Five points for anger, one for a ‘like’: How Facebook's formula fostered rage and misinformation … Five years ago, Facebook gave its users five new ways to react to a post in their news feed beyond the iconic “like” thumbs-up: “love,” “haha,” “wow,” “sad” and “angry.”

Fight over teaching ‘Beloved’ book in schools becomes hot topic in Virginia governor's race  —  RICHMOND — A Pulitzer Prize-winning novel from 1987 has suddenly become the hottest topic in the Virginia governor's race, as Republican Glenn Youngkin charged that Democrat Terry McAuliffe blocked parents …

‘Billionaires tax’ tension threatens to sap Dems' momentum for $1T-plus deal  —  Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her Democratic leadership team are confronting a new wrinkle in their social spending talks as they ramp up their sales pitch to their caucus: a proposed tax on billionaires.

At least five former Trump White House staffers are talking to the House January 6 committee  —  Pelosi: Those who defy Jan 6 subpoenas should go to jail  —  (CNN)At least five former Trump administration staffers have voluntarily spoken with the House committee investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol, CNN has learned.

Exclusive: Billionaires back new media firm to combat disinformation  —  A new public benefit corporation backed by billionaires Reid Hoffman, George Soros, and others is launching Tuesday to fund new media companies and efforts that tackle disinformation.  —  Why it matters …

Covid Cases Keep Falling  —  Covid cases have been falling in every region of the U.S., offering hope.  —  It is time for one of The Morning's occasional updates on the state of the pandemic.  Today's is focused on the U.S. and organized around three main points.  —  1. Covid's retreat continues

The Department of Justice Is Letting the Coup Plotters Get Away  —  While Congress is investigating the events of January 6, why isn't the DOJ doing the same—and more?  —  Early yesterday, Rolling Stone published an explosive report which claims two of the people who helped plan the January 6 …

Kyrie Irving and Dave Chappelle are being used as Black ‘pawns’ on a white chessboard  —  It's like watching two amateurs setting themselves up to fall victim to the Queen's Gambit  —  Kyrie Irving and Dave Chappelle are getting played.  —  This isn't a battle of free speech or free will.

Faster Buses on 5th Avenue?  Not if Business Leaders Get Their Way.  —  A busway in the heart of Manhattan is now uncertain after a major real estate developer expressed opposition to the plans to Mayor Bill de Blasio.  —  On the second Friday in October, Mayor Bill de Blasio met at City Hall …

In case at center of political firestorm, judge finds teen committed sexual assault in Virginia school bathroom  —  In a case that has generated a political firestorm, a Virginia juvenile court judge found sufficient evidence during a trial Monday to sustain charges that a teen sexually assaulted …

Republican Leaders Could Still Stop Trump.  They Just Don't Want To.  Trump wants to take over.  Republicans just want party unity.  —  If Terry McAuliffe holds on to defeat Glenn Youngkin in the Virginia governor's race, a large number of Republicans will blame Donald Trump.

Texas governor signs bill banning transgender girls from female sports in schools  —  Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Monday signed into law a bill banning transgender girls from participating in female sports at public schools, joining a wave of similar measures emerging from Republican-controlled statehouses across the country.

Biden nominates acting FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel for permanent post  —  The White House, in a bid to avert a Republican majority over the regulator, also tapped former FCC official Gigi Sohn as commissioner.  —  The White House on Tuesday named Jessica Rosenworcel and Gigi Sohn …

Energy companies boost lobbying amid reconciliation fight  —  Fossil fuel companies, electric utilities and other industries significantly increased their spending on lobbying federal officials as debates over President Biden and congressional Democrats' climate change agenda heated up.

Details of the money behind Jan. 6 protests continue to emerge  —  New details of how a top fundraiser for former President Donald Trump's campaign “parked” funds with groups that helped organize the Jan. 6 rally before the Capitol attack shine light on the coordination between seemingly independent groups …

Bainum unveils plans for new ‘Baltimore Banner’ news site — and hires Kimi Yoshino, a top L.A. Times editor, to run it  —  The Maryland hotel magnate tried but failed to buy the Baltimore Sun.  Now he's trying to demonstrate a new business model for local news.

Immigration arrests fell to lowest level in more than a decade during fiscal 2021, ICE data shows  —  Immigration arrests in the interior of the United States fell in fiscal 2021 to the lowest level in more than a decade — roughly half the annual totals recorded during the Trump administration …

Arlington County Board candidate who said she was 52 is actually 72, records show  —  Arlington County Board candidate Audrey Clement, who previously told news outlets that she is in her early 50s, appears to be two decades older, according to government records.

Why ‘Evangelical’ Is Becoming Another Word for ‘Republican’  —  Mr. Burge, an assistant professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University and a Baptist pastor, has written extensively about the interaction of religion and politics.  —  The conventional wisdom about religion …

Hate is on the rise: Antisemitism surges on America's far left and far right.  —  In May, as Hamas rockets exploded in Israeli cities and Israeli aircraft targeted terrorist infrastructure in Gaza, thousands of miles away, American Jews were under attack.  —  A young man wearing a kippah …

NBC News Has Ambitious Streaming Plans For Election Night … Chuck Todd and Kristen Welker hope to learn a few things by anchoring an Election Night special in a year when there really isn't supposed to be a special Election Night.  —  Voters won't decide on November 2 who wins the White House …

The anti-filibuster effort is winning  —  Whether it will ultimately succeed while Democrats are in power is another matter  —  The filibuster took another small-but-significant step last week toward what some experts believe is its inevitable demise.  President Biden, in a CNN town hall …

Houston vs. Atlanta Is Rob Manfred's Nightmare World Series  —  The MLB commissioner yanked the All-Star Game out of Atlanta and punished the Astros for their cheating scandal.  Fans are not expected to be forgiving in either city.  —  HOUSTON—Sometime in the next week or so …