve post, Sarah Bloom Raskin, suggesting she had improperly lobbied the head of the Kansas City Fed on behalf of a fintech firm on whose board she then served.
US ramps up Ukraine warning, says Russia may invade any day
The Biden administration is escalating its warnings about a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, saying it could take place at any time.
apnews.com
Russia accuses the West of spreading disinformation on Ukraine as Kyiv fortifies evacuation plans | CNN Politics
Russia blasted Western countries and media for spreading a “large-scale disinformation campaign” over a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, saying Friday that they were doing so “to divert attention from their own aggressive actions.”
www.cnn.comVice President Kamala Harris' husband, Doug Emhoff, raises money for Democrats in Brentwood
Doug Emhoff says the Biden-Harris administration will do a better job at communicating victories.
Republican Rep. Pat Fallon invests in Twitter and Facebook — despite bashing Big Tech
The Texas lawmaker says he'll change his trading habits and become only the second Republican in Congress to establish a blind trust.
Warning signs mount on Russia-Ukraine
www.politico.com
White House ambiguous on how many Americans are in Ukraine as a Russian invasion looms
The White House has remained ambiguous on how many Americans are in Ukraine, but repeatedly warned Friday that all U.S. citizens need to leave the country within the next 24 to 48 hours, as the threat of a Russian invasion continues to grow.
Late-night reports suggest CIA collecting more data on Americans
A late-night release of government reports on two Central Intelligence Agency programs has revealed that the organization is most likely collecting more data on American citizens than previously kn…
thehill.com
Biden faces conflicting pressures as he closes in on a Supreme Court nominee
The first Black federal judge in Alabama, U.W. Clemon, urged the president not to choose appeals Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson.
www.nbcnews.com
Feds warn against untimely release of Georgia voting machine 'secret report'
A federal agency is reviewing a so-called secret report on alleged vulnerabilities in Georgia's voting equipment.
www.washingtonexaminer.com
Virginia attorney general battles Democrats over Loudoun public schools investigation
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares defended his office’s investigation into Loudoun County Public Schools’ handling of a sexual assault after two Democratic state legislators demanded the investigation to be shut down.
www.washingtonexaminer.com
Protesters seemed undeterred at critical bridge to US hours past a deadline set by a Canadian judge | CNN
Dozens of demonstrators remained at the busiest international crossing in North America hours past the deadline given by a Canadian judge, continuing their dayslong Covid-19 protest that has interrupted supply chains and alarmed the continent’s leaders.
www.cnn.com
What's inside a safe smoking kit to stop opioid overdose? No, it's not a crack pipe
The Biden administration released $30 million of funding for the overdose epidemic. Conservative outlets have been vocal critics of safe smoking kits
www.usatoday.com
Arizona Republican breaks with party to block transgender health care ban
Arizona state lawmakers have filed the most anti-LGBTQ bills of any state in the country so far this year.
www.nbcnews.com
Biden frees frozen Afghan billions for relief, 9/11 victims
President Joe Biden has signed an executive order to split $7 billion in Afghan assets frozen in the U.S. to fund humanitarian relief in Afghanistan and create a trust fund to compensate Sept. 11 victims.
apnews.com
White House: Russian assault on Kyiv possible in event of invasion
The White House on Friday warned a Russian invasion of Ukraine could involve a military assault on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.”We’ve been clear that it could take a range of different form…
thehill.comMAGA Clerk Attends Event that Calls for Hangings After Arrest
McKenzie Lange/The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel via APOn Thursday morning, Tina Peters, the embattled clerk pushing Donald Trump’s false election claims, turned herself in to police and walked free on a $500 bond. By Thursday evening, she was onstage at a far-right event where another speaker...
Wisconsin state Supreme Court lets ban on drop boxes go into effect for spring election
The court had previously stayed the ban on drop boxes for the spring election primaries.
www.politico.com
Nearly 24M Americans still waiting for IRS to process 2020 tax returns
As Americans get started on their tax returns for the 2021 tax season, the Internal Revenue Service is grappling with a backlog of millions of tax returns from the last tax season, The Washington P…
thehill.com
Biden administration and Congress grapple with how to tamp down inflation
Consumer prices rose 7.5% over the past year, the fastest rate since 1982.
www.cbsnews.com
U.S. poultry producers harden safety measures as bird flu spreads
U.S. poultry producers are tightening safety measures for their flocks as disease experts warn that wild birds are likely spreading a highly lethal form of avian flu across the country.
