U.S. Intel Walks Back Claim Russians Put Bounties on American Troops  —  It was a huge election-time story that prompted cries of treason.  But according to a newly disclosed assessment, Donald Trump might have been right to call it a “hoax.”  —  It was a blockbuster story about Russia's return …

Video Shows A 13-Year-Old Boy Had His Hands Up When A Police Officer Fatally Shot Him  —  A 13-year-old boy who was shot and killed in Chicago by a police officer had his hands up when the cop fired his weapon, new videos show.  —  The city's Civilian Office of Police Accountability posted …

Pfizer CEO says third Covid vaccine dose likely needed within 12 months  — Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said people will “likely” need a booster dose of a Covid-19 vaccine within 12 months of getting fully vaccinated.  — He also said it's possible people will need to get vaccinated against the virus annually.

Biden administration asks Supreme Court not to hear challenge to all-male military draft  —  The Biden administration has asked the Supreme Court not to take up a lawsuit that calls the all-male military draft unconstitutional.  —  Because Congress is considering whether women should also be required …

How the Justice Department came to investigate Rep. Matt Gaetz  —  The missive arrived at an Orlando-area preparatory school in October 2019, outlining a damaging allegation against a music teacher there.  —  The teacher, in the letter's telling, had had an inappropriate sexual relationship …

Jim Jordan Told to ‘Shut Your Mouth’ After Ranting Endlessly at Fauci  —  SPARE US  —  During a meeting of the House Coronavirus Crisis Subcommittee on Thursday, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) had to intervene in a shouting match between Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Dr. Anthony Fauci by telling Jordan to “shut your mouth.”

Reuters puts its website behind a paywall.  —  Reuters will begin charging for access to its website as it tries to capture a slice of the digital subscription business.  —  The company, one of the largest news organizations in the world, announced the new paywall on Thursday …

Introducing the 2021 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index  —  The Cook Political Report is pleased to introduce the post-2020 edition of the Partisan Voter Index (PVI) for all 50 states and 435 congressional districts.  Although these district boundaries won't be in place …

Lawmakers blast North Platte Sen. Groene for ‘racist’ comments during debate  —  A handful of state lawmakers criticized Sen. Mike Groene on Thursday for what they said was an offensive comment made by the North Platte senator on Wednesday.  —  During floor debate, Groene inadvertently called …

Kellyanne Conway takes sides in Ohio Senate primary  —  Kellyanne Conway, who served as campaign manager and counselor to former President Donald Trump, has been named a senior adviser to Ohio Senate hopeful Bernie Moreno, taking sides in a race that has become a fight over which GOP candidate is closest to the former president.

Washington Post's Josh Rogin Calls Out Media for Ignoring Potential Connection Between Fauci's Research and Covid Outbreak  —  Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin lamented the media's refusal to discuss aspects of the Covid-19 pandemic, including Dr. Anthony Fauci's potential connection to a Wuhan lab, in an interview with Megyn Kelly.

Decision to pause Johnson & Johnson vaccine causes public confidence in vaccine to sink  —  Economist/YouGov Poll Politics & current affairs  —  Fieldwork for the latest Economist/YouGov poll on vaccine safety perceptions was in the midst of being conducted when the Centers for Disease Control …

Defense Department confirms leaked video of unidentified aerial phenomena is real  —  Pentagon confirms UFO video is real, taken by Navy pilot  —  (CNN)The Defense Department has confirmed that leaked photos and video of “unidentified aerial phenomena” taken in 2019 are indeed legitimate images of unexplained objects.

Introducing Substack Local, for a new generation of local news  —  Today, we're announcing Substack Local, a US$1,000,000 initiative to foster and develop the local news ecosystem by helping independent writers build local news publications based on the subscription model.

Canadian lawmaker caught naked during video conference  —  OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — A Canadian Parliament member was caught stark naked in a virtual meeting of the House of Commons.  —  William Amos, who has represented the Quebec district of Pontiac since 2015, appeared on the screens …

Tucker Carlson villainizes journalists on his top-rated show.  Then the threats pour in.  —  As the Fox host's popularity grows, he has found fodder in lesser-known media figures whom he presents as symbols of liberalism-run-amok.  —  Brandy Zadrozny, a reporter for NBC News who covers online extremism …

J.D. Vance tells associates he plans to run for Senate in Ohio  —  J.D. Vance, venture capitalist and author of “Hillbilly Elegy,” has told friends and colleagues that he plans to run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Axios has learned from multiple sources.

The media knows much less than it thinks  —  The Dunning-Kruger effect is a form of cognitive bias in which we humans tend to believe we know far more than we think.  The least-informed people are often the most certain because, as Cornell University psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger put it …

Why Public Schools Shouldn't Offer a Remote Option This Fall  —  At the end of March, New Jersey governor Phil Murphy said that he expects every school district in his state to operate full time in person in the fall.  Compared to some hesitant politicians, this was a bold proclamation.

CDC Identifies Small Group of Covid-19 Infections Among Fully Vaccinated Patients  —  Incidence is rare, occurring in only 0.008% of cases and in line with expectations  —  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified a small cohort of approximately 5,800 cases …

How an attempted Canadian kowtow to China backfired  —  When the Halifax International Security Forum awards its top 2020 prize to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen later this month, the Chinese government's effort to thwart that plan will have failed — along with the Canadian Defense Ministry's …

17 requests for backup in 78 minutes  —  A reconstruction shows how failures of planning and preparation left police at the Capitol severely disadvantaged on Jan. 6  —  At 1:13 p.m. on Jan. 6, a D.C. police commander facing a swelling crowd of protesters on the west side of the U.S. Capitol …

A New ‘Denim Cycle’?  After a Decade, Jeans Move From Skinny to Loose  —  American shoppers are flocking to high-waisted, loosefitting jeans in droves and companies believe they may become a hallmark of the post-pandemic world.  —  The obituary for skinny jeans has been written …

A Union County basketball coach was shot and killed in Alamance County.  Deputies say he was in a shootout with the Sinaloa cartel  —  Barney Harris, the men's basketball coach at Union Academy, was killed in a shootout with a Mexican drug cartel in Alamance County, North Carolina, deputies said.

Unused Vaccines Are Piling Up Across U.S. as Some Regions Resist  —  Even in states where inoculation campaigns have been mostly successful, vaccine gaps remain  —  Many U.S. states and cities have a growing surplus of Covid-19 vaccines, a sign that in some places demand is slowing …

Biden starts off presidency with positive approval marks, CNBC survey shows  — President Joe Biden has a 47% public approval rating, according to the latest CNBC All-America Economic Survey.  — He has a disapproval rating of 41%, getting him above water in the public's view.