‘Havana syndrome’ not caused by energy weapon or foreign adversary, intelligence review finds  —  After a years-long assessment, five U.S. intelligence agencies conclude it is ‘very unlikely’ an enemy wielding a secret weapon was behind the mysterious ailment

Showdown before the raid: FBI agents and prosecutors argued over Trump  —  An exclusive look at behind-the-scenes deliberations as both sides wrestled with a national security case that has potentially far-reaching political consequences  —  Months of disputes between Justice Department prosecutors …

Explosive found in bag at Pennsylvania airport, man arrested  —  A man was arrested after an explosive was found in a bag checked onto a Florida-bound flight at an eastern Pennsylvania airport, federal authorities said.  Marc Muffley, 40, is charged with possessing an explosive in an airport …

Senior McCarthy aide, House Oversight chairman each met with mother of Jan. 6 rioter Ashli Babbitt  —  A senior staffer to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy met this week with Micki Witthoeft, mother of Ashli Babbitt, the woman shot and killed by police as she breached a set of doors to the Speaker's Lobby on Jan. 6, 2021.

Biden administration lawyer may have saved student loan forgiveness plan at Supreme Court, experts say  — Experts have predicted the Supreme Court would rule against President Joe Biden's student loan forgiveness plan, but some changed their minds after oral arguments, praising the lawyer who presented the administration's case.

Drugmaker Eli Lilly caps the cost of insulin at $35 a month, bringing relief for millions  —  Eli Lilly will cap the out-of-pocket cost of its insulin at $35 a month, the drugmaker said Wednesday.  The move, experts say, could prompt other insulin makers in the U.S. to follow suit.

DeSantis is championing medical freedom.  GOP state lawmakers like what they see.  —  The “medical freedom” movement, mostly known for its opposition to vaccine requirements, was long consigned to the fringes of libertarian and left-wing politics.  Then came Ron DeSantis.

Starbucks committed ‘egregious’ violations in battling union, judge rules  —  The administrative law judge's order requires the company to stop a long list of behaviors and reinstate workers who began a nationwide union drive  —  By Jacob Bogage and Lauren Kaori Gurley

Senate votes to overturn Biden administration retirement investment rule Republicans decry as ‘woke’  —  The Senate passed a politically charged resolution on Wednesday to overturn a Biden administration retirement investment rule that allows managers of retirement funds to consider the impact …

White House Livid Over Republican's Attack on Biden's Dead Son  —  “It's completely inappropriate.  It's ugly,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said of Rep. James Comer's comments.  —  Republican Rep. James Comer suggested during a right-wing podcast earlier this week …

Pence won't commit to supporting Trump if he's the nominee  —  Former Vice President Mike Pence still won't say whether he's running for president next year, and he won't speak ill of his ex-boss, former President Donald Trump.  But in an interview with CBS News in Michigan on Wednesday …

Schumer, Jeffries pressure Murdoch, Fox News over Trump's false election fraud claims  — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries are calling foul on Rupert Murdoch.  — The top Democrats in Congress sent a letter to Murdoch, urging Fox News leadership …

Capitol Hill swarmed by performers in straightjackets  —  Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) turned heads on Capitol Hill this week by sending performance artists dressed in straitjackets and blue-and-red tinted glasses to the House offices.  —  Why it matters: It's part of a campaign Kinzinger …

Former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney will be a professor at the University of Virginia  — Former Rep. Liz Cheney is about to become a professor at the University of Virginia's Center for Politics.  — The former Jan. 6 committee vice chair was defeated by a Trump-backed challenger last year.

Florida GOP lawmaker pitches bill to eliminate the Florida Democratic Party  —  A Republican in Florida's state Legislature has filed a bill that, if enacted, would eliminate the Florida Democratic Party.  —  “The Ultimate Cancel Act,” filed on Tuesday by state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia …

Another Anti-Drag Lawmaker Caught in Drag Himself  —  But Nate Schatzline characterized his as a “joke back in school.”  He's authored a bill seeking to classify any drag-allowing business as “sexually oriented.”  —  A Texas state congressman who authored a bill restricting drag performances appears to have done drag himself.

