United States Politics and Government

• Racial Debate Rattles Texas Democratic Primary for Senate - State Representative James Talarico used the word “mediocre” in connection with a former House member who is Black. The controversy has repercussions for a key contest.
• Trump, Changing Course, Throws Harvard Deal Talks Into Chaos - In the latest example of his mercurial negotiating style, President Trump went from dropping his ask for a $200 million fine to demanding $1 billion from the university.
• Plastic Surgeons’ Group Advises Delaying Gender-Affirming Procedures Until Age 19 - The organization’s latest guidance is a departure from the prevailing views of several other major medical organizations.
• Netflix Leader Pushes Warner Deal Before Skeptical Lawmakers - Senators asked Ted Sarandos about whether the acquisition would raise prices, squeeze talent and degrade the moviegoing experience.
• Trump Releases Latest Rendering of White House Ballroom Project - President Trump emphasized that the ballroom would not be taller than the Executive Mansion of the White House, as he faces criticism over the size of the project.
• House Cancels Contempt Vote As Clintons Agree to Testify on Epstein - Bill and Hillary Clinton agreed to be deposed this month by an investigative panel but requested that it be in public, a request that the Republican chairman ignored.
• Polls Show Strong G.O.P. Support for Trump on Immigration - A small, but growing, share of Republicans say that enforcement has gone too far, after the killing of two Minneapolis protesters.
• Chaos in Minneapolis Exposes an Internet at War With Truth - Technological advances and an erosion of trust have transformed the way news unfolds online, distorting shared reality.
• ‘They Couldn’t Break Me’: A Protester, the White House and a Doctored Photo - President Trump and the White House regularly circulate imagery that has been manipulated by A.I. But the photo of Nekima Levy Armstrong was different.
• Trump Says Republicans Should ‘Take Over’ Elections, and Clintons Agree to Testify in Epstein Inquiry - Plus, a conservative group plans an alternate Super Bowl halftime show.