The Rittenhouse Verdict is Only Shocking if You Followed the Last Year of Terrible Reporting  —  A year of pronouncing the “Kenosha shooter” a murderer could have serious real-world consequences  —  Kyle Rittenhouse was found not guilty on all six charges today, already causing a great exploding of heads in the pundit-o-sphere.

How Hunter Biden's Firm Helped Secure Cobalt for the Chinese  —  The president's son was part owner of a venture involved in the $3.8 billion purchase by a Chinese conglomerate of one of the world's largest cobalt deposits.  The metal is a key ingredient in batteries for electric vehicles.

G.O.P. Is Energized, but ‘Trump Cancel Culture’ Poses a Threat  —  The former president, tightening his grip on the party as a haphazard kingmaker, threatens Republican incumbents and endorses questionable candidates.  —  PHOENIX — As the country's Republican governors met this week …

Of Course Kyle Rittenhouse Was Acquitted  —  The United States is a nation awash in firearms, and gun owners are a powerful and politically active constituency.  In state after state, they have helped elect politicians who, in turn, have created a permissive legal regime for the carry and use of firearms …

There's nothing more frightening in America today than an angry White man  —  (CNN)The Brute.  The Buck.  And, of course, the Thug.  —  Those are just some of the names for a racial stereotype that has haunted the collective imagination of White America since the nation's inception.

Gov. Mike DeWine approves Ohio congressional map bill that likely strengthens GOP share  —  1,281  —  COLUMBUS, Ohio - Gov. Mike DeWine has signed a bill creating new Ohio congressional districts for 2022 and 2024 that, if they withstand legal challenges, likely will strengthen Republicans …

Jury acquits Gifford man who claimed self-defense after girlfriend killed by sheriff's SWAT team in 2017 raid  —  VERO BEACH - A Gifford man who claimed he was defending himself and his girlfriend when he fired shots at deputies during an early-morning raid in 2017 was acquitted Friday of charges that carried a life prison term.

U.S. Covid-19 Deaths in 2021 Surpass 2020  —  Pandemic continues to exact huge toll despite vaccines as Delta variant spreads  —  The number of U.S. Covid-19 deaths recorded in 2021 has surpassed the toll in 2020, according to federal data and Johns Hopkins University, demonstrating the virus's persistent menace.

One garage.  Two days.  Nine break-ins.  S.F.'s surge in burglaries is driving residents ‘hopping mad’  —  Jenna Smith was in Chicago last month attending her grandmother's funeral when her boyfriend began scrolling through home security footage on his phone.  Suddenly, he noticed a figure that didn't belong there.

Putin Dispatches Russian Vessels to Shadow U.S. Warships During Flare-Up  —  U.S. ships transited Black Sea amid heightened tensions as Moscow deployed forces near Ukraine  —  ABOARD THE USS PORTER, THE BLACK SEA—As the USS Porter entered the final hours of a transit across the Black Sea last week …

Sinema holds firm in support of the filibuster, imperiling late voting rights push  —  A key Democratic senator said this week she remains firmly opposed to changing federal election laws on a partisan basis, signaling that a planned last-ditch voting rights push that party leaders and activists …

2021 is now the deadliest year on record for transgender people  —  The list of names now is longer than it's ever been.  —  With nearly two months left, 2021 has shattered the record of transgender homicides in a year with 45 to date — most of them Black or Latinx — according to the Human Rights Campaign.

The 1619 Project started as history.  Now it's also a political program. … The New York Times's celebrated 1619 Project is as intriguing for the second half of its title as for the first.  What is the project of this sprawling project; what are not just its principal conclusions and messages …

What Makes Life Meaningful?  Views From 17 Advanced Economies  —  Family is preeminent for most publics but work, material  —  well-being and health also play a key role  —  What do people value in life?  How much of what gives people satisfaction in their lives is fundamental …

As Biden agenda advances in Congress, White House weighs new offensive on inflation  —  Biden has blamed the oil industry for the increase in gas prices.  Other business broadsides could be coming.  —  After nearly eight months of gridlock, President Biden's push to overhaul the economy …

Amazon wages secret war on Americans' privacy, documents show  —  The governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam, speaking in 2018 after Amazon picked the state as the site of its new headquarters.  The e-commerce giant persuaded state lawmakers to pass a privacy bill drafted by Amazon itself.

Nashotah man sentenced for attacking U.S. Service Member  —  Acting United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on November 18, 2021, Ian Alan Olson of Nashotah, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 14 months in prison, to be followed by one year …

The Steele Dossier and Donald Trump's Betrayal of America  —  Fight disinformation.  Get a daily recap of the facts that matter.  Sign up for the free Mother Jones newsletter.  —  Vladimir Putin must be delighted.  With the recent indictment of Igor Danchenko, the primary source …

Democrats are in denial about what they're up against  —  Wisconsin Republicans are plotting election theft, and Biden is boasting about bipartisanship  —  On Friday morning, Democrats passed their Build Back Better agenda through the House.  Only hours before their triumphant celebrations …