President Putin Flexes His Muscles

This article is part of The D. C. Brief, TIME’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to get stories like this sent to your inbox. Publicly, Joe Biden never wavered. Privately, those close to him believed that the President would eventually intervene and end the federal prosecutions against his son. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Sunday evening’s surprise announcement of a sweeping pardon for Hunter Biden sent Washington ablaze with outrage.

When the Supreme Court hears U. S. v. Skrmetti on Dec. 4, trans youth and LGBTQ+ advocates across the country will be watching with bated breath. The case, which centers on a Tennessee law, will allow the U. S. Supreme Court Justices to decide whether gender-affirming-care bans for minors are unconstitutional under the basis of sex discrimination. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] It’s the first major trans rights case to reach the nation’s highest court after statehouses have passed scores of anti-trans laws in recent years restricting transgender Americans’ ability to use the bathrooms of their choice, play on women’s sports teams, and access certain kinds of health care.

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Republicans filed a lawsuit Monday to try to force a rerun of a state House race where the incumbent Democrat won by 14 votes — but in which investigators concluded that election workers probably destroyed 20 valid absentee ballots after failing to count them. It’s a race that could determine the balance of power in the Minnesota House, where leaders from both parties are working out the details of a power-sharing agreement that currently presumes a 67-67 tie when the Legislature convenes next month.

The Broncos are pushing their decision on wide receiver Josh Reynolds to the final day. Denver on Monday downgraded Reynolds (finger) to out, meaning the team will not activate him for Monday night’s game against Cleveland, sources told The Denver Post on Monday afternoon. Reynolds has been on injured reserve since October after he sustained a hand injury that required surgery during the Broncos’ Week 5 win over Las Vegas.

ATLANTA — Already reeling from their November defeats, Democrats now are grappling with President Joe Biden’s pardoning of his son for federal crimes after the party spent years slamming Donald Trump as a threat to democracy who disregarded the law. The president pardoned Hunter Biden late Sunday evening, reversing his previous pledges with a grant of clemency that covers more than a decade of any federal crimes his son might have committed.

Casey Mittelstadt became a productive NHL player because his hands and his mind are among the best in the sport. When he’s not dazzling with incredible passes most NHL players can’t see or can’t execute, his coach has a different aspect of Mittelstadt’s game in mind. “When I watch his game … he’s effective when he’s skating and churning his legs,” Jared Bednar said.