Biden tests positive for COVID-19, has ‘mild symptoms’  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, underscoring the persistence of the highly contagious virus as new variants challenge the nation's efforts to resume normalcy after two and a half years of pandemic disruptions.

DHS has launched criminal probe into destruction of Jan. 6 Secret Service text messages, sources say  —  The Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General has launched a criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the destruction of Secret Service text messages …

Republicans Should Reject the Gay-Marriage Bill  —  By a vote of 267 to 157, with 47 Republicans joining the majority, the House has passed a bill requiring all state governments to stick with the redefinition of marriage that the Supreme Court ordered in 2015.

No Wonder Biden Is Angry  —  President Joseph Biden lately has been ill-tempered about two intertwined storylines.  Lots of Democrats do not wish him to seek a second term, and longstanding speculation about whether he is showing age-related decline is increasingly at the center of his coverage.

Supreme Court won't reinstate Biden policy limiting immigration arrests  —  The court said it will hear the merits of the case in December.  —  Listen  —  Gift Article  —  The Supreme Court on Thursday refused the Biden administration's request to reinstate a policy limiting immigration arrests …

A Walgreens employee refused to sell condoms to a couple on religious grounds  —  A pair of shoppers at a Walgreens in Wisconsin said an employee refused to sell condoms to them on religious grounds — something Walgreens said is permitted under its policies.

House passes legislation to enshrine a right to contraception in federal law  —  WASHINGTON — The House voted 228-195 largely along party lines Thursday to pass legislation to codify the right to contraception nationwide, seeking to protect it from potential Supreme Court intervention.

I Was Wrong About Trump Voters  —  The worst line I ever wrote as a pundit — yes, I know, it's a crowded field — was the first line I ever wrote about the man who would become the 45th president: “If by now you don't find Donald Trump appalling, you're appalling.”

A Government Official Helped Them Register.  Now They've Been Charged With Voter Fraud.  —  Ten Florida men with felony convictions have been charged with voter fraud because prosecutors say they registered and voted illegally.  Critics say the punishments are unfair.

Amazon and One Medical Sign an Agreement for Amazon to Acquire One Medical  —  One Medical is a human-centered, technology-powered U.S. primary care organization on a mission to make quality healthcare more affordable, accessible, and enjoyable through a seamless combination of in-person, digital, and virtual care services

America's Self-Obsession Is Killing Its Democracy  —  In 2009, a violent mob stormed the presidential palace in Madagascar, a deeply impoverished red-earthed island off the coast of East Africa.  They had been incited to violence by opportunistic politicians and media personalities, successfully triggering a coup.

'I'm Calling About Your Auto Warranty': FCC Says No More, Orders Spam Block  —  The Federal Communications Commission has ordered phone companies to stop carrying traffic related to robocalls about scam auto warranties.  —  US voice service providers must now “take all necessary steps …

We Are Retired Generals and Admirals.  Trump's Actions on Jan. 6 Were a Dereliction of Duty.  —  The inquiry by the House's Jan. 6 committee has produced many startling findings, but none to us more alarming than the fact that while rioters tried to thwart the peaceful transfer of power …

Pence seeks distance from Trump as he considers 2024 presidential run  —  As the Jan. 6 committee focuses on Pence's role in certifying Biden's win, the former vice president is making moves toward a campaign for the White House —  whether Trump runs or not.  —  Listen  —  Gift Article

Fox News ‘fails to adhere to basic journalistic standards’, says credibility rater Newsguard  —  Fox News' credibility score has been downgraded to “red” by media watchdog Newsguard, meaning it “fails to adhere to several basic journalistic standards”.  —  Fox has had an overall passing score since the ratings agency launched in 2018.

10-Year-Old Rape Victim's Mom Is in Domestic Relationship With Child's Alleged Illegal Alien Rapist  —  As the heartbreaking rape case involving an impregnated 10-year-old child unfolds, Townhall has revealed additional details about the exploitative environment the little girl was—and might still be—subjected to.

Scoop: CNN boss' Capitol Hill diplomacy tour  —  CNN CEO Chris Licht met with a handful of senior Congressional leaders from both sides of the aisle on Capitol Hill Tuesday in an effort to strengthen the network's relationships with key lawmakers, many of whom have turned sour on cable news …

Have beliefs in conspiracy theories increased over time?  — https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.02 70429  —  The public is convinced that beliefs in conspiracy theories are increasing, and many scholars, journalists, and policymakers agree.  Given the associations between conspiracy theories …

Top Trump lawyers briefed in detail on alternate elector plot on Dec. 13, 2020  —  As Donald Trump struggled to remain in power in late 2020, an anchor for a far-right TV network briefed a group of the president's lawyers in detail on a plot to mobilize so-called alternate pro-Trump electors, according to an email reviewed by POLITICO.

Mississippi Education Board Removes Ban On Guns in K-12 Schools, Citing State Law  —  The Mississippi Board of Education voted today to remove a policy that barred individuals with permits from carrying guns in the state's elementary and secondary public schools, revising a 1990 policy …

Iowa Poll: Most think Joe Biden should not run again in 2024 as approval rating falls  —  Less than a quarter of Iowans say they think President Joe Biden should make another run for the White House in 2024, even as he insists he will seek a second term in office.

America Was in an Early-Death Crisis Long Before COVID  —  Jacob Bor has been thinking about a parallel universe.  He envisions a world in which America has health on par with that of other wealthy nations, and is not an embarrassing outlier that, despite spending more on health care than any other country …

Adam Kinzinger: We're Going to Prove What Trump Knew during Those 187 Minutes  —  Trump was aware of what was happening in real time on January 6 and the committee is going to prove it.  And while Rome burned, he sat there and did nothing in violation of his oath of office.

A Recession Alarm Is Ringing on Wall Street  —  An inversion of the bond market's yield curve has preceded every U.S. recession for the past half century.  It is happening again.  —  Wall Street's most talked about recession indicator is sounding its loudest alarm in two decades …

I Was Wrong About Inflation  —  In early 2021 there was an intense debate among economists about the likely consequences of the American Rescue Plan, the $1.9 trillion package enacted by a new Democratic president and a (barely) Democratic Congress.  Some warned that the package …

Corporate Carbon Offset Company Accidentally Starts Devastating Wildfire  —  This is the second forest fire started by Land Life in a month.  —  On Monday, Dutch reforestation company Land Life started what has become a 35,000 acre forest fire in Spain.  —  The fire started in Bubierca …