Prosecutor in Trump criminal probe convenes grand jury to hear evidence, weigh potential charges  —  NEW YORK — Manhattan's district attorney has convened the grand jury that is expected to decide whether to indict former president Donald Trump, other executives at his company or the business itself …

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.

Trump is starting to put together his own Contract with America.  And he's teaming up with Newt.  —  Acid wash jeans, scrunchies, and... Newt Gingrich.  Fashion from the '90s is having a comeback, and so too is the '90s Republican playbook for how to win back congressional majorities.

‘Time For Self Care’: Dianne Morales' Campaign Goes Dark As Sources Say Multiple Senior Staff Quit  —  The mayoral campaign of Dianne Morales, a former non profit executive, effectively paused on Tuesday with just 28 days left until the crucial Democratic primary in New York City.

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.

Today's Paper  —  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 and left when the scene started to turn violent.

Scoop: States warn banks — Drop coal, and we drop you  —  More than a dozen Republican state treasurers are threatening to pull assets from large financial institutions if they agree to decarbonize their lending and investment portfolios, Axios has learned.

Bill Barr Issued Prosecution Declinations for Three Crimes in Progress  —  On March 24, 2019, by judging that there was not evidence in Volume II of the Mueller Report that Trump had obstructed justice, Billy Barr pre-authorized the obstruction of justice that would be completed with future pardons …

How Zuckerberg Millions Paid for Progressives to Work With 2020 Vote Officials Nationwide  —  In the months leading up to November's election, voting officials in major cities and counties worked with a progressive group funded by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and its allies to create ballots …

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.

Time for Democrats to Address Their Anti-Semitism Problem  —  Last week, pro-Palestinian demonstrators trolled the streets of New York and Los Angeles to terrorize and attack Jews.  Such outbreaks of violence, perpetrated under the guise of “anti-Zionism,” are commonplace in Europe and the Middle East.

Support for Governor's Recall Still Falls Short; Outlook on COVID-19 Improves, though Some Groups Lag in Vaccines  —  DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS AGREE THAT THE GAP BETWEEN RICH AND POOR IS WIDENING, BUT DIFFER ON WHETHER THE STATE SHOULD DO MORE  —  With Governor Newsom likely facing …

“Cancel Culture,” Hypocrisy, and Double Standards  —  Two controversies—over Nikole Hannah-Jones's teaching post at UNC and Emily Wilder's firing by the AP—raise questions about attacks on free speech from the right  —  Last Wednesday, a surge of Twitter outrage followed reports that Nikole Hannah-Jones …

TV stars Chip and Joanna Gaines donate to campaign against critical race theory in schools  —  A TV-famous sibling gave his sister $1,000 to run her campaign.  —  Story at a glance:  — Chip and Joanna Gaines are supporting a woman named Shannon Braun for the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD School Board in Texas.

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.

John W. Warner, senator from Virginia and force on military affairs, dies at 94  —  John W. Warner, the five-term U.S. senator from Virginia who helped plan the U.S. Bicentennial celebrations, played a central role in military affairs and gained respect on both sides of the aisle for his diligence …

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 …

Google Strikes Deal With Hospital Chain to Develop Healthcare Algorithms  —  Tech giant expands health-sector presence in latest deal to develop tools to improve medical care, as privacy concerns arise  —  Alphabet Inc.'s Google and national hospital chain HCA Healthcare Inc. have struck …

McConnell, the minority leader with ‘veto’ power  —  The lawmaker with the most influence over President Joe Biden's agenda right now isn't a member of his party.  —  Biden's Democrats technically control Washington: Chuck Schumer runs the Senate and Nancy Pelosi is speaker.

Why does Twitter allow the Left to encourage violence against Rand Paul?  —  A decade ago, Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head by a crazed gunman in Tuscon, Arizona.  Thankfully, and miraculously, she survived.  —  Imagine if a conservative posted on Twitter …

This is a continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt in American history.  It began the day I came down the escalator in Trump Tower, and it's never stopped.  They wasted two years and $48 million in taxpayer dollars on Mueller and Russia Russia Russia, Impeachment Hoax #1, Impeachment Hoax #2 …

Pompeo-led effort to hunt down Covid lab theory shut down by Biden administration over concerns about quality of evidence  —  US still not sure on the origins of Covid-19 pandemic  —  Washington (CNN)President Joe Biden's team shut down a closely-held State Department effort launched late …

If Roe v. Wade is Struck Down, It'll Cost Republicans  —  The Supreme Court could overturn the landmark abortion ruling.  Democrats could benefit especially in purple swing states.  —  In March, I wrote of my hope that the Supreme Court would let stand the lower court decision nullifying Mississippi's ban …

Police Overhauls Help Fight Crime, Biden Administration Official Says  —  Vanita Gupta, Justice Department's No. 3, says best way to stem violent crime is to foster trust between police and communities  —  WASHINGTON—Federal overhauls of local police departments bolster the fight against violent crime …

The GOP Becomes What it Once Despised  —  Turning their backs on the First Amendment, Republicans are making Marcuse great again.

COVID-19 Vaccine Breakthrough Infections Reported to CDC — United States, January 1-April 30, 2021  —  CDC COVID-19 Vaccine Breakthrough Case Investigations Team (View author affiliations)  —  COVID-19 vaccines are a critical tool for controlling the ongoing global pandemic.

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.

Half of U.S. adults are now fully vaccinated, CDC says  —  Half of adult Americans have received all of their COVID-19 vaccine doses, according to figures published Tuesday by the CDC.  The figures mark what Biden administration officials are touting as a key sign of progress in the country's immunization campaign.

Tech company running Arizona ballot audit backs out: ‘They were done’  —  Jen Fifield Andrew OxfordArizona Republic  —  The Pennsylvania-based IT company that was in charge of running the hand recount of Maricopa County ballots is no longer involved in the audit.

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 …

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.

Biden ready to name Eric Garcetti ambassador to India  —  President Biden is ready to nominate Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti as his ambassador to India, sending a trusted political ally to the world's biggest democracy, people familiar with the matter tell Axios.

Is Wokeness ‘Kryptonite for Democrats’?  —  Mr. Edsall contributes a weekly column from Washington, D.C. on politics, demographics and inequality.  —  As Republicans well know, Democrats are divided on a host of volatile racial, cultural and sexual issues.  —  Take a look at the polls.

Families in anguish over pair held in Belarus  —  The families of a dissident journalist and his girlfriend, held after a plane was diverted to Belarus, have spoken of their concern for their safety.  —  Roman Protasevich and his Russian girlfriend Sofia Sapega are now in detention.

Mixed Views Among Americans on Transgender Issues  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — While Americans maintain their support for transgender military service, a majority believe birth gender, rather than gender identity, should govern participation in competitive sports.

Black residents now account for more than 8 in 10 D.C. coronavirus cases  —  Black people make up more than 80 percent of coronavirus cases reported in the District in recent days, compared with 46 percent late last year, a disparity that D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) highlighted in a call with Ward 8 community leaders Tuesday.