Statement by President Joe Biden on the Investigation into the Origins of COVID-19 … Back in early 2020, when COVID-19 emerged, I called for the CDC to get access to China to learn about the virus so we could fight it more effectively.  The failure to get our inspectors on the ground …

Pa. GOP lawmaker Doug Mastriano says he left the Capitol area before the riot.  New videos say otherwise.  —  Ever since photos showed State Sen. Doug Mastriano at the Jan. 6 rally in Washington that devolved into the deadly Capitol riot, the Franklin County Republican has said he did not cross police lines …

POLITICO Playbook: ‘Cloud of nerves’ hovers over Trump land after grand jury report  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  BREAKING OVERNIGHT — IN MEMORIAM: Former Sen. JOHN WARNER (R-Va.) died Tuesday evening at 94 of heart failure, with his wife Jeanne and daughter Virginia at his side …

Why QAnon is disappearing from online view  —  Specific language about the QAnon conspiracy theory has all but disappeared from mainstream public social media platforms, new research concludes.  —  Driving the news: Researchers from the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensics Lab found …

Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter announces resignation  —  Attorney General Mike Hunter announced his resignation on Wednesday, less than a week after filing for divorce from his wife, Cheryl.  —  The Oklahoman submitted questions to Hunter on Tuesday night about an extramarital affair …

Justice Department Wants Casino Mogul Steve Wynn to Register as Foreign Lobbyist  —  Prosecutors are preparing to sue Mr. Wynn, citing his 2017 push to get the U.S. to expel a Chinese businessman, people familiar with the matter say  —  WASHINGTON—The Justice Department has told casino mogul Steve Wynn …

Newly Released OLC Memo Shows Staff Lawyers Found No Basis For Obstruction Charges In Mueller Report  —  The long-awaited, though partial, release of a memorandum from the Justice Department this week left many “frustrated,” as predicted by the Washington Post, in Washington.  The reason is what it did not contain.

MyPillow's Mike Lindell is turned away from Republican governors event  —  The Republican Governors Association on Tuesday threw out Mike Lindell, the CEO of MyPillow and a top Trump ally, after he showed up to its spring conference in Tennessee, he told POLITICO in an interview.

They Were Only Children  —  When asked to describe how they felt, many parents answered with a simple “It's God's will,” their voice often reduced to a whisper, the words conveying resignation.  They said their children had wanted to be doctors, artists and leaders.

A New C.D.C. Story  —  We have the latest chapter on the C.D.C.'s description of outdoor Covid risks.  —  This morning, I am going to tell you another story about the C.D.C. and its approach to Covid-19 behavioral guidelines.  It's a story that highlights the costs of extreme caution.

Son, ghostwriter of late senator say Trump intervened to stop probe of Patriots' Spygate scandal  —  IN THE SPRING of 2008, the NFL was in crisis.  A hard-charging United States senator from Pennsylvania named Arlen Specter had launched an investigation into the Spygate scandal.

An Elementary School Teacher's Secret Life As A White Nationalist Writer  —  Benjamin Welton uses pen names to write racist articles.  He's also a teacher, PhD student, and freelance writer for major media outlets.  Now he's been exposed.  —  In 2017, a writer named Sinclair Jenkins published …

85% Of Republicans Want Candidates To Agree With Trump, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Americans Support Early Cut To Federal Jobless Benefit  — mail_outline  —  As candidates begin to enter races for the 2022 mid-term elections, more than 8 in 10 Republicans (85 percent) …

Republicans grill Biden ATF nominee on past remarks on guns  —  David Chipman said he disagrees with his current employer that the Second Amendment is moot  —  Fox News Flash top headlines for May 26  —  David Chipman, President Biden's nominee to run the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives …

Multiple people dead in mass shooting near San Jose VTA light rail yard: sources  —  Shooter is also dead, sources say  —  Multiple people are dead in a mass shooting early Wednesday morning near a VTA light rail yard and the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office, according to sources.

