POLITICO Playbook: It's not a civil war; it's a purge  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  Thursday was historic: America broke the back of the pandemic.  New cases are at an eight-month low.  Deaths are at a 10-month low.  Best of all, if you're vaccinated, you can take off your damn mask.

Mask-wearing update in NY, NJ and CT: What to know … How mask-wearing update impacts Tri-State  —  NEW YORK (WABC) — So far, New York and New Jersey do not appear to be in a rush to make any changes in mask-wearing policies after the CDC issued new guidance Thursday.  —  But it's a different story in Connecticut.

Since-deleted video shows Marjorie Taylor Greene harassing Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's office during 2019 Capitol Hill visit  —  (CNN)Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene confronted Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez outside the House chamber on Wednesday afternoon.

Congressional Democrats have a 100% vaccination rate  —  Washington (CNN)Although the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday that people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 do not need to wear masks or practice social distancing indoors or outdoors except under special circumstances …

House Republicans Defy the January 6 Narrative  —  The script about that day might have been concocted by Democrats and the media but the true account of what happened before, during, and after is still being written.  —  It's about time.  —  U.S. Representative Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) …

Beneath Joe Biden's Folksy Demeanor, a Short Fuse and an Obsession With Details  —  As Mr. Biden settles into the office he has chased for more than three decades, aides say he demands hours of debate from scores of policy experts.  —  WASHINGTON — The commander in chief was taking his time, as usual.

Activists and Ex-Spy Said to Have Plotted to Discredit Trump ‘Enemies’ in Government  —  The campaign included planned operations against President Trump's national security adviser at the time, H.R. McMaster, and F.B.I. employees, according to documents and interviews.

EDITORIAL BOARD: The Intercept's Dirty Smear Job On Our Reporters Deserves A Response  —  Journalist Glenn Greenwald left The Intercept in late October of 2020 - and if Thursday's smear job on Daily Caller reporters is any indication, the publication has gone from journalism to activist garbage in just six short months.

Israelis and Palestinians can't go on like this.  Weep for us.  —  Opinion by  —  JERUSALEM — We could go on forever this way, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cheering squad wanted us to think.  The intifada was long past.  We were secure.

Delay in giving second jabs of Pfizer vaccine improves immunity  —  Study finds antibodies against Sars-CoV-2 three-and-a-half times higher in people vaccinated again after 12 weeks rather than three  —  The UK's decision to delay second doses of coronavirus vaccines has received fresh support …

What do Republicans want on the economy?  They're not sure anymore  —  WASHINGTON — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was not a supporter of former President Donald Trump's quest to overturn the election.  But he has declined to weigh in on the party's ongoing purge of anti-Trump Republicans …

'Doesn't matter': Democrats reject GOP's debt limit demands  —  Senate Republicans dramatically changed their party rules to take a hard line on the debt limit in the coming months.  Democrats don't care.  —  In fact, the Democratic majority says it has no intention of negotiating …

Giuliani's son tells Russian state TV people don't want to live in America after FBI raided his dad  —  The son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani went on Russian TV to push conspiracy theories about the federal investigation of his father.  —  Andrew Giuliani accused the American government …

‘Real Time With Bill Maher’ Cancels This Week's Show After HBO Host Tests Positive For Covid-19  —  EXCLUSIVE: HBO has scrapped this week's episode of Real Time with Bill Maher after the comedian tested positive for Covid-19.  Maher, who is vaccinated and asymptomatic, tested positive during …

CIA Officer Became ‘Formidable Foe’ of U.S. Government  —  Janine Brookner took on the KGB, sexist rivals and Justice Department lawyers alike during a pioneering career as a spy and lawyer  —  Janine Brookner, who battled communist spies and boorish male bureaucrats alike during …

Masks Off!  Now Bring On The Vaccine Passports.  —  Plus: Liz Cheney does Fox  —  That strange feeling that you experienced yesterday afternoon?  Liberation?  Euphoria?  Actual excitement?  —  Shortly after 2 EDT, the director of the CDC, Rochelle Walensky, declared:

Leaked Video: Dark Money Group Brags About Writing GOP Voter Suppression Bills Across the Country  —  In a private meeting last month with big-money donors, the head of a top conservative group boasted that her outfit had crafted the new voter suppression law in Georgia and was doing the same …

Matt Gaetz associate Joel Greenberg will plead guilty to 6 felony counts including sex trafficking, wire fraud, and identity theft  — The Matt Gaetz associate Joel Greenberg plans to plead guilty to six felony counts in a plea deal.  — The charges include sex trafficking, wire fraud, and identity theft.