‘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 …

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.

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.

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.

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 …

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

Liz Cheney to join University of Virginia as a professor  —  WASHINGTON — Former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., is joining the University of Virginia as a professor of practice, the university's Center for Politics announced Wednesday.  —  “With democracy under fire in this country and elsewhere around …

Explosive found in checked luggage at Pennsylvania airport, man in custody  —  The passenger is now in FBI custody.  —  An explosive device was found in a checked piece of luggage at Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley International Airport on Monday, according to a criminal complaint.

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.

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.

White House slams ‘despicable’ suggestion Beau Biden should have been indicted  —  Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) criticized a Trump-appointed U.S. attorney for not prosecuting President Biden's late son when he was still alive  —  Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) criticized a Trump-appointed U.S. attorney …

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 …

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.

U.S. says Israeli minister's call to wipe out Palestinian town is “disgusting” … - Smotrich later Wednesday issued a statement appearing to walk back the comments. … - Shortly after, hundreds of settlers went on a rampage in Hawara, attacking Palestinian and torching several homes and cars.

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 …

Trump set to headline diminished gathering of conservatives  —  The annual Conservative Political Action Conference was once one of the premier gatherings on the GOP campaign calendar — a must-stop for serious contenders testing the waters on presidential runs.  No longer.

Trump's enablers must face consequences, too  —  There's no doubt that Donald Trump was the instigator of the 2020 insurrection.  But the former president's schemes never would have gotten far (or even off the ground) without the participation of right-wing media executives, lawyers and pliant state officials.

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 …

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot blames election loss on racism, gender  —  Democratic Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot blamed racism and her gender for her landslide defeat in her re-election bid, as Chicagoans wary of the rising crime of her watch celebrated her fall from “political rock star to rock bottom.”

Video appears to show Texas drag bill author dressed in drag  —  A Texas lawmaker who authored a bill that would restrict drag performances appears to have dressed in drag himself while a student.  —  A video that surfaced on Twitter and TikTok this week appears to show Texas state Rep. Nate Schatzline …

Dark money and special deals: How Leonard Leo and his friends benefited from his judicial activism  —  A network of political non-profits formed by judicial activist Leonard Leo moved at least $43 million to a new firm he is leading, raising questions about how his conservative legal movement is funded.

This Is Trump's ‘Magic Trick’  —  In his effort to outflank Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida — his most potent challenger-in-waiting for the Republican presidential nomination — Donald Trump goes only in one direction: hard right.  —  At the start of this year, Trump announced his education agenda …

How Trump allies and wealthy donors helped to fuel the GOP fight against ESG investing platforms  — At least half a dozen conservative groups are targeting Wall Street asset management firms such as BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street over their environmental, social and governance investing platforms.

Why I Stood Up to Disney  —  On Monday, I signed the law ending the Walt Disney Co.'s self-governing status over 43 square miles in central Florida, an area almost as big as Miami.  Disney no longer has its own government.  It has to live under the same laws as Universal Studios …

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.

Scoop: Trump's former ambassador to Israel slams Bibi's judicial overhaul plan  —  Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman used a recent conservative conference in Tel Aviv to express concern and push back against the Netanyahu government's judicial overhaul plan, according to two people with direct knowledge of the issue.

Christie: Trump grand jury foreperson ‘did a lot of damage’ to case  —  Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) said on Wednesday that the foreperson of the Georgia special grand jury investigating former President Trump's efforts to overturn the state's 2020 election results “did a lot of damage” …

Pressure on Kyiv to open peace talks misreads Russia's deadly intentions  —  It would be suicidal for Ukrainians to stop fighting as long as Putin's war machine remains at full throttle  —  The writer is a former Ukraine defence minister  —  It is difficult to find a country that longs for peace more than Ukraine does.