Gross Domestic Product, Second Quarter 2021 (Advance Estimate) and Annual Update  —  Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 6.5 percent in the second quarter of 2021 (table 1), according to the “advance” estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

The European Union pulls ahead of the United States in vaccinations.  —  The 27 member states of the European Union altogether have now administered more coronavirus vaccine doses per 100 people than the United States, in another sign that inoculations across the bloc have maintained …

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

228 GOP lawmakers call on Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade  —  Mississippi governor defends state's 2018 anti-abortion law  —  (CNN)Nearly 230 Republican members of Congress told the Supreme Court on Thursday that it should overturn Roe v. Wade and release its “vise grip on abortion politics.”

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 …

GOP lawmaker challenges McCarthy over ‘bulls—’ mask mandate enforcement  —  Rep. Chip Roy confronted House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on Thursday about a new Capitol Police bulletin that suggests congressional staffers and visitors could be arrested if they fail to heed the chamber's new mask mandate.

Exxon sting ensnares think tanks with climate credentials  —  A view of the ExxonMobil Baton Rouge Refinery in Baton Rouge, La.  —  In May 2018, the House Foreign Affairs Committee held a hearing on the geopolitical implications of oil and gas production in the United States.

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 …

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 …

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 …

Pennsylvania Republican blasts election audit, rebukes fraud claims  —  A Republican lawmaker in Pennsylvania has come out against his colleagues' “forensic” audit of the 2020 election, becoming the party's first statewide official to publicly call for an end to the effort and warn of electoral consequences for the party.

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 …