McConnell doubles down to pressure Republicans, asking for ‘a personal favor’ to block January 6 commission  —  Why GOP is standing in the way of Capitol riot investigation  —  One of those Republicans told CNN that McConnell has even made the unusual move of asking wavering senators …

Biden's announcement is the beginning, not the end, of a real covid origin investigation  —  President Biden took an important but limited step Wednesday toward a genuine investigation into the origins of covid-19.  He issued an order directing his intelligence agencies to “redouble their efforts” …

Trump's Supporters Are Getting the Lab-Leak Story Backwards  —  Suppose it's true.  Suppose the coronavirus spread throughout the world from a Chinese lab.  What then?  —  A ferocious early promoter of the idea that the coronavirus was a Chinese attack was the Trump White House's former chief strategist Steve Bannon.

Democrats Are Running Out of Time  —  Anxiety is growing among a broad range of civil-rights, democracy-reform, and liberal groups over whether Democrats are responding with enough urgency to the accelerating Republican efforts to both suppress voting and potentially overturn future Democratic election victories.

QAnon Now as Popular in U.S. as Some Major Religions, Poll Suggests  —  Fifteen percent of Americans believe that “patriots may have to resort to violence” to restore the country's rightful order, the poll indicated.  —  As hopes fade for a bipartisan inquiry into the Capitol riot on Jan. 6 …