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 …

San Jose mass shooting: Ex-girlfriend of suspect Samuel Cassidy alleged rape and violent, alcohol-fueled ‘mood swings’  —  The Valley Transportation Authority employee suspected of fatally shooting eight coworkers Wednesday morning before turning the gun on himself had been accused of raping …

Associated Press tells staff it made mistakes in firing of Emily Wilder  —  The news service is facing criticism and internal dissent for terminating a junior staffer based on her social media activity.  —  Senior managers at the Associated Press admitted fault on Wednesday in the firing …

Prosecutors investigating Trump tell witness to prepare for grand jury testimony  —  (CNN)Manhattan prosecutors pursuing a criminal case against former President Donald Trump, his company and its executives have told at least one witness to prepare for grand jury testimony …

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 …

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 …

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) …

Karine Jean-Pierre becomes second Black woman behind White House briefing podium  —  Karine Jean-Pierre on Wednesday sought to downplay the historic nature of her leading the White House's daily press briefing, saying the Biden administration has embarked on a broad effort to ensure representation.

Top Wisconsin Republican Robin Vos hires former cops to investigate November election  —  MADISON - Assembly Speaker Robin Vos is hiring retired police officers to investigate aspects of the November election, joining with Republicans from around the country who have questioned President Joe Biden's victory.

A Culture of Fear at the Firm That Manages Bill Gates's Fortune  —  At least four employees at the firm, Cascade Investment, complained to Mr. Gates about Michael Larson, his longtime money manager.  —  For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment …

Ohio's Vaccine Lottery Is Working, Writes Gov. Mike DeWine  —  Mr. DeWine is the governor of Ohio.  He recently created a lottery for vaccinated Ohioans.  —  At the pandemic's start, all governors faced a question: How do you make decisions without a road map?

AZ GOPers Target Dem SoS Hobbs—And Hobbs Only—In Mad Dash To Rewrite Election Rules  —  Arizona Republicans are looking to put an end to the state's top election official's ability to defend election laws in court.  Recently added language to the state's budget package …

The Texas Winter Storm And Power Outages Killed Hundreds More People Than The State Says  —  The true number of people killed by the disastrous winter storm and power outages that devastated Texas in February is likely four or five times what the state has acknowledged so far.

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 …

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Hunter Biden brought VP Joe to dinner with shady business partners  —  Joe Biden met with Ukrainian, Russian and Kazakhstani business associates of his son's at a dinner in Washington, DC, while he was vice president, records on Hunter Biden's abandoned laptop show.

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 …

Howard University renames College of Fine Arts after alum, actor Chadwick Boseman  —  Howard University is renaming its College of Fine Arts after one of its most acclaimed alums: actor Chadwick Boseman.  —  On Wednesday, Howard renamed its performing and visual arts school after the …

Lukashenko's Crazy-Stupid Hamas Headfake  —  An exclusively obtained email shows that the Ryanair ‘Hamas bomb’ warning—which the Belarusian president said prompted the jet landing—came after the crew was told of a threat  —  Michael Weiss is a senior editor at Newlines

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 …

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 …

U.S. Faces Outbreak of Anti-Semitic Threats and Violence  —  In the wake of clashes in Israel and Gaza, synagogues have been vandalized and Jews have been threatened and attacked.  —  A brick shattering a window of a kosher pizzeria on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

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 …

Cities Reverse Defunding the Police Amid Rising Crime  —  An increase in crime, new funds from the economic revival and federal stimulus dollars spur cities to rethink cuts  —  One year after the movement to “defund” law enforcement began to upend municipal budgets, many American cities …

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 …