Immunity to the Coronavirus May Persist for Years, Scientists Find  —  Important immune cells survive in the bone marrow of people who were infected with the virus or were inoculated against it, new research suggests.  —  Immunity to the coronavirus lasts at least a year, possibly a lifetime …

Muslim Candidate Asked Islamophobic Question During Virginia Debate  —  A moderator asked Del. Sam Rasoul, a Democrat running for lieutenant governor, whether he could represent Virginians “regardless of faith or beliefs.”  —  An Islamophobic debate question directed at a Muslim candidate …

Mayor Lori Lightfoot Blamed Gun Violence On Judges, But Emails Show Her Staff Knew It Wasn't True  —  URL Copied!  —  DONATE  —  Throughout her tenure, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the police superintendents who work for her have repeatedly blamed judges when the city's violence starts to rise.

AP source: Biden picks LA mayor, envoy for ambassador posts  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is expected to announce he is nominating former senior State Department official Nicholas Burns to serve as his ambassador to China and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to be his ambassador to India …

Biden administration proposes protections for threatened bird species out West, setting up clash with oil and gas industry  —  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposal to list lesser prairie chicken under the Endangered Species Act could impose restrictions on drilling in the Permian Basin

Your Fix for the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Won't Work  —  The dispute is complicated in ways that extend far beyond political and legal solutions.  —  About a year ago, I was subscribed to an email list and blog that is a clearinghouse of sorts for articles, videos, and statements in support of Palestine.

9 legal scholars describe how Trump could theoretically run for president and govern the US from prison  — The Constitution won't stop Trump from running, even if he's behind bars.  — Running for president from prison has, in fact, been done before — twice.

Alan Dershowitz sues Netflix over Jeffrey Epstein documentary  —  Alan Dershowitz sued Netflix Wednesday over a Jeffrey Epstein documentary that he says bolstered “false allegations of sexual misconduct.”  —  The Harvard Law professor's suit in the Southern District of Florida seeks …

Former Sen. Heller preps comeback run for Nevada governor  —  Former Nevada Sen. Dean Heller is preparing to run for governor in 2022, giving Republicans a high-profile entrant into one of the key contests of the midterm elections.  —  Heller has meetings with GOP governors …

GOP governor and lawmakers clash over vaccine policy  —  Through PSAs, press appearances with doctors, and even launching an unheard of $1 million lottery for immunized residents, GOP Gov. Mike DeWine wants to persuade Ohioans to choose to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Trump isn't ‘the former guy.’ We're stuck with him.  —  He isn't done leaving his mark on American politics.  —  Some folks in Washington, on both sides of the aisle, have developed the bad habit of calling former president Donald Trump the “former guy.”  A few weeks ago …

Amazon to acquire MGM Studios for $8.5 billion  —  Amazon announced Wednesday it reached a deal to acquire MGM Studios for $8.45 billion, including debt.  MGM is the home to several blockbuster franchises, including James Bond.  —  Why it matters: The deal — Amazon's second-largest acquisition ever …

Then She Asked Me About Benghazi  —  In the winter of 2018, I drove out to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, to finish writing my White House memoir.  The town is built on a hill that descends to the junction of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, ringed by mountains.

Activist Wins Exxon Board Seats After Questioning Oil Giant's Climate Strategy  —  Engine No. 1's victory in one of the most expensive proxy fights ever is unprecedented setback for Exxon and CEO Darren Woods  —  An activist investor won at least two seats on the board of Exxon Mobil Corp. …

More Commentary: The Senate should approve a Jan. 6 investigative commission  —  The greatest threat to America's democratic system today may not be coming from foreign sources wishing to destabilize our democracy.  As our country emerges from a global pandemic that tested our collective resolve …

Dozens of business groups unite in opposition to proposed Democratic tax hikes  —  More than 25 business associations have united to form a coalition objecting to Democrats' proposed “job-killing tax increases.”  —  The group, dubbed America's Job Creators for a Strong Recovery …