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 …

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 …

Despite Biden's strong start, Democrats are worried  —  Joe Biden is off to a better first four months than most of his predecessors, winning a huge legislative measure, presiding over an administration of competence that has avoided any embarrassments and an economy about to take off.

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.

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 …

Biden is said to be planning to nominate Burns and Garcetti for ambassadorships.  —  President Biden plans to announce that he has selected R. Nicholas Burns, a veteran Foreign Service officer and a former ambassador to NATO, as his ambassador to China, and Mayor Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles …

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.

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.

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) …

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.

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.

Juan Williams Is Suddenly Out at Fox News' ‘The Five’—And Insiders Are Blaming Co-Host Greg Gutfeld  —  Multiple sources familiar with the matter said Gutfeld said a major driver behind Williams' departure was Gutfeld's desire for “The Five” to return to the studio.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

CDC approves first revenue cruise from Florida, but governor may stand in the way  —  Federal health officials have approved the first passenger cruise from the U.S. from Fort Lauderdale in June — but Florida's governor insists he will block company plans to require passengers be vaccinated.

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 …

On the Ground … The Woke-Industrial Complex  —  Lockheed, the nation's largest defense contractor, sends key executives on a mission to deconstruct their “white male privilege.”  —  The Social Order  —  Last year, Lockheed Martin Corporation, the nation's largest defense contractor …

Ex-official who revealed UFO project accuses Pentagon of ‘disinformation’ campaign  —  The former Pentagon official who went public about reports of UFOs has filed a complaint with the agency's inspector general claiming a coordinated campaign to discredit him for speaking out …

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.

White House tells Trump complainers: get over it  —  The White House has a simple message for Trump appointees venting to the media about losing their jobs since President Biden took office: get over it.  —  Why it matters: The White House has been methodically clearing house …

Donald Trump Says He ‘Usually Did the Opposite’ Of What Anthony Fauci Advised on COVID  —  Republican former President Donald Trump on Tuesday night said he “usually did the opposite” of what infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci advised during his presidency.

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 …

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 …

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