Democrats back growing calls for Congress to probe lab leak theory  —  Support is growing in Congress for a probe of the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic, an effort that could pit Democratic lawmakers against the Biden administration as China hawks draw new attention to the theory that the virus leaked from a Wuhan lab.

POLITICO Playbook: ‘Cloud of nerves’ hovers over Trump land after grand jury report  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  BREAKING OVERNIGHT — IN MEMORIAM: Former Sen. JOHN WARNER (R-Va.) died Tuesday evening at 94 of heart failure, with his wife Jeanne and daughter Virginia at his side …

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.

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.

Newly Released OLC Memo Shows Staff Lawyers Found No Basis For Obstruction Charges In Mueller Report  —  The long-awaited, though partial, release of a memorandum from the Justice Department this week left many “frustrated,” as predicted by the Washington Post, in Washington.  The reason is what it did not contain.

Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter announces resignation  —  Attorney General Mike Hunter announced his resignation on Wednesday, less than a week after filing for divorce from his wife, Cheryl.  —  The Oklahoman submitted questions to Hunter on Tuesday night about an extramarital affair …

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.

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.

Multiple people dead in mass shooting near San Jose VTA light rail yard: sources  —  Shooter is also dead, sources say  —  Multiple people are dead in a mass shooting early Wednesday morning near a VTA light rail yard and the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office, according to sources.

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.

QAnon's hallmark catchphrases evaporating from the mainstream internet  —  The conspiracy's followers on alternative platforms have failed to out-post their counterparts on mainstream ones  —  Data retrieved and analyzed by the DFRLab shows that the language of the QAnon conspiracy theory movement …

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.

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.

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.

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 …

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 …

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.

No, Biden's summit with Putin doesn't make the U.S. look ‘weak’  —  The White House's announcement on Tuesday that President Biden will meet with Vladimir Putin in Geneva on June 16 provoked howls of protest from Republicans.  The specter of the president sitting down with the Russian leader …

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.

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 …

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.

Parties in Ohio bribery probe concede cash, deny wrongdoing  —  COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — An energy company that gave the money in an alleged $60 million bribery scheme in Ohio and a man accused of spending a large chunk of it are now arguing in separate proceedings that their actions were legal.

Marilyn Manson Is Sought on Arrest Warrant in New Hampshire  —  The singer is charged with two counts of simple assault in connection with an episode with a videographer during a concert in 2019.  —  The singer Marilyn Manson is wanted in New Hampshire in connection with an assault involving …

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 …