Justice Dept. expands Jan. 6 probe to look at rally prep, financing … The criminal investigation into the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol has expanded to examine the preparations for the rally that preceded the riot, as the Justice Department aims to determine the full extent of any conspiracy …

Revealed: Trump used White House phone for call on January 6 that was not on official log  —  Trump's call to Republican senator should have been reflected in presidential call log on day of Capitol attack but wasn't  —  Donald Trump used an official White House phone to place at least …

Inside Hunter Biden's multimillion-dollar deals with a Chinese energy company … The deal was years in the making, the culmination of forging contacts, hosting dinners, of flights to and from China.  But on Aug. 2, 2017, signatures were quickly affixed, one from Hunter Biden, the other from a Chinese executive named Gongwen Dong.

Turmoil at CBS News over Trump aide Mick Mulvaney's punditry gig … CBS News's decision to hire former Trump administration official Mick Mulvaney as a paid on-air contributor is drawing backlash within the company because of his history of bashing the press and promoting the former president's fact-free claims.

McCarthy: Cawthorn's ‘lost my trust’ following orgy and cocaine comments  —  Kevin McCarthy is fed up with Madison Cawthorn.  —  The GOP leader said Wednesday — after meeting with the North Carolina Republican that morning — that Cawthorn has “lost my trust” due to his repeated actions that were “not becoming” for a congressman.

AP sources: Asylum limits at border expected to end May 23  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is expected to end the asylum limits at the U.S.-Mexico border by May 23 that were put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19, according to people familiar with the matter.

Facebook paid GOP firm to malign TikTok … Facebook parent company Meta is paying one of the biggest Republican consulting firms in the country to orchestrate a nationwide campaign seeking to turn the public against TikTok.  —  The campaign includes placing op-eds and letters to the editor …

Ivermectin Does Not Reduce Risk of Covid Hospitalization, Large Study Finds  —  “At some point it will become a waste of resources to continue studying an unpromising approach,” one expert said.  — Give this article- - - Read in app  —  The anti-parasitic drug ivermectin …

U.S. intelligence suggests that Putin's advisers misinformed him on Ukraine.  —  WASHINGTON — President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has been misinformed by his advisers about the Russian military's struggles in Ukraine, according to declassified U.S. intelligence.

Scoop: FEC fines DNC and Clinton for Trump dossier hoax  —  The Federal Election Commission has fined the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign for lying about the funding of the infamous, and discredited, Russian “dossier” used in a smear attempt against Donald Trump weeks …

Putin misled by ‘yes men’ in military afraid to tell him the truth, White House and EU officials say  —  Russian President Vladimir Putin was misled by advisers who were too scared to tell him how poorly the war in Ukraine is going and how damaging Western sanctions have been, White House and European officials said on Wednesday.

The Daily Wire says it's pouring $100 million into kids entertainment  —  The Daily Wire is planning a significant push into kids entertainment, with what it says will be “a minimum of $100 million” investment into over the next three years. … Disney has begun to speak out about the bill …

Koch Industries' valentine to Vladimir Putin  —  Give Koch Industries credit for consistency: It's aiding the foes of democracy at home and abroad.  —  In the two weeks since I wrote about U.S. companies that remained in Russia despite Vladimir Putin's savage invasion of Ukraine …

Conspiracy Theorist Lara Logan Thanks God She Was ‘Dumped by Fox’  —  The former star journalist insisted she's relieved to have avoided “taint” of network's pro-Ukraine coverage, while touting vaccine conspiracies and Putin propaganda  —  Lara Logan — the former 60 Minutes star reporter …

House Majority PAC Announces Over $100 Million in 2022 TV and Digital Reservations  —  First Round of Reservations to Prioritize Expensive and Crowded Markets  —  Reservations Mark the Largest Ever Early Investment of TV and Digital in House Majority PAC History

BlackRock President Says ‘Entitled Generation’ Now Learning About Shortages  —  BlackRock Inc. President Rob Kapito warned that inflation is having dramatic effects on the economy, with an entire generation now learning what it means to suffer from shortages.

Highlighting COVID-19 racial disparities can reduce support for safety precautions among White U.S. residents☆  —  Allison L.Skinner-DorkenooaApoorvaSarmalaKashee naRogbeeraChloeAndré aBhumiPatelaLeahChaa  —  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.202 2.114951 … Abstract

EXCLUSIVE U.S. warns India, others against sharp rise in Russian oil imports -official  —  A significant increase in Russian oil imports by India could expose New Delhi to a “great risk” as the United States prepares to step up enforcement of sanctions against Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine …

The Media Is Not Ready for the Midterms  —  Dan Pfeiffer, Greg Sargent, Margaret Sullivan and others on the threat to democracy, and what the press must do now. … How should the media cover the political landscape when one party has gone full arsonist?  It's a question that looms large …

‘This war is far from over’: History says Russia isn't really interested in peace  —  WASHINGTON — Russian and Ukrainian diplomats appeared to reach the outlines of a ceasefire deal on Tuesday that would halt Moscow's monthlong assault on its much smaller neighbor.

Ukraine says Russia forcibly relocates thousands from Mariupol.  Here's one dramatic account. … RIGA, Latvia — The pro-Russian soldiers from the separatist-controlled area of Donbas arrived one day in mid-March.  —  “They just walked into our shelter and said that women and children must leave it …

Half of Russia's 20 Richest Billionaires Are Not Sanctioned  —  Data and graphics by Raeedah Wahid, Mira Rojanasakul, Marion Halftermeyer and Alex McIntyre  —  Half of Russia's 20 richest people have not been sanctioned over its war in Ukraine, leaving a group of super-rich …

Apple and Meta Gave User Data to Hackers Who Used Forged Legal Requests  —  Apple Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, provided customer data to hackers who masqueraded as law enforcement officials, according to three people with knowledge of the matter.