Colonial Pipeline Paid Hackers Nearly $5 Million in Ransom  — Payment came shortly after attack got underway last week  — FBI discourages organizations from paying ransom to hackers  —  Colonial Pipeline Co. paid nearly $5 million to Eastern European hackers on Friday …

Rep. Greene aggressively confronts Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, causing New York congresswoman to raise security concerns  —  Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene aggressively confronted Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Wednesday and falsely accused her of supporting “terrorists,” …

Vaccinated Americans now may go without masks in most places, the C.D.C. said.  —  In a sharp turnabout from previous recommendations, federal health officials on Thursday advised that Americans who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus may stop wearing masks or maintaining social distance …

The GOP has lost its way.  Fellow Americans, join our new alliance. … The Republican Party made a grievous error this week in ousting Rep. Liz Cheney (Wyo.) from the House leadership for telling the truth about Donald Trump's “big lie,” which has wreaked havoc in our democratic republic by casting doubt over the 2020 election.

Gaetz associate signals he will plead guilty in federal case, a worrisome development for the congressman  —  A Florida politician who is central to the investigation into Rep. Matt Gaetz for possible sex trafficking of a minor signaled Thursday that he will plead guilty in his own federal case …

Body-cam footage shows Capitol rioter celebrating as D.C. cop is beaten and Tasered: ‘I got one!’  —  Surrounded by rioters who had dragged him down the U.S. Capitol steps, beaten him and Tasered him, D.C. police officer Michael Fanone screamed in pain.  —  “I got one!” one of the rioters yelled triumphantly.

Israel begins firing artillery and tank shells into Gaza  —  GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel has begun firing artillery and tank shells into Gaza, and scores of families are fleeing their homes, Palestinian witnesses in the Gaza Strip said Thursday.  —  The use of artillery fire marks …

Rebekah Jones, the COVID Whistleblower Who Wasn't  —  The former dashboard manager alleges a vast data conspiracy in Florida; not a word of it is true.  —  This is a story about Rebekah Jones, a former dashboard manager at the Florida Department of Health (FDOH), who has single-handedly managed …

Prosecutors Seek Cooperation of Trump Confidante, Subpoena Manhattan Private School  —  Officials examine tuition payments for the grandchildren of Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg  —  New York prosecutors have subpoenaed a Manhattan private school as they seek the cooperation …

Is Brett Kavanaugh Out for Revenge?  —  The suburban gentry of Chevy Chase, Maryland, had some difficulty making sense of Brett Kavanaugh's descent into villainy that fall.  He had always seemed so nice and nonthreatening to his neighbors, so normal—the khaki-clad carpool dad who coached …

Active Duty U.S. Marine Corps Officer Arrested for Assault on Federal Law Enforcement Officer During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach  —  Defendant, Stationed in Virginia, Defied, Pushed and Resisted Capitol Police to Help Other Rioters Break into the U.S. Capitol  —  Note: A full copy of the charging documents can be viewed here.

President of Key Teachers' Union Shares Plea: ‘Schools Must Be Open’ in Fall  —  About half the nation's schools are not fully open despite rising vaccination levels, and teachers' unions are getting much of the blame.  Randi Weingarten hopes to carve a path forward.

Today's Paper  —  At first blush, the minimum-wage crowd manning the drive-thru at a Wendy's in the small town of Wadesboro, N.C., wouldn't seem to have much in common with the cosmopolitan staffers of Washingtonian, a magazine that serves the D.C. area.  But for a time earlier this month …

Trump-Biden Was Worst Presidential Polling Miss in 40 Years, Panel Says  —  Surveys overstated Democrats' support up and down the ballot, as some voters were less inclined to participate in polls  —  Public opinion surveys ahead of the 2020 presidential election were the most inaccurate in 40 years …

Even if You Think Discussing Aliens Is Ridiculous, Just Hear Me Out  —  The most curious subplot in the news right now is the admission, at the most senior levels of the United States government, that the military services have collected visuals, data and testimonials recording flying objects …

Andrew Yang's Rivals Accuse Him of Cheating ... on a Pop Quiz  —  Did Andrew Yang know all the answers to a New York Times test about the city because he is the Math Guy, or does he know all the answers because he looked them up?  —  Some of Yang's rivals, all trailing the front-runner …

The High-Pressure Business of Selling Woke Corporate Armor  —  In 2017, Nandini Jammi helped launch a company called Sleeping Giants to pressure corporate advertisers into boycotting conservative media.  With little more than a Twitter account, a Facebook group and a gift for incendiary rhetoric …

The Splitting of the Ticket Split  —  Dear Readers: We are excited to feature a first-time Crystal Ball contributor today, UVA student Ethan Chen.  He examines an interesting phenomenon in the 2020 House elections: a much more significant incumbency advantage for Republicans compared to Democrats.

Judge Delays Trial in George Floyd Case  —  Trial of three former Minneapolis police officers charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and manslaughter is delayed until March  —  A Hennepin County district judge delayed until March the trial of three former Minneapolis police officers charged …