GOP frets behind the scenes over potential Trump 2024 bid  —  Republicans largely oppose forming a commission to examine the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, hoping to block out further Donald Trump-induced chaos while they try to retake Congress next year.  —  The former president is making clear he isn't going anywhere.

The Lab-Leak Theory  —  We have an explainer.  —  Suddenly, talk of the Wuhan lab-leak theory seems to be everywhere.  —  President Biden yesterday called on U.S. intelligence officials to “redouble their efforts” to determine the origin of Covid-19 and figure out whether the virus …

Understanding QAnon's Connection to American Politics, Religion, and Media Consumption  —  THREE COMPONENTS OF THE QANON CONSPIRACY MOVEMENT  —  Three Components of the QAnon Conspiracy Movement  —  The far-right conspiracy theory movement known as QAnon emerged on the internet in late 2017 …

Biden to Propose $6 Trillion Budget to Boost Middle Class and Infrastructure  —  The president's plans to invest in infrastructure, education, health care and more would push federal spending to its highest sustained levels since World War II.  —  WASHINGTON — President Biden will propose …

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 …

Are Democrats sleepwalking toward democratic collapse?  —  “I'm not sure people appreciate how much danger we're in.”  —  Donald Trump may be out of Washington, but his spirit very much lives on in the party he left behind.  This month, Republican congressional leaders Kevin McCarthy …

Emails Tie Top Trump Exec Allen Weisselberg to Yet Another Trump Financial Scandal  —  Let our journalists help you make sense of the noise: Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily newsletter and get a recap of news that matters.  —  Allen Weisselberg is in the hot seat—and that's bad news for Donald Trump and his family.

Guilty Parties Two entrepreneurs have built a business dredging up white women's shame.  —  Were White Fragility to be adapted as reality TV, the result might look something like this: A collection of affluent white women, equipped with varying degrees of vanity and self-delusion, gather at a well-appointed dinner table.

The Senate: Sununu's Vital Choice  —  Dear Readers: Virginia lost one of its most prominent and successful political figures on Tuesday, as former Sen. John Warner (R-VA) died at the age of 94.  Warner served for three decades in the Senate (1979-2009), becoming known for his expertise …

Book reveals Bernie's hotel demands: King-size beds and 60-degree rooms  —  Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is a demanding hotel guest whose requirements would make even the most pampered celebrity blush, according to a new book detailing Democratic Party politics.

‘The only Bush who got it right,’ as far as Trump is concerned  —  No Republican political family has been as tormented by Donald Trump as the Bush dynasty.  —  Now Trump has one more opportunity to twist the knife, as George P. Bush — the last remaining Bush in public office …

Nine dead, including gunman, in San Jose rail yard mass shooting  —  Gunfire erupted Wednesday at a railyard in San Jose, and a sheriff's spokesman said multiple people were killed and wounded and that the suspect was dead.  —  SAN JOSE —  In California's largest mass shooting this year …

Despite little evidence of fraud, Wisconsin Republican leader hires retired police to probe 2020 election  —  A top Republican lawmaker in Wisconsin announced Wednesday that he is hiring retired police officers and an attorney to investigate the November election, joining GOP leaders …

Can Removing Highways Fix America's Cities? … ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Built in the 1950s to speed suburban commuters to and from downtown, Rochester's Inner Loop destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses, replacing them with a broad, concrete trench that separated downtown from the rest of the city.

U.S. Jobless Claims Extend Decline to New Pandemic Low  —  Claims, a proxy for layoffs, edged lower to 406,000 in the week ended May 22  —  Worker filings for jobless benefits fell again to a fresh pandemic low, extending a steady downward trend and adding to signs of a healing labor market as the economy opens more fully.

US democracy is still in the danger zone  —  Threat has outgrown Trump as Republican states seek to control what happens in future elections  —  Early into Donald Trump's presidency, the Economist Intelligence Unit downgraded the US to a “flawed democracy”.  Unfortunately it still belongs there.

Paul Ryan to Call for GOP to Lessen Reliance on Trump  —  The former House speaker wants Republicans to avoid focusing on cultural skirmishes at the expense of policy issues  —  Former Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan, in a speech Thursday evening at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California …

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.

Ron DeSantis Forces Cruise Ships to Take Unvaccinated Passengers It's not like they're doing something harmful, like ordering a gay wedding cake.  —  A few years ago, conservatives became obsessed with the legal travails of a bakery that refused to sell a wedding cake to a gay couple.

Rush Limbaugh's Radio Show to Be Taken Over by Clay Travis and Buck Sexton  —  Duo's show to begin airing in the coveted weekday time slot on June 21 in hundreds of markets  —  The Rush Limbaugh replacements are in, as Clay Travis and Buck Sexton will take over his three-hour conservative talk radio show …

Amy Cooper sues ex-employer for racial discrimination after viral Central Park incident  —  Her encounter with a Black birdwatcher last year sparked outrage nationwide.  —  Amy Cooper, the white woman who called 911 over an encounter with a Black man while walking her dog in Central Park last year …