The Washington Post: Breaking News, World, US, DC News and Analysis

Trump lawyers hit trial as politically motivated ‘hatred’

The defense team, confident that the former president will not be convicted, used up less than three hours in its arguments to the Senate.

By Seung Min Kim, Mike DeBonis and Ann E. Marimow55 minutes ago

Analysis

Once impeachment is over, the threat to Trump shifts to real courtrooms

The former president still faces a phalanx of lawsuits and probes.

By Philip Bump

BREAKING NEWS

Graham’s post-election call with Ga. secretary of state to be scrutinized in probe, person familiar with inquiry says

The revelation comes as the senator serves as a juror in former president Donald Trump’s impeachment trial and advises his defense.

By Amy Gardner, Tom Hamburger and Josh Dawsey25 minutes ago

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) sits in a meeting room for the lawyers of former president Donald Trump on the fourth day of the Senate Impeachment trial. (Jabin Botsford/The Post)

Doodles and giggles: Some senators spend impeachment trial in distraction

Democrats shook their heads in disbelief at Trump’s attorneys, while Republicans spent much of the week barely disguising their contempt for the proceedings.

By Colby Itkowitz1 hour ago

Sen. Cassidy seen holding draft statement indicating support for acquittal

By Mike DeBonis1 hour ago

Whip count: Where senators stand on convicting Trump

The FixAnalysis

Takeaways from Day 4 of the impeachment trial

The Trump team's presentation included a heavy dose of whataboutism.

By Aaron Blake

Senate votes to award Officer Eugene Goodman the Congressional Gold Medal

By Colby Itkowitz1 hour ago

The CritquePerspective

The trial begins in a moment of prayer. One can only hope it’s not in vain.

By Robin Givhan

Analysis

Key part of Trump’s defense — which included the word ‘fight’ 377 times in two hours — was undercut by his attorney

By Philip Bump

IMPEACHMENT GUIDE

Opinions

The exodus of women from the workforce is a national emergency

Opinion by Kamala D. Harris

Trump’s lawyers had no defense because there is none

Opinion by the Editorial Board

The CDC’s latest demands will keep millions of kids out of school unnecessarily

Opinion by Joseph G. Allen and Helen Jenkins

Trump’s lawyers offered an attack on everything but the evidence

Opinion by George T. Conway III

On a bed of lies and rage, Trump’s defense rests

Opinion by Dana Milbank

D.C.’s vaccine appointment disparity didn’t have to happen

Opinion by Colbert I. King

Coronavirus

Winter coronavirus wave ebbs and deaths drop, but experts fear a spring surge

The emergence of more-transmissible variants sparks new warnings against complacency.

By Joel Achenbach, Brittany Shammas, Fenit Nirappil and Jacqueline Dupree

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo draws bipartisan ire for withholding data on nursing home deaths

The governor is accused of downplaying a key part of the coronavirus’s death toll.

By Hannah Knowles, Fenit Nirappil and Jane Gottlieb1 hour ago

The pandemic has left a huge cache of dinosaur bones stuck in the Sahara

There are flying reptiles. A creature that resembles an armored dog. Eleven species yet to be identified — all with long necks. This is one of Africa’s biggest fossil caches, a prehistoric graveyard that sparked dreams of a world-class exhibition in Niger. But excavation must wait as the nation confronts a second wave of the coronavirus on top of escalating Islamist insurgencies.

By Danielle Paquette

CDC offers road map for safely reopening schools

By Laura Meckler

White House says no plan to require virus testing for domestic air travelers

By Lori Aratani1 hour ago

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

Why you shouldn’t get a covid antibody test after your vaccine

Covid antibody tests are not reliable in determining vaccine necessity or effectiveness, experts say.

By Lindsey Bever

Guide to the PandemicFull Coverage

Vaccinations

Your questions about the coronavirus vaccines, answered

A guide on how to master the appointment website

Double-masking hurting your ears? Try these tips.

What you need to know about the coronavirus variants

Your Life At Home

Stop dismissing love stories. They’re exactly what we need to survive covid-19.

MyPillow boycott: How a product can spark an identity crisis

Road to Recovery

Peloton makes toning your glutes feel spiritual. But should Jesus be part of the experience?

The pandemic hit undocumented restaurant workers hard. These bartenders swooped in to feed them.

DeJoy’s new plan for USPS said to include slower mail, higher prices

A key provision of the postmaster general’s strategy includes banning air travel for all first-class mail at a time when delivery rates are at historic lows.

By Jacob Bogage and Hannah Denham

EPA to jettison major Obama climate rule, as Biden eyes a bigger push

The EPA said it plans to propose a new rule aimed at limiting greenhouse gas pollution from the nation’s power plants.