New Republican splits over Trump and riot
He's out of office but not out of power. How are leading Republicans dealing with Trump?
www.bbc.com
UN: Journalists and Afghan nationals detained in Kabul released
The United Nations previously tweeted two journalists and Afghan nationals had been detained in Kabul. Reports said one person held was American.
www.usatoday.com
Amid scrutiny of Trump White House docs, DOJ secures prison term for ex-Defense employee who mishandled classified materials | CNN Politics
A former civilian employee of the Defense Department was sentenced Thursday to three months in prison after admitting to taking materials containing classified information to her hotel room and to her personal residence.
www.cnn.com
As U.S. ‘trucker convoy’ picks up momentum, foreign meddling adds to fray
Facebook said Friday it removed trucker and convoy groups run by overseas actors. Many anti-vaccine and conspiracy-driven groups have moved to embrace convoy organizing.
www.nbcnews.com
DHS moves to counter truck convoy in US ahead of Super Bowl Sunday amid trucker protests
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had deployed 500 employees and is "surging additional staff" in coordination with California police forces to prevent disruptions at the Super Bowl in response to an international trucking protest.
U.S. warnings turn more dire about prospect for Russian invasion of Ukraine
Biden administration officials warned Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin could invade Ukraine before the end of the Olympics.
Judge hears closing arguments in Sarah Palin case against the New York Times
Former governor of Alaska Sarah Palin is suing the New York Times for libel and defamation in regard to a 2017 editorial published by the Times. NBC News legal analyst Danny Cevallos weighs in on the case.
www.nbcnews.com
Biden and Putin will talk Saturday as US warns Americans to leave Ukraine in 48 hours over fears of Russian attack | CNN Politics
President Joe Biden plans to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, a person familiar with the matter said, as the US warns Russia could attack Ukraine using bombs and missiles at any moment.
www.cnn.com
Wisconsin Supreme Court allows ballot boxes to be banned for April election
The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Friday that it will allow a ban on the use of ballot drop boxes for the upcoming April election, though the ruling will not affect primaries scheduled for next wee…
thehill.com
Pence books back-to-back South Carolina trips to galvanize ties with evangelicals
Former Vice President Mike Pence will deliver remarks at a private Christian university's commencement ceremony when he returns in late April to South Carolina.
Trans swimmer Lia Thomas poised to compete in NCAA championships
The NCAA announced that it won’t adopt the new USA Swimming policy on the same day that 300 swimmers signed an open letter in support of Thomas.
www.nbcnews.com
Jury weighs if New York Times defamed Sarah Palin or made 'honest mistake'
Jurors began considering whether to hold the New York Times liable for defaming Sarah Palin, after her lawyer on Friday accused the newspaper of falsely associating her in a 2017 editorial with a mass murder, a link that a Times lawyer called an honest mistake.
US strategy for Indo-Pacific stresses alliances on China
A new Biden administration strategy for the Indo-Pacific emphasizes not going it alone in dealing with China's rising influence.
apnews.com
3,000 more US troops from 82nd Airborne head to Poland amid Ukraine invasion concerns
The Pentagon on Friday said it sending 3,000 more troops from the 82nd Airborne to Poland as tensions increase over a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine.
#MeToo bill only scratches surface of secretive courts
Congress passed landmark workplace legislation on Thursday, prohibiting companies from forcing certain kinds of employee lawsuits into arbitration, or private courtrooms outside public view. The big picture: Don't expect companies to abandon this practice — widely criticized for favoring...
Biden tells Trudeau trucker protests are having 'serious effects' on U.S. companies, workers
President Joe Biden raised concerns about "slowdowns in production, shortened work hours, and plant closures," the White House said.
www.nbcnews.com
US father and son 'chased and shot at' black FedEx driver
The FedEx driver is seeking hate crime charges against two men who shot at him while he was on the job.
www.bbc.com
Border blockade: Inside the anti-mandate protests disrupting trade
Protests against COVID-19 vaccine mandates for U.S.-Canada cross-border truckers have become a rallying point
www.reuters.com
Obama tells Democrats to focus on their "wins" during midterm campaign
The former president encourages Democrats not to dwell on their setbacks as they try to defend their slim majority in the House.
www.cbsnews.com
Libya’s embattled PM promises new election law to resolve crisis
Abdul Hamid Dbeibah says new election law is in the works as parliament announces appointment of new leader.
