Intelligence on Sick Staff at Wuhan Lab Fuels Debate On Covid-19 Origin  —  Report says researchers went to hospital in November 2019, shortly before confirmed outbreak; Adds to calls for probe of whether virus escaped lab  —  WASHINGTON—Three researchers from China's Wuhan Institute …

Diversion of Ryanair Flight to Belarus and Arrest of Journalist  —  The United States strongly condemns the forced diversion of a flight between two EU member states and the subsequent removal and arrest of journalist Raman Pratasevich in Minsk.  We demand his immediate release.

It's the Media's ‘Mean-Too’ Moment.  Stop Yelling and Go to Human Resources.  —  In public radio, there is either an epidemic of bullying or an epidemic of whining, depending on whom you ask.  —  For 20 years, the WNYC radio show “On The Media” has been the sort of place where the hosts …

Dismissed in 2012, this diagnosis of GOP ills has now become undeniable  —  (CNN)The essay described congressional extremists, their rejection of truth, a party turning into authoritarians or “an apocalyptic cult.”  It bore a striking headline:  —  “Let's just say it: The Republicans are the problem.”

They tried to overturn the 2020 election.  Now they want to run the next one.  —  Republicans who sought to undercut or overturn President Joe Biden's election win are launching campaigns to become their states' top election officials next year, alarming local officeholders and opponents …

Whitmer apologizes after photo shows her at bar violating her own order  —  Lansing — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued an apology Sunday after a photo emerged showing her at a restaurant with 12 other people gathered around tables pushed together in violation of her health department's current epidemic order.

A Year After George Floyd: Pressure to Add Police Amid Rising Crime  —  Los Angeles, like other cities across the nation, is facing a rise in gun violence.  And the police budget is growing.  —  LOS ANGELES — Helen Jones grew up in Watts in a time of gang wars and a crack epidemic …

Rand Paul says he won't get a Covid vaccine  —  Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said Sunday he is not getting vaccinated because he already had Covid-19.  —  Speaking with a conservative radio host on WABC radio, Paul, an Ophthalmologist, said he won't change his mind unless he sees evidence that people …

Are U.S. Officials Under Silent Attack?  —  The Havana Syndrome first affected spies and diplomats in Cuba.  Now it has spread to the White House.  —  During the final weeks of the Trump Administration, a senior official on the National Security Council sat at his desk …

Conservatives have a new target: Biden's IRS plan  —  Add another obstacle to the growing list President Joe Biden faces in his negotiations over his massive spending plans: mounting opposition to one of the ways to pay for his proposal — growing the IRS.  —  Conservative groups have launched …

How Joe Biden Can Win a Nobel Peace Prize  —  Leon Trotsky once supposedly observed, “You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you.”  To President Biden I'd say today, “You may not be interested in Middle East peacemaking, but Middle East peacemaking is interested in you.”

BLM activist Sasha Johnson in critical condition after gunshot to the head  —  Shooting in Southwark, London came after numerous death threats, says her Taking the Initiative party  —  The Black Lives Matter activist Sasha Johnson is in a critical condition after sustaining a gunshot wound …

Lawmakers worry the toxic atmosphere on Capitol Hill will follow them home, raising safety concerns  —  As House members head out of Washington for three weeks, anger at each other is turning into fear of what could await them back home.  —  Tensions among lawmakers have been running high since …

'Who's out protecting us?':  Spate of anti-Jewish attacks in the U.S. draws calls for more forceful response  —  A series of attacks on Jews in the United States in recent days, linked to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, has increased pressure on law enforcement officials …

TikTokers wished a 97-year-old Auschwitz survivor a ‘happy Holocaust’ as some ‘Free Palestine’ supporters target Jewish social media users with antisemitic abuse  — There has been a sharp rise in the number of antisemitic incidents since the start of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Coronavirus cases and deaths in the United States drop to lowest levels in nearly a year.  —  The United States is adding fewer than 30,000 cases a day for the first time since June of last year, and deaths are as low as they've been since last summer.  In much of the country, the virus outlook is improving.

Nellie Gorbea announces run for RI governor  —  You have been added to Nesi's Notes Newsletter  —  Nesi's Notes  —  PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea announced Sunday night she is running for Rhode Island governor in 2022, kicking off what's expected …

How does the Biden White House get results?  By remaining disciplined.  —  In a media environment where members of the White House press corps suggest that President Biden was being blown off because it took a whole 36 hours for the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas to take effect after Biden …

Why Arkansas Is a Test Case for a Post-Trump Republican Party  —  Sarah Huckabee Sanders seems likely to bring the Trump brand to Arkansas politics in a big way.  But the state is a testing ground for different possible futures for the party.  —  LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — For decades …

Senators reach bipartisan agreement on $300 billion for highways, roads and bridges  — The legislation, released by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, would increase funding by 34% to a baseline of about $300 billion over five years.  — House Republicans last week introduced …

Iran official says nuke inspector deal expired; talks go on  —  TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's hard-line parliament speaker said Sunday a temporary deal between Tehran and international inspectors to preserve surveillance images taken at nuclear sites had ended, escalating tensions amid diplomatic efforts …