Prosecutor in Trump criminal probe convenes grand jury to hear evidence, weigh potential charges  —  NEW YORK — Manhattan's district attorney has convened the grand jury that is expected to decide whether to indict former president Donald Trump, other executives at his company or the business itself …

Today's Paper  —  Ever since photos showed State Sen. Doug Mastriano at the Jan. 6 rally in Washington that devolved into the deadly Capitol riot, the Franklin County Republican has said he did not cross police lines and left when the scene started to turn violent.

Son, ghostwriter of late senator say Trump intervened to stop probe of Patriots' Spygate scandal  —  IN THE SPRING of 2008, the NFL was in crisis.  A hard-charging United States senator from Pennsylvania named Arlen Specter had launched an investigation into the Spygate scandal.

MyPillow's Mike Lindell is turned away from Republican governors event  —  The Republican Governors Association on Tuesday threw out Mike Lindell, the CEO of MyPillow and a top Trump ally, after he showed up to its spring conference in Tennessee, he told POLITICO in an interview.

TV stars Chip and Joanna Gaines donate to campaign against critical race theory in schools  —  A TV-famous sibling gave his sister $1,000 to run her campaign.  —  Story at a glance:  — Chip and Joanna Gaines are supporting a woman named Shannon Braun for the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD School Board in Texas.

Google Strikes Deal With Hospital Chain to Develop Healthcare Algorithms  —  Tech giant expands health-sector presence in latest deal to develop tools to improve medical care, as privacy concerns arise  —  Alphabet Inc.'s Google and national hospital chain HCA Healthcare Inc. have struck …

Police declare riot in Portland as protesters mark 1 year since George Floyd's death  —  Five people were arrested and booked into jail on various charges.  —  Police declared a riot in Oregon's largest city on Tuesday night as a demonstration to commemorate the one year anniversary of George Floyd's death spiraled into chaos.

They Were Only Children  —  When asked to describe how they felt, many parents answered with a simple “It's God's will,” their voice often reduced to a whisper, the words conveying resignation.  They said their children had wanted to be doctors, artists and leaders.

Scoop: States warn banks — Drop coal, and we drop you  —  More than a dozen Republican state treasurers are threatening to pull assets from large financial institutions if they agree to decarbonize their lending and investment portfolios, Axios has learned.

‘Time For Self Care’: Dianne Morales' Campaign Goes Dark As Sources Say Multiple Senior Staff Quit  —  The mayoral campaign of Dianne Morales, a former non profit executive, effectively paused on Tuesday with just 28 days left until the crucial Democratic primary in New York City.

A New C.D.C. Story  —  We have the latest chapter on the C.D.C.'s description of outdoor Covid risks.  —  This morning, I am going to tell you another story about the C.D.C. and its approach to Covid-19 behavioral guidelines.  It's a story that highlights the costs of extreme caution.

Then She Asked Me About Benghazi  —  In the winter of 2018, I drove out to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, to finish writing my White House memoir.  The town is built on a hill that descends to the junction of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, ringed by mountains.

Bill Barr Issued Prosecution Declinations for Three Crimes in Progress  —  On March 24, 2019, by judging that there was not evidence in Volume II of the Mueller Report that Trump had obstructed justice, Billy Barr pre-authorized the obstruction of justice that would be completed with future pardons …

John W. Warner, senator from Virginia and force on military affairs, dies at 94  —  John W. Warner, the five-term U.S. senator from Virginia who helped plan the U.S. Bicentennial celebrations, played a central role in military affairs and gained respect on both sides of the aisle for his diligence …

Trump is starting to put together his own Contract with America.  And he's teaming up with Newt.  —  Acid wash jeans, scrunchies, and... Newt Gingrich.  Fashion from the '90s is having a comeback, and so too is the '90s Republican playbook for how to win back congressional majorities.

9 legal scholars describe how Trump could theoretically run for president and govern the US from prison  — The Constitution won't stop Trump from running, even if he's behind bars.  — Running for president from prison has, in fact, been done before — twice.

Pompeo-led effort to hunt down Covid lab theory shut down by Biden administration over concerns about quality of evidence  —  US still not sure on the origins of Covid-19 pandemic  —  Washington (CNN)President Joe Biden's team shut down a closely-held State Department effort launched late …

GOP governor and lawmakers clash over vaccine policy  —  Through PSAs, press appearances with doctors, and even launching an unheard of $1 million lottery for immunized residents, GOP Gov. Mike DeWine wants to persuade Ohioans to choose to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Amazon to acquire MGM Studios for $8.5 billion  —  Amazon announced Wednesday it reached a deal to acquire MGM Studios for $8.45 billion, including debt.  MGM is the home to several blockbuster franchises, including James Bond.  —  Why it matters: The deal — Amazon's second-largest acquisition ever …

McConnell, the minority leader with ‘veto’ power  —  The lawmaker with the most influence over President Joe Biden's agenda right now isn't a member of his party.  —  Biden's Democrats technically control Washington: Chuck Schumer runs the Senate and Nancy Pelosi is speaker.