By Brady Dennis and Juliet Eilperin

Two officers who helped fight Capitol mob died by suicide. Many are hurting.

By Peter Hermann

Black lawmakers urge Biden to stop the deportation of Black immigrants

By Maria Sacchetti and Arelis R. Hernández1 hour ago

MyPillow boycott: How a product can spark an identity crisis

Consumer experts offer insights on MyPillow customers’ conflicted feelings.

By Elizabeth Chang

Post ReportsPodcast

Liz Cheney’s ‘vote of conscience’

Add to:Apple Podcasts,Google Podcasts,Stitcher

Tax Season

Biden wants the IRS to drive his recovery plan. It can barely function as is.

The nation’s tax collector is struggling to raise revenue and is now tasked with distributing hundreds of billions of dollars in coronavirus relief funds.

By Jacob Bogage

Perspective

A tornado is coming

With two — potentially three — sets of stimulus payments and an overworked IRS staff dealing with all those extra demands, plenty could go wrong with tax season this year. Here's a preview.

By Michelle Singletary

Don’t Miss

Voraciously

Post-covid dining fantasies: ‘I just want someone to spill a beer on me’

By Emily Heil

Book Review

‘The Three Mothers’ honors the women who made Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and James Baldwin

By Lisa Page

A feminine wash for teens? Angry parents and gynecologists are on a social media crusade.

By Abigail Higgins

Representing Black excellence and triumph

By Washington Post Staff

Trending

Video: Allie Caren/Photo: Brian Monroe/The Washington Post

How elevators give romantic plot lines a lift

Elevators have long been used as a romantic prop. They are sometimes the place of a budding new beginning or used for confessions of love and passion.

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Washington Post Apps

Stay connected with the latest news on your tablet and phone.

Politics

Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) speaks to reporters Thursday at the Capitol. (EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)

The TakeAnalysis

All eyes on GOP senators after strong presentation by House managers

Is there any penalty that Republicans would support to hold Donald Trump accountable for what happened on Jan. 6?

By Dan Balz

Impeachment trial shows Pence under attack — yet he remains loyal to Trump

By Ashley Parker and Josh Dawsey7 minutes ago

White House suspends senior press aide accused of threatening reporter

By Paul Farhi

The FixAnalysis

199 legal experts say Senate must not acquit over constitutionality issue

By Aaron Blake

Lincoln Project co-founder Steve Schmidt resigns from the board amid crisis

By David Weigel1 hour ago

Senate impeachment whip count

By Ashlyn Still and JM Rieger

Tracking the political appointees Biden is nominating

By Harry Stevens and Madison Walls

World

Justice Department under Biden seeks to move forward with Julian Assange extradition

Advocates for the WikiLeaks founder had hoped for a change of course. His transfer to the United States to face espionage charges was blocked by a British court last month.

By Rachel Weiner

The agenda of Italy’s next prime minister: Covid, an economic crisis and raising the country’s profile

A decade ago as a financial contagion spread across Europe, Mario Draghi used the tools available to a central banker to keep the Eurozone from collapse. In his new role, he faces the challenge of rescuing Europe’s sickest and most worrying major economy.

By Chico Harlan and Stefano Pitrelli

Municipal workers wait as they prepare to cremate the body of a coronavirus victim at a cemetery in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Jan. 22. (AP)

In Sri Lanka, a unique pandemic trauma: Forced cremations

Experts say there is no public health rationale for the policy, which violates Muslim funeral practice.

By Joanna Slater and Piyumi Fonseka

For Kremlin critic Navalny, 10 hours in court and more ahead over alleged defamation of veteran

The jailed Russian opposition leader said the libel case was an attempt to erode support for him by pitting him against a member of Russia’s most-treasured generation: World War II veterans.

By Isabelle Khurshudyan

Honduran president, a Trump ally implicated in drug trafficking, tries to win over Biden

The Justice Department has linked Juan Orlando Hernández to trafficking in multiple indictments. He denies wrongdoing.

By Kevin Sieff

National

An 1860-75 photo of Harriet Tubman. (Harvey B. Lindsley/AP)

Renowned as a Black liberator, Harriet Tubman was also a brilliant spy. Now she’s being honored for it.

Tubman, the first woman to lead a military operation in U.S. history, has been inducted into the Military Intelligence Corps Hall of Fame.

By DeNeen L. Brown

Capital Weather Gang

A major winter storm may hit Texas, Mississippi Valley from Sunday into Monday

A rare, sprawling winter storm threatens states that don't typically see heavy snow and ice accumulations.

