U.S. Intel Walks Back Claim Russians Put Bounties on American Troops  —  It was a huge election-time story that prompted cries of treason.  But according to a newly disclosed assessment, Donald Trump might have been right to call it a “hoax.”  —  It was a blockbuster story about Russia's return …

Democrats to introduce bill to expand Supreme Court from 9 to 13 justices  —  WASHINGTON — Congressional Democrats will introduce legislation Thursday to expand the Supreme Court from nine to 13 justices, alongside progressive activists pushing to transform the high court.

Treasury Escalates Sanctions Against the Russian Government's Attempts to Influence U.S. Elections  —  WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took sweeping action against 16 entities and 16 individuals who attempted to influence …

We spoke with 21 of Matt Gaetz's high-school classmates.  Some say they could have predicted the congressman's sex scandal.  — Some of Matt Gaetz's former classmates spoke exclusively with Insider about his high school days.  — Gaetz, now 38, had a reputation as a know-it-all who talked over his classmates and teachers.

Decision to pause Johnson & Johnson vaccine causes public confidence in vaccine to sink  —  Economist/YouGov Poll Politics & current affairs  —  Fieldwork for the latest Economist/YouGov poll on vaccine safety perceptions was in the midst of being conducted when the Centers for Disease Control …

Introducing the 2021 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index  —  The Cook Political Report is pleased to introduce the post-2020 edition of the Partisan Voter Index (PVI) for all 50 states and 435 congressional districts.  Although these district boundaries won't be in place …

Tucker Carlson Is Giving ‘Red Pills’ To Millions.  White Nationalists Are Thrilled.  —  After the Fox News host doubled down on the “great replacement” conspiracy theory, white nationalists were excited at what it could mean for their movement.  —  After Fox News host Tucker Carlson doubled …

CDC Identifies Small Group of Covid-19 Infections Among Fully Vaccinated Patients  —  Incidence is rare, occurring in only 0.008% of cases and in line with expectations  —  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified a small cohort of approximately 5,800 cases …

Biden Finally Got to Say No to the Generals  —  Critics be damned, the President is ending the Forever War waged by Bush, Obama, and Trump in Afghanistan.  —  On Wednesday, Joe Biden announced the close of the two-decade-long American war in Afghanistan, giving the U.S. military a deadline …

J.D. Vance tells associates he plans to run for Senate in Ohio  —  J.D. Vance, venture capitalist and author of “Hillbilly Elegy,” has told friends and colleagues that he plans to run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Axios has learned from multiple sources.

17 requests for backup in 78 minutes  —  A reconstruction shows how failures of planning and preparation left police at the Capitol severely disadvantaged on Jan. 6  —  At 1:13 p.m. on Jan. 6, a D.C. police commander facing a swelling crowd of protesters on the west side of the U.S. Capitol …

Accused Capitol rioter planned an escape to Switzerland, prosecutors said.  Now he'll stay in jail.  —  When Jeffrey Sabol returned to his Colorado home after allegedly storming the U.S. Capitol and assaulting two police officers on Jan. 6, he fried his electronic devices in the microwave …

Christie to GOP Study Group: Call Biden Out as ‘a Liar’  —  Republicans are bloodied and beaten, and maybe just a little too bashful for their own good.  At least, so says Chris Christie.  —  Knocked back on their heels and forced to answer for every outrageous thing Donald Trump did …

Retail sales explode in March as consumers use stimulus checks to spend heavily  — Retail sales boomed 9.8% higher in March thanks to a jump in spending at bars and restaurants as well as multiple other groups.  — Economists already had been expecting a gain of 6.1% as consumers received their $1,400 government stimulus checks.

Inside Nancy Pelosi's War With AOC and the Squad  —  Adapted from Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons of Power, to be published by Twelve Books on April 20.  —  “Nancy doesn't have much patience for people who don't know what they don't know.”  —  That was what a senior congressional …

Vice President Kamala Harris weighs in on gun vs. Taser debate in Daunte Wright shooting  —  EXCLUSIVE: In an exclusive interview with theGrio, VP Kamala Harris calls for “full accountability” in the Chauvin case and said Wright “should still be alive today.”  —  Loading the player...

Kristen Clarke, Bigot and Liar  —  Having sworn to answer all questions truthfully, in an appearance Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee, President Joe Biden's nominee to lead the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division offered a series of answers that strained credulity and veered into outright falsehood.

‘YOU SON OF A B*TCH!’  Geraldo Rivera, Dan Bongino Get in Shouting Match Over Police, Protests  —  Geraldo Rivera and Dan Bongino faced off for a second time this week on Sean Hannity's show and ended up getting into an even bigger shouting match over policing.

First 100: Arts Venue Closures Likely After Months-Long Delay in Federal Grant Program  —  Technical glitches at the Small Business Administration leaves independent business owners on a knife's edge.  —  First100-041521  —  Bimbo's 365 Club in San Francisco in March.  —  It's April 15, 2021 and welcome to First 100.

Jobless Claims Fell to a New Pandemic Low Last Week  —  Applications for unemployment benefits have declined this year but are still historically high  —  Unemployment claims declined to the lowest level since the pandemic struck last spring, adding to signs the U.S. economic revival is picking up speed.

Pennsylvania GOP launches ‘super MAGA Trump’ primary  —  PHILADELPHIA — The likely GOP candidates in Pennsylvania's open Senate race come in three familiar flavors: anti-Trump, Trumpy and Trumpiest.  —  Though President Donald Trump lost Pennsylvania in 2020 and will have been out of office …