Rick Santorum completely outclasses CNN's Chris Cuomo  —  Rick Santorum could teach CNN a lot about honor, decency, and American history.  —  The aggressively liberal cable news network last weekend terminated the punditry contract of Santorum, the conservative, Republican former senator from Pennsylvania …

Time for Democrats to Address Their Anti-Semitism Problem  —  Last week, pro-Palestinian demonstrators trolled the streets of New York and Los Angeles to terrorize and attack Jews.  Such outbreaks of violence, perpetrated under the guise of “anti-Zionism,” are commonplace in Europe and the Middle East.

This is a continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt in American history.  It began the day I came down the escalator in Trump Tower, and it's never stopped.  They wasted two years and $48 million in taxpayer dollars on Mueller and Russia Russia Russia, Impeachment Hoax #1, Impeachment Hoax #2 …

Ousted dashboard designer's claims don't add up, former colleagues and experts say  —  Former colleagues of fired dashboard designer Rebekah Jones and public health experts tell CBS12 News her claims that she was directed to delete COVID cases and deaths from the state's data are unsupported by the evidence.

If Roe v. Wade is Struck Down, It'll Cost Republicans  —  The Supreme Court could overturn the landmark abortion ruling.  Democrats could benefit especially in purple swing states.  —  In March, I wrote of my hope that the Supreme Court would let stand the lower court decision nullifying Mississippi's ban …

How Zuckerberg Millions Paid for Progressives to Work With 2020 Vote Officials Nationwide  —  In the months leading up to November's election, voting officials in major cities and counties worked with a progressive group funded by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and its allies to create ballots …

Support for Governor's Recall Still Falls Short; Outlook on COVID-19 Improves, though Some Groups Lag in Vaccines  —  DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS AGREE THAT THE GAP BETWEEN RICH AND POOR IS WIDENING, BUT DIFFER ON WHETHER THE STATE SHOULD DO MORE  —  With Governor Newsom likely facing …

Rachel Maddow demands to know why Merrick Garland is trying to ‘paper over’ Bill Barr's coverup for Trump  —  MSNBC's Rachel Maddow attacked President Joe Biden's Justice Department on Tuesday for a “humiliating” and “gross” court filing defending former Attorney General Bill Barr for his coverup …

COVID-19 Vaccine Breakthrough Infections Reported to CDC — United States, January 1-April 30, 2021  —  CDC COVID-19 Vaccine Breakthrough Case Investigations Team (View author affiliations)  —  COVID-19 vaccines are a critical tool for controlling the ongoing global pandemic.

Diplomats send letter to State Dept. leaders saying ‘Havana Syndrome’ sufferers not getting proper care  —  WASHINGTON — A group of U.S. diplomats and other government staffers suffering from symptoms consistent with “Havana Syndrome” are voicing frustration with the Biden administration's early response …

Is Wokeness ‘Kryptonite for Democrats’?  —  Mr. Edsall contributes a weekly column from Washington, D.C. on politics, demographics and inequality.  —  As Republicans well know, Democrats are divided on a host of volatile racial, cultural and sexual issues.  —  Take a look at the polls.

Mixed Views Among Americans on Transgender Issues  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — While Americans maintain their support for transgender military service, a majority believe birth gender, rather than gender identity, should govern participation in competitive sports.

DeSantis, Corcoran want to keep ‘crazy liberal stuff’ out of civics lessons in Florida schools  —  Ron DeSantis ran for governor promising to make civics education a priority in Florida's public schools.  He's fulfilling that by pushing reforms to celebrate “the success of the United States” …

Holocaust teaching bill, Long Island Oath Keepers and Patriots, NYC's ‘ranked-choice’ adventure  —  Daily Point  —  Holocaust teaching bill controversy  —  At any other time and place, an effort to study how well the state's school districts are teaching the Holocaust might not be controversial.

Trump isn't ‘the former guy.’ We're stuck with him.  —  He isn't done leaving his mark on American politics.  —  Some folks in Washington, on both sides of the aisle, have developed the bad habit of calling former president Donald Trump the “former guy.”  A few weeks ago …