Least Vaccinated U.S. Counties Have Something in Common: Trump Voters  —  About 31 percent of adults in the United States have now been fully vaccinated.  Scientists have estimated that 70 to 90 percent of the total population must acquire resistance to the virus to reach herd immunity.

Trump loyalists start ‘America First Caucus’ to promote U.S. as ‘uniquely Anglo-Saxon’  —  Far-right Republicans in Congress are forming an “America First Caucus” that would promote nativist policies, according to materials outlining the group's goals first obtained by Punchbowl News.

Justice Department sues Trump ally Roger Stone, alleging millions in unpaid taxes  —  WASHINGTON — The Justice Department on Friday sued Roger Stone, a longtime ally of former President Donald Trump, accusing Stone and his wife of owing nearly $2 million in unpaid income taxes.

You Have to Read This Letter  —  A New York father pulls his daughter out of Brearley with a message to the whole school.  Is the dam starting to break?  —  I was planning to publish a roundup today of the many thoughtful responses to Paul Rossi's essay.  I'm going to save that post for Sunday …

Portland protesters light fires, smash downtown windows; police declare riot  —  A group of protesters in downtown Portland lit fires, smashed the windows of businesses, a church and the Oregon Historical Society, and caused other various damage during a destructive demonstration Friday night and early Saturday.

THE VICTORIANS HAD TO ACCEPT DARWIN.  WE NEED TO ACCEPT THAT COPS KILL WHITE PEOPLE AS EASILY AS THEY KILL BLACK PEOPLE.  —  Otherwise, our conversation on race is deeply and perniciously fake.  —  9 hr ago  —  The death of Daunte Wright in Minneapolis necessitates a new mental habit among us enlightened American souls.

Gaetz ex-girlfriend feared alleged sex-trafficking victim taped call for feds  —  MIAMI — Matt Gaetz's former girlfriend has told friends she's worried that the woman who is key to the federal government's sex-crimes investigation tried to get her to incriminate the Florida lawmaker on a recorded call.

Federal judge orders Minnesota state troopers to not arrest journalists covering protests  —  A Minnesota federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order barring Minnesota state law enforcement from using force against journalists or ordering them to disperse while covering protests.

How Substack Revealed the Real Value of Writers' Unfiltered Thoughts  —  What sort of journalist who has been filing brilliant, scoopy copy about technology, privacy and politics for the past two years on the New York Times editorial page would leave that main-course for the side-dish of a newsletter?

It's About Time for Us to Stop Wearing Masks Outside  —  One of the last times I stepped outside my Brooklyn apartment without a mask on was in early spring 2020, just before the state issued a mask mandate.  I remember because as my dog peed on a tree, a neighbor asked me pointedly where my mask was.

There will be no graceful exit from the Covid-19 pandemic  —  Opinion by Mathew Burrows and Barry Pavel  —  How Covid has collapsed the world's healthcare systems  —  Dr. Mathew Burrows, who spent 28 years at the CIA and State Department, serves as director of the Foresight, Strategy …

Coronavirus is disappearing from the halls of Congress even if the political rancor over the pandemic is not  —  Congress crossed a critical threshold Wednesday that is a testament to the power of vaccines: 75 straight days without a single member announcing a positive test for the coronavirus.

How Kash Patel rose from obscure Hill staffer to key operative in Trump's battle with the intelligence community  —  In the Trump administration's four-year battle with the intelligence community, a recurring character was a brash lawyer named Kashyap P.  “Kash” Patel.

Worldwide COVID-19 death toll tops a staggering 3 million  —  RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The global death toll from the coronavirus topped a staggering 3 million people Saturday amid repeated setbacks in the worldwide vaccination campaign and a deepening crisis in places such as Brazil, India and France.

Data gap threatens to complicate Johnson & Johnson vaccine pause  —  It could take two weeks or longer for federal health agencies to gather and analyze enough data to determine conclusively whether there is a link between Johnson & Johnson's coronavirus vaccine and reports of rare …

TikTok Turns Average Joes Into Stars.  Then What?  —  Even when a creator scores a viral hit, repeat success can prove elusive  —  When Kendra Womack uploaded a short video of her aunt's Labrador retriever to TikTok last year, she didn't expect what happened next.

U.S. has new intel that Manafort friend Kilimnik gave Trump campaign data to Russia … The U.S. intelligence community has developed new information about Konstantin Kilimnik, whom they call a Russian spy, that leads them to believe the associate of ex-Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort …

Why Police Can Stop Motorists With Air Fresheners Hanging in Their Cars  —  A majority of states have laws making it illegal to hang anything from a rearview mirror that obscures a driver's view.  But critics say the laws are often used as pretexts.  —  Phil Colbert was on his way to meet …

Man accidentally gets one Moderna and one Pfizer COVID vaccine  —  A mix-up led this man to get a vaccine combo pack.  —  While getting his second COVID-19 vaccine dose on Tuesday, a New Hampshire man accidentally received the Pfizer jab, despite his first dose having been from Moderna.

National World War I Memorial unveiled in Washington more than 100 years later  —  President Joe Biden said it commemorates the “courage” of American “Doughboys.”  —  Congressman wants to award Congressional Gold Medal to ‘Harlem Hellfighters’  —  Tom Suozzi of New York announced he's introducing …

Americans overwhelmingly say marijuana should be legal for recreational or medical use  —  As more states, including Virginia and New York, continue to legalize marijuana, an overwhelming share of U.S. adults (91%) say either that marijuana should be legal for medical and recreational use …

Hunter Biden's emergence shadows his father's presidency  —  Every day, Hunter Biden calls his sponsor three times, trying to keep his drug and alcohol addiction at bay.  Every night, by his own account, President Biden calls him before he goes to bed — and, if Hunter doesn't pick up, a string of texts follows.

Pompeos violated rules on use of State Department resources, IG finds  —  Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo violated federal ethics rules governing the use of taxpayer-funded resources when he and his wife, Susan, asked State Department employees to carry out tasks for their personal benefit …