Mitch McConnell Saw the Insurrection Clearly and Then Decided He Liked It  —  McConnell now considers protecting the insurrectionists a personal favor.  —  In February, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell described the events of January 6 and laid out the case against former President Trump in stark, unequivocal terms.

Prosecutors Investigating Whether Ukrainians Meddled in 2020 Election  —  The Brooklyn federal inquiry has examined whether former and current Ukrainian officials tried to interfere in the election, including funneling misleading information through Rudolph W. Giuliani.

Russia Appears to Carry Out Hack Through System Used by U.S. Aid Agency  —  Microsoft reported that it had detected the intrusion and that the same hackers behind the earlier SolarWinds attack were responsible.  —  Hackers linked to Russia's main intelligence agency surreptitiously seized …

U.S. Is Said to Have Unexamined Intelligence to Pore Over on Virus Origins  —  Intelligence officials have told the White House that computer analysis may shed light on the mystery.  —  WASHINGTON — President Biden's call for a 90-day sprint to understand the origins of the coronavirus pandemic came …

Can Democrats avoid the pitfalls of 2020?  A new analysis offers striking answers.  —  As Democrats face a 2022 midterm landscape that could cost them the House, they are grappling with hard strategic challenges.  Democrats in tough districts with many Republican voters in them feel twin pressures …

BLM's Patrisse Cullors to step down from movement foundation  —  A co-founder of Black Lives Matter announced Thursday that she is stepping down as executive director of the movement's foundation following what she has called a smear campaign from a far-right group and recent criticism from other Black organizers.

Paul Ryan: Conservatism isn't going anywhere if it depends on the appeal of one man  —  Asked for reaction to news of what Ryan will say in his speech tonight, Jason Miller replied to the NYT: “Who is Paul Ryan?”  —  Which is the second-funniest thing to come out of this.

Rep. Matt Gaetz eyes presidential run in 2024  —  Rep. Matt Gaetz, the Florida Republican who is currently the subject of a Justice Department investigation into whether he had sex with a 17-year-old girl and transported her across state lines in violation of sex trafficking laws, is considering a run for president in 2024.

American Democracy Isn't Dead Yet, but It's Getting There  —  A country that cannot even agree to investigate an assault on its Capitol is in big trouble, indeed.  —  When Joe Biden was a Presidential candidate, he carried around a wonkish book of international comparative politics …

Biden budget won't clear up Congress' infrastructure limbo  —  The release of President Joe Biden's budget on Friday was supposed to be the green light for Democrats to go it alone on his $4 trillion infrastructure plan.  Instead his party is stalled at the intersection.

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 …

Trump appointee on West Point Board spreads conspiracy that Biden is replacing White people of European ancestry  —  (CNN)A Trump appointee serving on West Point's advisory board has repeatedly spread a conspiracy that the Biden administration is bringing in non-White immigrants as part of a …

Rutgers University-New Brunswick Chancellor, Provost Apologize After Condemning Uptick In Anti-Semitic Attacks  —  The chancellor of Rutgers University-New Brunswick apologized Thursday after sending a university-wide announcement condemning the recent spike in anti-Semitic attacks around the country.

Idaho lieutenant governor signs ban on mask mandates while governor is out of state  —  Busy memorial Day weekend could lead to more fights over mask policies  —  (CNN)Idaho Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin issued an executive order on Thursday banning mask mandates while Gov. Brad Little was unaware and out of town.

‘No vaccine!’:  Woman arrested for allegedly driving through vaccination site in protest, nearly hitting workers  —  As a coronavirus vaccination tent was set up in the hope of inoculating more residents in Maryville, Tenn., sheriff's deputies working at the site this week saw an SUV speeding their way …

GOP snag complicates Schumer's China bill — again  —  A bill aimed at combating China's competitiveness is hitting another last-minute snag threatening to push the Senate late into the night.  —  Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), the No. 2 Republican senator, told reporters as he returned to the Capitol that …

It's a Travesty to Compare the Capitol Siege to 9/11  —  More than 3,000 children never saw their parents again.  On Jan. 6, Congress returned within hours.  —  Democratic lawmakers want to establish a “9/11-style commission” to investigate the siege of the Capitol on Jan. 6.

Neera Tanden is back.  Could she be more powerful?  —  Denied OMB Chair, she assumes the role of senior adviser to the president.  It's not as flashy.  But it may give her more influence, insiders say.  —  When Neera Tanden assumed a role as senior adviser at the White House last week …

Companies, states up the ante on vaccine incentives  —  For those who haven't been convinced to get a vaccine yet, companies have begun offering everything from date nights to tropical vacations to coax Americans to get the shot.  —  Why it matters: The giveaways are just the latest examples …