Don't panic if you got a scary IRS notice | CNN Business
Imagine having filed and paid your taxes on time, then months later you get a notice in the mail from the IRS suggesting you didn’t. That’s what’s happening to many taxpayers this year thanks to automated notices being sent out from a backlogged IRS.
www.cnn.com
Biden, Trudeau talk convoys as U.S. braces for Canadian-style protests
“We see a mobilization of some of the more-challenging political elements," Trudeau said.
www.politico.com
Klobuchar on 2 GOP lawmakers censured: ‘To me, they’ve been patriots’
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) called the two Republican lawmakers who last week were censured by the Republican National Committee (RNC) “patriots” and criticized the committee’s move to rebuke them…
thehill.com
Dow tumbles 500 points as Ukraine-Russia crisis deepens
U.S. markets are reacting to escalating uncertainty amid an international crisis on Ukraine's border, where Russia has amassed thousands of troops.
www.nbcnews.com
Walker's past could let Warnock keep Senate seat, rivals say
Herschel Walker’s Republican rivals for U.S. Senate in Georgia say reports by The Associated Press about the former football great's past leave the GOP vulnerable to losing the race if the party nominates him.
apnews.com
US judge strikes down Biden climate damage cost estimate
A federal judge on Friday blocked the Biden administration’s attempt to put greater emphasis on the potential damage from greenhouse gas emissions in the federal rulemaking process.
apnews.com
Biden, Putin to speak as US says Russia could invade Ukraine during Olympics
The U.S. said Friday that a Russian attack on Ukraine could begin during the Olympics.
Jacobellis, Baumgartner grab gold for U.S. in Olympic debut of mixed team snowboard cross
Nick Baumgartner, 40, earned his first Olympic medal, and Lindsey Jacobellis, 36, scored her second gold in Beijing.
www.nbcnews.com
Here's the terrible reality: Trump's election lie is on the march | CNN Politics
In the immediate aftermath of the January 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol, CNN conducted a poll. Among the questions it asked was this one: “In general, how confident are you that elections in America today reflect the will of the people?”
www.cnn.com
Mark Cuban’s online pharmacy is offering near-wholesale prices on commonly prescribed medicines
Businessman’s latest venture seeks to slash drug prices and disrupt the market.
www.washingtonexaminer.com
Utah senator blocks internment camp designation, draws ire
Utah Sen. Mike Lee is facing backlash from Japanese Americans and conservation groups after blocking a proposal to create a national historic site at a former internment camp in rural Colorado.
apnews.com
5 Phoenix police officers shot, woman killed, in barricade situation at home
Five Phoenix police officers are in the hospital after being shot during a barricade situation at a house, the department said.
US Ski & Snowboard investigating allegations of sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior
The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics continue with curling, snowboarding and Men's single skating. Follow here for the latest news, results and updates.
Boris Johnson sent Downing Street lockdown party questionnaire by police
No 10 confirms that Boris Johnson has been contacted and says he will "respond as required".
www.bbc.com
KC Fed chief confirmed Biden nominee Sarah Bloom Raskin personally lobbied for fintech firm, GOP senator says
Biden Federal Reserve nominee Sarah Bloom Raskin called Kansas City Fed President Esther George to advocate for a fintech company, Sen. Pat Toomey says.
2 Dallas police officers charged over alleged assaults during 2020 George Floyd protests
Prosecutors announced charges Wednesday against Sr. Cpl. Ryan Mabry and now-former Sr. Cpl. Melvin Williams.
www.nbcnews.com
Canadian official threatens "severe" consequences for truckers protesting COVID mandates along border
The weeks-long demonstrations have blocked one of the busiest bridges between the U.S. and Canada.
www.cbsnews.com
An 11-year-old girl with Down syndrome was being bullied. So her country's President walked her to school | CNN
The President of North Macedonia walked an 11-year-old girl with Down syndrome to school after he heard she was being bullied.
www.cnn.com
EXPLAINER: A look at what's behind the protests in Canada
For five days, a blockade of pickups, cars and a handful commercial of trucks has choked off traffic at the Ambassador Bridge, the busiest border crossing between Canada and the United States.
apnews.com
Judge in Arbery death federal trial to seat jury Monday
The federal judge presiding over the hate crimes trial in the death of Ahmaud Arbery says she plans to seat a jury Monday, and expects attorneys to make their opening statements as well
Biden meets with leaders of NATO, US allies to discuss Russia's military threat to Ukraine
Biden's meeting with the leaders of France, Germany, the United Kingdom and other allies was not included in his official schedule.