Exclusive: US Air Force fires leaders for failing nuclear safety inspection  —  Two US Air Force commanders and four of their subordinates at a key nuclear base in North Dakota were relieved of duty this week after their units failed an inspection designed to ensure that the nuclear weapons stockpile …

NBA star Ja Morant accused in police reports of punching teen, making threats  —  Ja Morant is among the brightest young stars in the NBA, with a new signature Nike shoe, a top-selling jersey and a team, the Memphis Grizzlies, poised for a deep postseason run.

The Left Has Never Stood for No Rules or Expectations on Personal Behavior  —  we've really gotten ourselves into a weird ass place  —  The woman whose account appears at the top of this picture started a Twitter storm, somehow, by publicly wishing that she could take her child onto …

Genetics study lays bare Ice Age drama for humans in Europe  —  Europe was no balmy paradise during the Ice Age, with the vast glaciers that blanketed large parts of the continent rendering wide swathes inhospitable for humans.  But our species - a new immigrant to Europe - endured, though with great hardship.

In an Epic Battle of Tanks, Russia Was Routed, Repeating Earlier Mistakes  —  A three-week fight in the town of Vuhledar in southern Ukraine produced what Ukrainian officials say was the biggest tank battle of the war so far, and a stinging setback for the Russians.

Ron DeSantis is using a new breed of local right-wing media to make national news  —  These websites didn't exist five years ago.  —  The Florida Standard is a fledgling website, launching last July.  It lists only five writers and editors on its site.  But in January, it landed a blistering scoop …

Whiskey Fungus Fed by Jack Daniel's Encrusts a Tennessee Town  —  The dark growth, fed by alcohol vapors from barrels of aging Jack Daniel's whiskey, has coated homes, cars, patio furniture and road signs in a sooty crust, residents said.  One woman is suing Lincoln County.

How the NIH Pushes DEI on Scientists  —  The institutes are spending $241 million to push ideological litmus tests for faculty hiring.  —  WSJ Opinion: The Coronavirus ‘Lab Leak’ Origin Returns  —  YOU MAY ALSO LIKE  —  Created with sketchtool.  —  1x

Republicans are ‘emboldened’ because there has been no accountability for J6: ex-White House lawyer  —  Lawmakers who participated in the Jan. 6 attacks and the planning of the attack on the Capitol have never been held accountable for their involvement.  It's something that former acting …

Biden personnel head under fire after hires with history of sexual misconduct  —  House and Senate leaders are intensifying pressure on the leader of the federal government's personnel agency after two high-profile hires to senior roles were found in separate investigations to have a substantiated history …

Tennessee pushes to define ‘sex,’ could risk federal funding  —  Tennessee Republican lawmakers on Thursday advanced legislation that would prevent transgender people from changing their driver's licenses and birth certificates, a move that officials warn could cost the state millions in federal funding.

Why are young liberals so depressed?  —  There's a neglected dimension beyond gender in America's troubled youth  —  Fresh episode of Bad Takes is out today, all about the war on fake license plates.  —  Earlier this month the CDC released the results of its Youth Risk Behavior Survey of American teenagers.

New York Will Pay Millions to Protesters Violently Corralled by Police  —  The police boxed in racial justice demonstrators in 2020, an anti-protest practice known as “kettling,” then hit them with batons and pepper spray.  Hundreds will receive $21,500 each.

Ted Cruz tries to trip up Biden's FAA pick  —  President Joe Biden's pick to head the Federal Aviation Administration got a taste of partisan sniping Wednesday, as Sen. Ted Cruz peppered him with technical questions about two deadly Boeing crashes to try to sow doubts about his readiness for the job.

Bipartisan Senate Group Mulls Social Security Investment Fund, Higher Retirement Age  —  Raising the retirement age would be highly controversial and Congress is not likely to do so anytime soon.  —  WASHINGTON ― A bipartisan group of senators has been talking about ways …