By Matthew Cappucci

Biden can nominate two judges to serve on the influential D.C. Circuit

Judge David S. Tatel announced plans to step back from active service.

By Ann E. Marimow

Capital Weather Gang

Airplane-effect snow hits Dallas-Fort Worth suburbs

Yes, really. Airplanes made it snow, and meteorologists didn't see it coming.

By Matthew Cappucci

An Indiana man never returned from a hunting trip. Strange texts and emoji led police to his son.

By Katie Shepherd

Without citizenship, many Latinos in this Atlanta suburb stay silent

By Maria Sacchetti

Supreme Court says Alabama cannot execute inmate without his pastor present

By Robert Barnes

D.C., Md. & Va.

Capital Weather Gang

Ice could cause dangerous travel conditions on Saturday

Especially in the southern and eastern parts of the D.C. region, this could be the most significant ice threat since Feb. 14, 2007.

By Jason Samenow and Ian Livingston

Virginia pauses vaccine registrations to prepare for launch of new statewide system

By Lola Fadulu and Antonio Olivo1 hour ago

Trump supporters overtake the Capitol on Jan. 6. (Michael Robinson Chavez/The Post)

Former FBI official, a Navy veteran, is ‘key figure’ in riot, prosecutors allege

Thomas Edward Caldwell organized trained fighters and communicated with self-styled militia groups, according to federal prosecutors.

By Rachel Weiner and Spencer S. Hsu

Previously convicted bank robber allegedly hits new bank while under covert surveillance, gets arrested

Police in Maryland say Carisa Cline, 44, had recently been released after more than 15 years in federal prison for bank robbery.

By Dan Morse

Virginia considering letting bicyclists roll through stop signs, no stop required

The legislation would also create more protections for bicyclists, including a measure that experts said reduces fatal collisions.

By Luz Lazo

Howard University, other HBCUs open clinics to help distribute coronavirus vaccines

By Lauren Lumpkin and Danielle Douglas-Gabriel1 hour ago

Proud Boys leader ordered to appear in D.C. federal court after pretrial monitoring agency says he failed to report in

By Keith L. Alexander

Known coronavirus deaths and cases per 100,000

FAQ: What to know about restrictions and safety

Going Out Guide

S. Prestley Blake, a founder of Friendly’s ice cream chain, dies at 106

He and his younger brother opened the first Friendly ice cream parlor in 1935, parlaying the profits from five-cent double-dip cones into a sprawling empire of eateries.

By Emily Langer

Now that’s room service: What it’s like to check into a hotel just for dinner

The Riggs Hotel opened empty guest rooms to diners. So I spent a couple of hours feasting in one.

By Tom Sietsema

The Smithsonian and National Gallery of Art are closed. Here’s what’s open now.

Some museums and cultural attractions have remained open with precautions in place.

By Fritz Hahn

Real Estate

In Northwest Washington, a Georgian house with plenty of charm and a pedigree

Distinguished homes for sale in the D.C. region

Mortgage rates stuck in neutral amid economic uncertainty

The Washington Post Magazine

(Andre Chung for The Post)

We lock up terrorists, then forget about them. Is there a better way to deradicalize?

Mohammed Khalid was one of the youngest people charged with terrorism in U.S. history. His story tells us a lot about what we’re getting wrong.

By Ashley Powers

Republican Rep. Nancy Mace on the Capitol insurrection: ‘We need to rebuild our party’

By KK Ottesen

Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger: Impeaching Trump ‘was, frankly, an easy decision’

By KK Ottesen

Date Lab

One of our setups is still going strong two years later. We caught up with them for an update.

By Marin Cogan

Perspective

I come bearing good news, QAnon. Meet WAnon, the new Mr. Right.

By Gene Weingarten

176 hotels, 247 military flights: How the National Guard transported, fed and housed soldiers who came to D.C. for the inauguration

“Usually we have people in nice ballgowns getting ready for an event, not in camouflage fatigues, so it’s quite a different picture,” said the Watergate Hotel’s managing director.

By Richard Leiby

Restaurant Review

Open for 53 years, Henry’s Soul Cafe proves that comfort is always in demand

Henry Smith’s carryout spot has stayed true to its mission of feeding the D.C. neighborhood.

By Tom Sietsema

Business & Technology

U.S. eyes flurry of new taxes on Amazon, Facebook and Google, trying to force tech to pay ‘fair share’

State lawmakers around the country are exploring a range of new taxes targeting Internet giants, seeking to capture some of Silicon Valley’s eye-popping profits and soaring share prices in the midst of the pandemic.

By Tony Romm