Nonprofit involved in Afghan evacuations prepares for rescue operations in Ukraine
A nonprofit organization that was involved in the emergency evacuations out of Afghanistan last year said Friday it is laying the groundwork for rescue operations in Ukraine ahead of a po…
thehill.com
Phoenix police say man shot ex-girlfriend before ambush
Police have identified 36-year-old Morris Jones as the deceased suspect in a shooting in Phoenix that injured nine officers.
apnews.comWisconsin court won't allow drop boxes for April 5 election
A divided Wisconsin Supreme Court has denied a request from the state elections commission to keep absentee ballot drop boxes in place through the April 5 election for local offices
Ambassador Bridge: Canada court orders end to trucker blockade
Crowds of protesters are flouting the injunction and continue to occupy a vital border crossing.
www.bbc.com
Convicted killer Sharee Miller admits to planning husband's murder with an online lover
Sharee Miller said her online relationships with men were like a "game" to her.
Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva's doping case will be resolved by Tuesday, says IOC spokesman
The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics continue with curling, snowboarding and Men's single skating. Follow here for the latest news, results and updates.
Stock ban faces steep hurdles despite growing support
Lawmakers in both parties are quickly jumping on the push to ban members of Congress from trading stocks, but now they face the challenge of sorting through a growing number of competing proposals …
thehill.com
Chicago thieves use heavy construction vehicle to rip apart and rob ATM
A group of thieves in Chicago used a stolen heavy construction vehicle to rip open and loot an ATM Thursday afternoon.
www.washingtonexaminer.com
Americans are leaving New Jersey and heading to South Carolina, Florida and Vermont
As Americans enter the third year of the pandemic and remote work continues to be the new normal for many, more people are fleeing to less densely populated states.
thehill.com
Emerging deal would split $83M for condo collapse losses
A tentative deal was announced Friday that would pay $83 million to people who lost condominium units and personal property in the collapse of a Florida building that killed 98 people
Twitter down in apparent outage
Users were experiencing issues with Twitter in an apparent outage on Friday.Posts on the site were failing to load without a message indicating the problem. There was a spike in users reportin…
thehill.com
Billionaire developer Caruso enters Los Angeles mayor’s race
The builder of luxury malls is poised run an expensive, self-funded campaign.
www.politico.com
FDA authorizes new Covid-19 monoclonal antibody that works against Omicron variant | CNN
The US Food and Drug Administration has authorized a new monoclonal antibody treatment that seems to work against the Omicron variant of the virus that causes Covid-19.
www.cnn.com
In reversal, FDA puts brakes on COVID shots for kids under 5
U.S. regulators have put the brakes on their push to speed Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to children under 5. Friday's move means another monthslong delay for the shots.
apnews.com
Q&A: Surgeon General on omicron, masks and mental health
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy sat this week for a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press, touching on topics from the pandemic to mental health care.
apnews.com
Exercising after a COVID-19 or flu shot can increase antibody response: study
“Our preliminary results are the first to demonstrate a specific amount of time can enhance the body’s antibody response to the Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine and two vaccines for influenza,” sai…
thehill.com
Queen Elizabeth being monitored after Prince Charles tests positive for COVID-19
Prince Charles saw the 95-year-old queen recently, according to Buckingham Palace.
FED UP IN FRANCE: 360K protesters descend on Paris in anti-mandate convoy
Do you hear the people sing?
www.washingtonexaminer.com
Supreme Court declines second appeal from NYC teachers over vaccine mandate
An emergency appeal by a cohort of New York City public school teachers to block the city’s vaccine mandate was denied by the Supreme Court on Friday, NBC News reported.Justice Sonia Sotomayor…
thehill.com
FDA postpones review of Pfizer data on vaccine for kids under 5
The vaccine for kids under five is expected to be a three-dose vaccine.
Canadian trucker protests are the latest example of Covid-19 absurdity | CNN
What started out as a protest over Covid restrictions in Canada is now greatly disrupting peoples’ everyday lives – which is what the protest was supposedly aimed at stopping, writes Abdul El-Sayed
www.cnn.com
Surgeon General: As pandemic improves, ‘we should be pulling back on restrictions’
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said that as the COVID-19 pandemic improves in the United States, “we should be pulling back on restrictions,” which a handful of states have already don…
thehill.com
