Why Republican opposition to a Jan. 6 commission could be a blessing in disguise  —  Another week, another milestone in the GOP's transformation into an authoritarian party — an American version of Poland's Law and Justice, Hungary's Fidesz, or Turkey's Justice and Development.

NY attorney general has been looking into the taxes of Trump Organization CFO for months, sources say  —  (CNN)The New York attorney general's office has opened a criminal tax investigation into top Trump Organization officer Allen Weisselberg, increasing the legal pressure on the long-time aide …

PW special report: After conservative criticism, UNC backs down from offering acclaimed journalist tenured position  —  Journalism school will instead offer Nikole Hannah-Jones a fixed five-year contract  —  In her career in journalism, Nikole Hannah-Jones has been awarded the Pulitzer Prize and a MacArthur Fellowship “Genius Grant.”

Ice cream parlor raises minimum wage to $15/hr, flooded with job applications  —  As small businesses struggle with hiring shortages, calls for minimum wage increases grow louder.  Jacob Hanchar, the co-owner of Klavon's Ice Cream Parlor in Pittsburgh, joined Stephanie Ruhle to discuss …

Florida GOP eases path for Trump to pursue casino license  —  Deal negotiated by Gov. Ron DeSantis bars Seminole Tribe from opposing a casino at former president's ailing Doral resort  —  Florida legislators approved a legislative package Wednesday that will dramatically expand gambling …

Pro-Trump Conspiracy Theorists Are Taking Over State Republican Parties  —  Want the best of VICE News straight to your inbox?  Sign up here.  —  The Republican Party chairs of Texas and Wyoming have flirted with secession from the United States.  Oklahoma's Republican chair has called Islam a “cancer.”

He bragged at the dentist's office about attending the Capitol riot, feds say.  Another patient turned him in.  —  Less than a week after the failed insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, a patient at a dentist's office in western New York couldn't believe what was being said nearby.

Inspired by Arizona recount, Trump loyalists push to revisit election results in communities around the country  —  At a public meeting last week in Cheboygan County, Mich., a lawyer from Detroit told county commissioners that the voting machines they used in 2020 could “flip” votes and throw an election.

SPOTTED: Socialist AOC's Tesla Parked Illegally Outside Whole Foods in Posh DC Neighborhood  —  Like most celebrities, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) doesn't always play by the rules.  Sources inform the Washington Free Beacon that the socialist congresswoman's white Tesla …

Basically Everyone Is Mad At The CDC For Being So Confusing About Masks  —  “We spent a year trying very hard to get people to wear masks,” one expert said.  “This kind of sudden, abrupt change, without any kind of signaling that it's coming, will leave people feeling blindsided.”  —  Copy

Tulsa Race Massacre Survivors Recall Century-Old Horrors During Congressional Hearing  —  “I still see Black men being shot, Black bodies lying in the street,” said 107-year-old Viola Fletcher, who testified along with two other survivors of the 1921 attack.

Attack on Jewish diners by members of pro-Palestinian caravan in Beverly Grove investigated as possible hate crime  —  An attack on Jewish diners outside a Beverly Grove restaurant by members of a pro-Palestinian caravan Tuesday night is being investigated by police as a possible hate crime.

Axios is the latest media company to try to make money from local news.  History is not on its side.  —  In the past quarter-century of the media industry's transition from the printed page to the digital space, there's been no category more vexing than local news.  —  The costs are high and the revenue low.

How corrupt is French politics?  —  PARIS — For a former French president to be sentenced to jail may be regarded as a misfortune.  For the same ex-president to go on trial on different corruption charges 11 weeks later looks like a brutal commentary on the state of French politics.

Can You Be a Progressive and Support Israel?  —  A Conversation with Bronx Democrat Ritchie Torres.  —  2 hr ago … BW: Last week you said: “I am here to affirm, as a member of Congress — one who intends to be here for a long time — that I have an unwavering commitment to both the sovereignty …

Please Vaccinate Your Teenager to Protect My 4-Year-Old  —  Mr. Ali is a columnist at The Daily Beast and the author of the forthcoming book “Go Back to Where You Came From: And Other Helpful Recommendations on How to Become American.”  —  You and your kids could help protect my 4-year-old daughter's life.

Mob Violence Against Palestinians in Israel Is Fueled by Groups on WhatsApp  —  Israeli extremists have formed more than 100 new groups on the Facebook-owned encrypted messaging app in recent days to target attacks.  —  Last Wednesday, a message appeared in a new WhatsApp channel called “Death to the Arabs.”

CNN, MSNBC avoid Biden lifting sanctions on Russian pipeline after championing Russiagate for years  —  The liberal networks sounded the alarm on everything Russia during the Trump presidency

2 years after being named CEO of Fox, Lachlan Murdoch is pulling all nighters to prove he is a worthy successor of his father  — Lachlan Murdoch has been running Fox Corp during a tumultuous news cycle and business transition.  — The CEO is showing he's running things, despite working from Australia since March.

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. to Award the Medal of Honor … On May 21, 2021, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., will award the Medal of Honor to Colonel Ralph Puckett, Jr., United States Army, Retired, for conspicuous gallantry during the Korean War.  President Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea will join this ceremony.

FBI Washington Field Office Releases New Videos of Suspects in Violent Assaults on Federal Officers at U.S. Capitol, Seeks Public's Help in Identifying Them  —  The FBI's Washington Field Office has released two new videos of suspects in violent assaults on federal officers during the riots …