Why Justice Breyer May Resist Calls for His Retirement  —  In a recent speech on “the peril of politics,” Justice Stephen G. Breyer said judges must renounce loyalty to “the political party that helped to secure their appointment.”  —  WASHINGTON — Many liberals say Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg …

AT&T to spin off HBO, other WarnerMedia assets in a huge deal with Discovery.  What went wrong?  —  Three years ago, AT&T Inc. marched into Hollywood with big ambitions to be a 21st century media colossus, connecting its booming cellphone business with legendary media properties — HBO …

Chuck Todd clashes with Dan Crenshaw over GOP fraud claims: ‘Why should anybody believe a word you say?’  —  Days after House Republicans ousted Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) from her leadership position for challenging former president Donald Trump's false claims of election fraud, Rep. Dan Crenshaw …

Former Matt Gaetz associate Joel Greenberg pleads guilty to six federal charges  —  Washington (CNN)Joel Greenberg, an indicted close confidant of Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, formally pleaded guilty on Monday morning to six federal charges in a court hearing, admitting to a federal judge …

Biden to Send U.S.-Authorized Vaccines Abroad for First Time  —  President Joe Biden plans to send an additional 20 million doses of U.S. coronavirus vaccines abroad by the end of June — including, for the first time, shots authorized for domestic use, where supply is beginning to outstrip demand, Bloomberg News reports.

Chinese businessman with links to Steve Bannon is driving force for a sprawling disinformation network, researchers say  —  Guo Wengui, living in self-exile in New York City, is at the center of a digital web pushing election and covid falsehoods, according to Graphika research

How a Jeopardy!  Contestant's Hand Gesture Became Part of a Conspiracy  —  How hundreds of “Jeopardy!” contestants talked themselves into a baseless conspiracy theory — and won't be talked out of it.  —  It is an ironclad rule of the private Facebook group of past “Jeopardy!” …

‘Biden is not a good bad guy’: GOP rips up midterm playbook  —  When the National Republican Senatorial Committee sought to attack four vulnerable Senate Democrats in a series of new ads this spring, President Joe Biden was nowhere to be found.  Instead, the NRSC juxtaposed photographs of the senators …

Google, Deloitte, and Citigroup quietly collaborate with GOP group pushing voter suppression  —  Several large corporations that have recently issued public statements supporting voting rights — including Google, Deloitte, and Citigroup — are also funding and collaborating …

A Republican congressman who denied there was an insurrection and likened Capitol rioters to tourists was photographed barricading the chamber doors against them  — A GOP lawmaker who has said there was no insurrection was seen barricading the House on January 6.

Marjorie Taylor Greene Is Gunning for AOC—and There's Only 1 Reason  —  A newly discovered video of Greene harassing AOC in 2019, along with Greene's attacks on her colleague on the House floor last week, reveal a racism that is as old as it is scary.  —  Video emerged late last week …

US investigates second suspected case of mystery ‘syndrome’ near White House  —  (CNN)Two White House officials were struck by a mysterious illness late last year — including one who was passing through a gate onto the property — newly revealed details that come as investigators …

IRS Confirms Major CTC Participation Problems  —  The IRS announced earlier today that it would begin making advanced refundable monthly child tax credit (CTC) payments on July 15 of this year.  In the IRS release, the agency says that 88 percent of children will receive the payments.

A famed folk singer won a presidential pardon after molesting a child.  Did he prey on others?  —  No one from the government notified Barbara Winter about the pardon.  Not the White House, not the Justice Department's Office of the Pardon Attorney, not the prosecutor who handled her case.

Black, Brown and extremist: Across the far-right spectrum, people of color play a more visible role  —  Brandon Rapolla is not who springs to mind as the face of the far right.  —  Rapolla's brown skin, a reflection of his multiracial ancestry, is at odds with images of White guys …

Franklin Graham worries Trump too old to run in 2024  —  The Rev. Franklin Graham says a potential 2024 presidential bid by Donald Trump would “be a very tough thing to do,” the prominent Christian leader told “Axios on HBO.”  —  Why it matters: Graham, the president of the Billy Graham …

Microsoft Directors Decided Bill Gates Needed to Leave Board Due to Prior Relationship With Staffer  —  Company's board members began investigation in 2019 into woman's allegations of prior sexual relationship with Bill Gates; Mr. Gates's spokeswoman says decision to leave board in 2020 wasn't related to the matter

The World Economy Is Suddenly Running Low on Everything  —  A year ago, as the pandemic ravaged country after country and economies shuddered, consumers were the ones panic-buying.  Today, on the rebound, it's companies furiously trying to stock up.  —  Mattress producers to car manufacturers …

How I Learned to Stop Worrying And Love the Lab-Leak Theory*  —  In early spring 2020, I reported an article for The New York Times on which I put the tentative headline: “New Coronavirus Is ‘Clearly Not a Lab Leak,’ Scientists Say.”  —  It never ran.  —  For two reasons.

Mental health fears cloud school reopenings  —  Editor's Note: Welcome to Weekly Education: Coronavirus special edition.  Each week, we will explore how the pandemic is reshaping and upending education as we know it across the country, from pre-K through grad school.

Rise of a megadonor: Thiel makes a play for the Senate  —  Ohio Republican J.D. Vance didn't go it alone when he trekked to Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort for a meeting with the former president earlier this spring — the soon-to-be Senate candidate was accompanied by his mentor and political benefactor Peter Thiel.

Trump Has Blown Off Rudy Giuliani's Pleas for Help as Feds Circle  —  Giuliani appears to be in hot water, and his allies keep asking for Trump's help.  But so far, the ex-president isn't willing to ride to the rescue of his one-time lawyer.  —  In the weeks since the feds raided Rudy Giuliani's apartment …