Nicole Lafond
Where Things Stand: Cruz Hops On The ‘Poor Insurrectionists!’ Train 
We expected folks like Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Matt Gaetz (R-FL) to offer jailed insurrectionists the victim card. They staged a photo-op protest at the jail where some of them are being held last month to paint the rioters as mistreated political prisoners.
Now Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) is joining the whitewashing movement.
Where Things Stand: Greenberg Hands Over Sex-Arranging Texts That Include Pics Of Gaetz
ABC News got its hands on some private messages that it says Matt Gaetz’s buddy Joel Greenberg allegedly sent. The messages, ABC reports, were turned over to federal investigators, and reportedly show Greenberg arranging a meet up between himself, Gaetz, and women who were allegedly paid for sex.
Things are looking increasingly bad — and gross — for the congressman.
Where Things Stand: Biden Sends Ventilators To FL. DeSantis Wants Nothing To Do With It
The Biden administration reportedly sent 200 ventilators and 100 nasal oxygen kits to the state of Florida this week as the state sees an unprecedented spike in COVID-19 cases. As we’ve reported, the number of people hospitalized with the virus increased by 1,173 just in the last two days — putting the total number of confirmed hospitalizations in the Sunshine state at 14,787.
But Gov. Ron DeSantis claims he didn’t ask the feds for the life-saving equipment.
Where Things Stand: Mark Meadows, You’re Up
Former White House chief-of-staff Mark Meadows was one of Trump’s top henchmen pushing the DOJ to buy into his conspiracy theory of a stolen election — that is, when Trump wasn’t doing the dirty work himself.
Where Things Stand: The Bedding Mogul Is Confronted, Gets Mad
MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell has been on a destructive path for some time, buckling himself to the former president’s Big Lie crusade with near blind allegiance.
Where Things Stand: QAnon Congresswoman Goes To Iowa
The tour of terribleness is, apparently, just getting started.
Where Things Stand: Florida And Texas Dig Their Heels In
As at least one Republican governor expresses regret over a state law that bans mask mandates at the local level, Texas and Florida’s top officials are doing the opposite.
Where Things Stand: Ex-GOP Rep On Trump’s Legal Team Won’t Try To Block Testimony From Some Former Officials
Former Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA), who served on Trump’s impeachment defense team and who represented the former president in his legal bid to overturn election results in Georgia, signaled on Monday that Trump’s legal team will not block congressional requests for testimony from at least a handful of former Trump administration officials.
But there’s a caveat.
Where Things Stand: DeSantis’ Balancing Act
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ (R) rise to Trumpy stardom is largely tied to his defiant stance against public health measures during most of the pandemic last year.
Where Things Stand: Mo Brooks Says He Wore Body Armor On Jan. 6. Because Of Antifa, Of Course
Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) was one of the first Republicans to point the finger at the amorphous “antifa” as the true culprits behind the Jan. 6 insurrection.
His tone hasn’t changed much since.