Top of the Fold

• Former cop Kim Potter sentenced to two years for accidental shooting death: Last December, former Minnesota Police Officer Kim Potter was found guilty of two counts of first- and second-degree manslaughter in the shooting death of Daunte Wright. During a traffic stop and the subsequent attempted arrest of Wright, Potter mistakenly grabbed her firearm rather than her taser and shot him as he was attempting to flee in his car. On Friday, Judge Regina Chu handed Potter a two-year prison sentence, which was much less than the seven years and two months Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison sought. Chu defended her decision by stating, “To those who disagree and feel a longer prison sentence is appropriate, as difficult as it may be, please try to empathize with Miss Potter’s situation [which is] one of the saddest cases I’ve had in my 20 years on the bench.”

• Newsom calls .22 rifle a “weapon of war”: California’s anti-Second Amendment Governor Gavin Newsom posted a photo of an AR-style .22 rifle on his social media account so he could blast the manufacturer for creating a “vile” “weapon of war” “made to look ‘cute’ to appeal to kids.” He also called on “NRA-backed politicians [to] condemn this.” The weapon in question is designed for helping to train kids in the safe use of firearms. That’s a good thing. Dubbed the “JR-15,” it helps young Americans learn about and properly engage in their Second Amendment rights, something Newsom clearly loathes. Furthermore, the “JR-15” is a single-shot .22 LR fully compliant with California firearm laws. But evidently to Newsom, all it takes to make something a “weapon of war” is its appearance.

• National Archives confirms that Trump had classified materials: In a letter sent last week to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, U.S. archivist David Ferriero stated, “NARA has identified items marked as classified national security information within the boxes.” Fifteen boxes of materials were recently retrieved by the National Archives from Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Little is known as to what exactly the classified materials were, but the Justice Department has been notified. Trump released a brief statement following the news: “The National Archives did not ‘find’ anything, they were given, upon request, Presidential Records in an ordinary and routine process to ensure the preservation of my legacy and in accordance with the Presidential Records Act.” He added: “If this was anybody but ‘Trump,’ there would be no story here. Instead, Democrats are in search of the next scam.” Paging Hillary Clinton…

• Recently removed fence surrounding U.S. Capitol to go back up: A temporary perimeter fence that was hastily put up around the U.S. Capitol building following the January 6 riot and subsequently removed is reportedly likely to reappear prior to Joe Biden’s State of the Union Address on March 1. The reason: Fears of a large “Freedom Convoy”-type trucker protest. According to a statement from the Capitol Police: “Law enforcement agencies across the National Capital Region are aware of plans for a series of truck convoys arriving in Washington, DC around the time of the State of the Union.” Speaker Nancy Pelosi is also limiting those attending Biden’s address to only members of Congress.

Headlines

• Kremlin pours cold water on summit plan for Biden, Putin on Ukraine (New York Post)

• One dead, five injured after shooting at Portland antifa gathering (Post Millennial)

• Ghislaine Maxwell’s family “fears for her safety” after Epstein perv pal found dead by “suicide” (Not the Bee)

• “Transgender” swimmers Lia Thomas and Iszac Henig clobber Ivy League competition (Fox News)

• Florida on track for 15-week abortion ban similar to one before Supreme Court (Washington Examiner)

• Nearly two million kids left public indoctrination centers from 2020 to 2021 (The Federalist)

• Policy: How the U.S. should help defend Ukraine (Heritage Foundation)

• Humor: Biden wishes a happy Presidents’ Day to whoever is president right now (Genesius Times)