“The federal investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election appears to be gaining traction, with the Justice Department having brought in a well-regarded new prosecutor to help run the inquiry and a high-profile witness seeking a deal to provide information,” the New York Times reports.

“Alex Jones, the host of the conspiracy-driven media outlet Infowars and a key player in the pro-Trump ‘Stop the Steal’ movement, is in discussions with the Justice Department about an agreement to detail his role in the rally near the White House last Jan. 6 that preceded the attack on the Capitol.”

It’s certainly interesting, but Jones is hardly a reliable witness.

“The Biden administration is preparing to announce another substantial military aid package for Ukraine this week,” NBC News reports.

“Three officials said the package is expected to be similar in size to the $800 million one the administration announced last week. Two officials said the package is expected to include more artillery and tens of thousands more artillery rounds.”

New York Times: “Defying the odds, Ukraine held on to its capital and pushed Russia from the north. Now, as the Kremlin switches gears and begins a concerted effort to capture eastern Ukraine, Washington and its allies are pivoting as well, scrambling to supply Ukraine with bigger and more advanced weapons to defend itself in a grinding war.”

A former staffer for Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) pleaded guilty to a federal theft of public funds charge for giving himself nearly $80,000 in unauthorized salary bumps and bonuses, ABC News reports.

Jonathan Bernstein: “It’s not just that they have no financial or professional interest in the party winning elections. It’s that their incentives run the other way. In a familiar pattern, since Joe Biden became president, Fox News ratings are up and MSNBC ratings are down. Negative partisanship is crucial for media consumption; nothing gets partisans paying attention to political news more than strongly disliking the president and other elected officials.”

“And while I doubt that Sean Hannity (at Fox) or Rachel Maddow (at MSNBC) actively want their parties to lose, the fact that professional incentives call for just that cannot help but make a difference to what those networks do overall.”

Representatives of the American Bar Association lauded the qualifications of Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson on Thursday, saying everyone they interviewed used terms such as “brilliant,” “beyond reproach,” “impeccable” and “A-plus” to describe her, the Washington Post reports.

John White: “In an era when norms are often cast aside, one cardinal rule of the presidency remains intact: expect the unexpected. That rule is being vindicated once more. On Election Day 2020, few expected Russia to invade Ukraine and begin the biggest conflict in Europe since World War II.”

“But the war is here, and President Biden is dealing with an issue most Americans believed had been resolved by the norms established on the European continent since 1945. How Biden measures up, and what the political implications for his presidency are, remain unclear. But as John F. Kennedy reportedly said during the Cuban Missile Crisis, ‘I guess this is the week that I earn my salary.’ Biden is certainly earning his.”

“China has fully militarized at least three of several islands it built in the disputed South China Sea, arming them with anti-ship and antiaircraft missile systems, laser and jamming equipment, and fighter jets in an increasingly aggressive move that threatens all nations operating nearby,” the Los Angeles Times reports.

“Adm. John Aquilino, U.S. Indo-Pacific commander, said the hostile actions were in stark contrast to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s past assurances that Beijing would not transform the artificial islands in contested waters into military bases.”

The Russian Defense Ministry acknowledged that conscripts were sent into battle in Ukraine, and that some had been taken prisoner — a reversal after President Vladimir Putin’s claim this week that conscripts “are not participating and will not participate” in the war, the New York Times reports.

“Amazon.com has suspended shipments of retail products and access to Prime Video to customers in Russia, part of a broader effort by the company and other technology giants to remove ties with the country,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“The outcome of the trial of four men facing federal charges of conspiring to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020 could hinge on whether the prosecution can show they were likely to commit the crime even without the encouragement and logistical support provided by government informants,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Defense attorneys are expected to argue that the government entrapped the four men by orchestrating the plot and goading them to join.”

Despite his recent criticisms if Donald Trump, former Attorney General William Barr told the Today Show that he would still vote for Trump if he was the Republican nominee in 2024.

This admission came after Barr was read Trump’s letter this morning calling him a “coward” and after Barr said Trump “did a lot of damage” by lying about the election.

“Senior White House officials designing the strategy to confront Russia have begun quietly debating a new concern: that the avalanche of sanctions directed at Moscow, which have gained speed faster than they imagined, is cornering President Vladimir Putin and may prompt him to lash out, perhaps expanding the conflict beyond Ukraine,” the New York Times reports.

“In Situation Room meetings in recent days, the issue has come up repeatedly.”

Financial Times: Would Putin ever really go nuclear?

“A draft report for a GOP-run investigation of the 2020 election in Wisconsin, authored by a former state Supreme Court justice, embraces the fringe theory that election results could be decertified after the fact — advancing former President Donald Trump’s calls to overturn an election he lost well over a year ago,” Politico reports.

Philip Bump: “This Wisconsin ‘fraud’ report is so mindbogglingly stupid that I’m honestly amazed the man responsible for it sat on the state supreme court.”

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), who is running for U.S. Senate candidate, was suspended from Twitter after tweeting about transgender women in sports saying they are “men pretending to be women,” Fox News reports.

“The original Florida House sponsor of what’s been dubbed the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill is proposing an additional provision that’s further inflaming LGBTQ advocates,” USA Today reports.

“An amendment by Republican state Rep. Joe Harding  to be debated and voted on the House floor Tuesday afternoon, would require school principals to disclose a child’s sexual orientation to parents within six weeks if they find out a student has come out as other than straight.”

“That’s on top of the main bill, which generally seeks to regulate discussions in schools of sexual orientation and gender identity, and would give parents the power to sue violators.”

“The Biden administration made clear Tuesday that it viewed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s movement of troops into the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine as the start of an invasion after initially refraining from using a term that President Biden had said would trigger tough action against Moscow,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

Said adviser Jonathan Finer: “We think this is, yes, the beginning of an invasion. An invasion is an invasion and that is what is under way.”

GOP leaders are pushing Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) to run for U.S. Senate this year, but he told CBS News that he’s considering a presidential campaign in 2024.