Surrounded by Russians, commander describes life inside Mariupol plant  —  MUKACHEVO, Ukraine — The commander of Ukrainian forces' last stronghold in the southern port city of Mariupol, surrounded by Russians and subjected to a constant barrage of fire, said Tuesday that his soldiers will not surrender.

Scoop: CNN+ looks doomed  —  Warner Bros. Discovery has suspended all external marketing spend for CNN+ and has laid off CNN's longtime chief financial officer as it weighs what to do with the subscription streaming service moving forward, five sources tell Axios. … Discovery executives disagree.

Elon Musk Races to Secure Financing for Twitter Bid  —  The world's richest man is trying to shore up debt financing, including potentially taking out a loan against his shares of Tesla, so he can buy Twitter for $43 billion.  — Give this article- - - Read in app

Biden says Americans should decide for themselves if they want to wear masks on public transportation.  —  WASHINGTON — President Biden said on Tuesday that Americans should decide for themselves whether to wear masks, undercutting efforts by his administration to urge Americans …

Trump-backed House candidate removed from ballot by Tenn. Republicans  —  The Tennessee Republican Party voted on Tuesday to remove former State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus and two others from the August primary ballot in the state's 5th Congressional District.

Saturday's Utah State Republican Convention would be a great place for Mike Lee to come clean, Editorial Board writes  —  Even if Lee abandoned the plot as unworkable, he owes voters a full accounting.  —  By The Salt Lake Tribune Editorial Board  —  Confession, it is said, is good for the soul.

Scoop: Biden considers delaying Title 42 repeal  —  President Biden's inner circle has been discussing delaying the repeal of Title 42 border restrictions, now set to end May 23, according to a source with direct knowledge of the internal discussion. … That already endangers Democratic incumbents …

Can The Democratic Party Define Itself?  —  With midterm elections approaching, the historian Michael Kazin discusses the problem of “moral capitalism” and the uneasy alliances at the heart of the Democrats' economic movement.  —  In the past several decades, Michael Kazin has written …

Oath Keepers and Proud Boys were in touch before US Capitol attack, texts reveal  —  The messages could strengthen a theory being explored by the House committee that January 6 included a coordinated assault  —  Top leaders in the Oath Keepers militia group indicted on seditious conspiracy charges …

Netflix Explores a Version With Ads as Subscriber Base Shrinks  —  Company ends first quarter with 200,000 fewer subscribers and says it expects to lose two million more in current quarter  —  Netflix Inc. said it is exploring offering a lower priced ad-supported version of the platform …

The Peter Thiel D.C. Gateway Drug  —  With two weeks until the Ohio G.O.P. primary, Thiel is on a hot streak and doubling down on J.D. Vance.  A win could invigorate the billionaire's national ambitions.  A loss could relegate him to Miami—and send thirsty Republicans reeling.

How U.S.-Saudi Relations Reached the Breaking Point  —  The decadeslong alliance is at risk over disagreements regarding oil production levels, security concerns and the invasion of Ukraine  —  Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, wearing shorts at his seaside palace …

UAE cancels participation in Israeli flyover due to Temple Mount riots  —  The announcements came as the UAE Foreign Ministry summoned Israel's Ambassador Amir Hayek over police actions against Palestinian rioters on Jerusalem's Temple Mount and in the Old City

Kremlin Insiders Alarmed Over Growing Toll of Putin's War in Ukraine  —  Almost eight weeks after Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine, with military losses mounting and Russia facing unprecedented international isolation, a small but growing number of senior Kremlin insiders are quietly questioning his decision to go to war.

Biden's urgent moves on gas prices collide with lofty climate goals  —  The president took office determined to shift the nation's course on climate change.  That legacy could be threatened by the political urgency to cut gas prices.  —  President Biden entered office triumphantly rejoining the Paris climate accord.

Democratic lobbyist Tony Podesta registers as a foreign agent lobbying for Libya's government  —  High-powered Democratic lobbyist and political operative Tony Podesta has returned to currying influence under President Joe Biden's administration and is growing his slate of lobbying clients …

The Inside Man  —  Joe Kahn is the new, old-school editor of the Times.  But who is he?  —  Abe Rosenthal, the totemic New York Times editor who published the Pentagon Papers, used to say that there was one path to the executive editor's office — over the dead, burned, and maimed bodies of the ten other people who wanted the job.

Fearing a Trump Repeat, Jan. 6 Panel Considers Changes to Insurrection Act  —  The 1807 law allows a president to deploy American troops inside the country to put down a rebellion.  Lawmakers fear it could be abused by a future president trying to stoke one.  — Give this article- - - Read in app

Texas Boutique Owner Hurls Homophobic Slurs at Couple in Viral Video … A Texas business owner has come under fire for a bigoted outburst toward an LGBTQ+ couple in their apartment complex after a video of her drunken attack circulated on social media.  The incident is the latest in a string …

Student loan borrowers will get help after an NPR report and years of complaints  —  The U.S. Department of Education says it will retroactively help millions of federal student loan borrowers who have been hurt and held back by its troubled income-driven repayment (IDR) plans …