Sen. Kyrsten Sinema skips Jan. 6 US Capitol riot commission vote  —  Sen. Kyrsten Sinema skipped Friday's procedural Senate vote on establishing a bipartisan commission to study the U.S. Capitol riot.  —  Senate Republicans, in their first use of the filibuster under President Joe Biden, blocked the legislation from proceeding.

Coronavirus ‘lab leak’ theory jumps from mocked to maybe as Biden orders intelligence review  —  In the spring of 2020, as the coronavirus ripped through American cities on its way to claiming more than 592,000 American lives, a group of senior U.S. national security officials warily eyed a laboratory in Wuhan, China.

Rutgers leaders forced to apologize for statement condemning anti-Semitism  —  The chancellor and provost of Rutgers University apologized Thursday for issuing a statement that denounced the recent surge in anti-Semitic attacks because he said it “failed to communicate support for our Palestinian community members.”

Iran-backed militias turn to drone attacks, alarming U.S. forces in Iraq  —  BAGHDAD — U.S. military officials in Iraq have grown increasingly alarmed over attacks by Iran-backed militias using drones to evade detection systems around military bases and diplomatic facilities.

Why Joe Biden won't solve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict or bring peace to the Middle East  —  Challenged with the greatest task of national recovery since Franklin Roosevelt, without his large margins in the House and Senate, Biden is much more focused on domestic priorities.

‘2 If By Sea’: Oath Keepers Messages Shed New Light on Alleged Plot to Storm D.C. With Guns by Way of Potomac  —  Hours before Senate Republicans killed an independent commission to investigate the Jan. 6th siege, federal prosecutors disclosed communications about how Oath Keepers allegedly plotted …

Times Journalist Weighs Legal Action Against University of North Carolina  —  Nikole Hannah-Jones, a creator of the 1619 Project who is scheduled to start as a professor at the university this summer, has retained lawyers to represent her in a dispute over tenure.

Democrats plot Medicaid expansion backdoor in red states refusing program  —  Democratic lawmakers are rallying around an effort to extend health insurance in states that have refused to expand Medicaid, believing they have a limited window to help millions who've been unable to get coverage …

USPS raises stamp price to 58 cents as part of DeJoy's 10-year plan  —  The postmaster general's plan calls for additional price increases on package products and slower mail service  —  The U.S. Postal Service is raising rates on letters, magazines and marketing missives as much as 6.9 percent this summer …

Gov. Little defends local control, denounces Lt. Governor's irresponsible abuse of power  —  Boise, Idaho - Governor Brad Little issued Executive Order 2021-08 today - “Repealing Executive Order 2021-07 to Restore Local Control” - and provided the following statement to the people of Idaho:

New Bible that includes Constitution creates controversy before it even hits market  —  A new Bible that includes the U.S. Constitution and the Pledge of Allegiance is generating controversy before it has even hit the market.  —  The “God Bless the USA Bible” is expected to go on sale in September …

Statement by Press Secretary Jen Psaki on the United States Response to Belarus's Forced Diversion of Ryanair Flight and Continuing Attack on Fundamental Freedoms … Belarus's forced diversion of a commercial Ryanair flight under false pretenses, traveling between two member states of the European Union …

Dianne Morales and the Implosion of the Left in NYC's Mayoral Race  —  On Friday, campaign aides to Dianne Morales, an unabashedly left-wing former nonprofit executive running for mayor, rallied in Bryant Park to protest an organization they described as fostering racism, sexism, and a hostility to unions.

Justice Dept. asks judge to toss lawsuit against Trump, Barr for violent clearing of Lafayette Square  —  Lawyers for the Justice Department urged a federal judge on Friday to dismiss lawsuits against former president Donald Trump, former attorney general William P. Barr and other officials …

New York Prosecutors Zero In On Trump's Real-Life Wayne Manor  —  Donald Trump's advisers are telling him not to worry, but the former president is already frustrated by his mounting legal fees.  —  As two separate investigations into the Trump Organization heat up, a series of subpoenas issued …

MyPillow CEO flew Kristi Noem to GOP governors conference on his private jet  —  South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem flew on MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell's private jet on her way to the Republican Governors Association spring meeting in Nashville, Tennessee, this week, according to two people familiar with the matter.