Two False Narratives About the Capitol Riot  —  As the Jan. 6 committee meets, politics drowns out the actual story.  —  By The Editorial Board  —  The House inquiry on the events of Jan. 6 held its opening hearing Tuesday, and it showed why no Republican should try to brush aside the ugliness of the Capitol riot.

CDC reversal on indoor masking prompts experts to ask, 'Where's the data?'  —  New recommendations from federal health officials this week on when vaccinated Americans should don face masks came with a startling bolt of news: People who have had their shots and become infected with the delta variant …

U.S. Economy Grows Beyond Pre-Pandemic Level  —  Slower growth is expected in coming months, with Delta variant of Covid-19 and materials and labor disruptions clouding economic outlook  —  U.S. gross domestic product grew at a 6.5% annual rate in the second quarter, up slightly from earlier in the year …

Turns Out Mo Brooks Was Wearing Body Armor to Trump's Very Peaceful Jan. 6 Rally  —  Rep. Mo Brooks may be done with Jan. 6, but Jan. 6 isn't done with him.  —  The Alabama representative, notorious for his speaking role at the Jan. 6 rally leading up to the invasion of the Capitol …

Trump blows fuse over GOP moving forward on infrastructure deal  —  Former President Trump lashed out at Senate Republicans on Thursday after the upper chamber voted to take up debate on a bipartisan infrastructure package, accusing Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and “RINOs” for surrendering to Democrats.

How the Head of the N.R.A. and His Wife Secretly Shipped Their Elephant Trophies Home  —  The couple had their names removed from the shipment, and placed an order for the animals' feet to be turned into “stools,” an “umbrella stand,” and a “trash can.”  —  In the early fall of 2013 …

Pass ‘Manchin Plus’ voting and election protection with or without Republicans  —  I implore my former Republican colleagues to step forward.  If they don't, Manchin and other Democrats must override the filibuster to save democracy.  —  American democracy is at a critical juncture.

Meet the Corporations That Went Back on Their Word Not to Support the Sedition Caucus  —  They promised not to support Republicans who voted not to certify the election results.  And then they changed their minds and hoped Americans wouldn't notice.  —  Following the January 6 insurrection …

St. Louis County Health Director: I Was Assaulted, Called ‘Brown C—  ’ After Mask Plea  — Dr. Faisal Khan, acting director of the St. Louis County Department of Health. … Dear Chairwoman Days,  —  I appreciated the opportunity to share the latest data, scientific research …

She risked everything to expose Facebook.  Now she's telling her story.  —  The world first learned of Sophie Zhang in September 2020, when BuzzFeed News obtained and published highlights from an abridged version of her nearly 8,000-word exit memo from Facebook.

GOP Could Retake the House in 2022 Just by Gerrymandering Four Southern States  —  Fight disinformation.  Get a daily recap of the facts that matter.  Sign up for the free Mother Jones newsletter.  —  Before Georgia voted for Joe Biden, the biggest upset in recent state politics came …

Statement by White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Biden-⁠Harris Administration Eviction Prevention Efforts  —  For nearly 11 months, the CDC's eviction moratorium has served as a critical backstop to prevent hard-pressed renters and their families who lost jobs or income due …

Election conspiracy theorist groups paid $5.7 million for the Arizona ‘audit’  —  Protestors in support of former President Donald Trump gather outside Veterans Memorial Coliseum where Ballots from the 2020 general election wait to be counted on May 1, 2021.

Something strange is happening in Britain.  Covid cases are plummeting instead of soaring.  —  LONDON — This is a puzzler.  Coronavirus cases are plummeting in Britain.  They were supposed to soar.  Scientists aren't sure why they haven't.  —  The daily number of new infections recorded …

Republicans have become the party of nihilism  —  US conservatives who might once have criticised Trump are now falling in line with disturbing speed  —  As long as Donald Trump is breathing, the odds are that he will run again in 2024.  This has become clear not because his ambitions have changed …

Property donors provide one-quarter of funds given to Tory party  —  UK governing party has received nearly £18m from donors with property interests in the past two years  —  The Conservative party has received almost £18m in donations from 154 donors with property interests …

The MyPillow Guy Really Could Destroy Democracy  —  When you contemplate the end of democracy in America, what kind of person do you think will bring it about?  Maybe you picture a sinister billionaire in a bespoke suit, slipping brown envelopes to politicians.

Pro-Sanders group rebranding into ‘pragmatic progressives’  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Stinging from the disappointment of Bernie Sanders' loss in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary, supporters pumped millions into the powerful advocacy group Our Revolution to keep the progressive fight alive …

Georgia Republicans take first step to Fulton elections takeover  —  Georgia Republicans have taken the first step on their freshly blazed path toward a possible takeover of Fulton County's elections.  —  A letter obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution shows two dozen state senators support …

House Republicans call for renewal of wall construction contracts in new border security plan  —  House GOP leadership calls for return to Trump-era border security approach  —  Border surge is not slowing down: Rep. Cuellar  —  House Republicans on Thursday are introducing their solution …

Infrastructure bills face House chaos  —  The infrastructure agreement cinched Wednesday by senators faces several changes in the House before it — and a companion reconciliation bill — have any chance of becoming law.  —  Why it matters: The myopic focus on the bipartisan group …

A Fresh Reminder of Russiagate's Failed Guardian(s) of Integrity  —  Above left, RCI writer Aaron Maté in a tense 2017 interview with Luke Harding of the Guardian (full video below).  Harding was lead author on a supposed blockbuster this month ignored by major news outlets …

The Infrastructure Plan: What's In and What's Out … Sources: Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget; White House  —  The infrastructure bill that started moving forward again Wednesday is undeniably large: It calls for new federal spending of about $550 billion, an amount roughly equivalent …

CIA Drove Spike in Media Leak Investigation Requests Under Trump … In partnership with  —  New data obtained by The Intercept adds considerable detail to what we already know about former President Donald Trump's relentless campaign against whistleblowers and leakers in the intelligence community.

As Trump pushed for probes of 2020 election, he called acting AG Rosen almost daily  —  President Donald Trump called his acting attorney general nearly every day at the end of last year to alert him to claims of voter fraud or alleged improper vote counts in the 2020 election, according to two people familiar with the conversations.

‘Election integrity committee’ in York County accused of voter intimidation  —  A group calling itself an “election integrity committee” drew allegations of voter intimidation after its members reportedly knocked on doors across York County asking about how and for whom residents voted.

Pandemic Aid Programs Spur a Record Drop in Poverty  —  The most comprehensive study yet of the federal response to the pandemic shows huge but temporary benefits for the poor — and helps frame a larger debate over the role of government.  —  WASHINGTON — The huge increase in government aid prompted …