Thursday's Headlines: Obama’s move on Supreme Court sets up battle with GOP

Garland's instinct for the middle could boost his influence; GOP congressional leaders plan to give nominee the cold shoulder; Meet Merrick Garland, the man who led the prosecution of the Oklahoma City bombers; What picking a white, male, moderate Harvard grad says about Obama's legacy; Delegates may be pledged to Trump, but that doesn't mean they're loyal; GOP groups trying to topple Trump vow to press on;   The morning's most important stories, selected by Post editors   Top Stories Obama's move on Supreme Court sets up battle with GOP The president's choice of appellate judge Merrick Garland does not fit into a category that is likely to mobilize Democratic voters, but Obama decided that it would be difficult for Senate Republicans to deny a hearing and vote for a man who has won effusive bipartisan accolades. By Juliet Eilperin and Mike DeBonis  •  Read more » Garland's instinct for the middle could boost his influence As Justice Anthony M. Kennedy is to the left of the rest of the court's conservatives — and the justice most often in play — scholars think that Garland would be just to the right of the court's liberals. By Robert Barnes  •  Read more »   GOP congressional leaders plan to give nominee the cold shoulder Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell isn't planning on meeting with Merrick Garland during his first official visit to Capitol Hill today. By Karoun Demirjian  •  Read more »   Meet Merrick Garland, the man who led the prosecution of the Oklahoma City bombers Garland, nominated to fill an open Supreme Court seat, is a longtime jurist who once gave up a lucrative career at a law firm to become a federal prosecutor. By David A. Fahrenthold, Tom Hamburger and Rosalind S. Helderman  •  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   What picking a white, male, moderate Harvard grad says about Obama's legacy Was the president's choice a masterstroke of strategy and political genius? Or will it be viewed and described as a bit of a letdown to some Americans? By Janell Ross  •  Read more »   Delegates may be pledged to Trump, but that doesn't mean they're loyal GOP convention delegates obligated to vote for one candidate on the first ballot could actually turn out to be sleeper cells for another as the voting proceeds. The obscure process of picking who actually gets to fill that role faces scrutiny that has not been felt in decades. By Karen Tumulty and Jose A. DelReal  •  Read more »   GOP groups trying to topple Trump vow to press on While the organizations leading the Stop Trump movement are working on strategy after the developer's latest primary wins, some senior party figures and donors are reassessing how much to invest in the cause. By Matea Gold and Philip Rucker  •  Read more »   Opinions   To defend our democracy, the GOP must aim for a brokered convention By Editorial Board  •  Read more »   Garrison Keillor: Think moving abroad will save you from Trump? Think again. By Garrison Keillor  •  Read more »   Republicans stain themselves by sticking with Trump By Michael Gerson  •  Read more »   Republicans reject Obama's call for a fair Supreme Court confirmation process By Dana Milbank  •  Read more »   Why all presidential candidates — male or female — should smile when they win By Joe Scarborough  •  Read more »   A Supreme Court nominee too good for the GOP to ignore By Ruth Marcus  •  Read more » ADVERTISEMENT   More News   Metro's safety check during shutdown spots severe cable damage in 3 sections The damage was so extensive that Metro immediately would have stopped running trains through those areas if officials had known earlier. The system is scheduled to reopen at 5 a.m. Thursday. By Robert McCartney and Paul Duggan  •  Read more » Metro's failures are the result of our decision to let America's cities decay We once aspired to beautiful cities and governments that work. Why did we give up? By Philip Kennicott  •  Read more » How Donald Trump's banal playlist cultivates danger at his rallies While pundits have enjoyed some giggles over Trump's song selections, what matters far more is how this music shapes the psychology and mood of the room. By Chris Richards  •  Read more » Credibility of FBI's elite Hostage Rescue Team is on the line The unit, which played a key role in raids in Waco, Tex., and at Ruby Ridge in Idaho, is under intense scrutiny after a fatal shooting during a standoff in rural Oregon. By Adam Goldman  •  Read more » Sexual misconduct allegation against ex-captain clouds Yale's tournament visit Enthusiasm for the Bulldogs' first appearance in the NCAA men's basketball tournament since 1962 has been tempered by the accusation and subsequent expulsion of Jack Montague. By Chuck Culpepper  •  Read more » With (fake) blood and guts, U.S. Army practices for North Korean attack Near the onetime setting of the hit television show "M*A*S*H," a field hospital was in full swing, simulating the response to an artillery attack from Kim Jong Un's army. By Anna Fifield  •  Read more » What it's like to be a hot girl online (when you're a nerdy guy in real life) For two glorious weeks, 23-year-old software engineer Krishnabh Medhi was — on Facebook, at least —- a hot blonde chick named Amanda. By Caitlin Dewey  •  Read more »         Share Today's Headlines:       Twitter      Facebook Trouble reading? Click here to view in your browser. 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