CNN Exclusive: New text messages reveal Fox's Hannity advising Trump White House and seeking direction  —  Washington (CNN)Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and Fox's Sean Hannity exchanged more than 80 text messages between Election Day 2020 and Joe Biden's January 2021 inauguration …

Musk told banks he will rein in Twitter pay, make money from tweets -sources  —  Elon Musk told banks that agreed to help fund his $44 billion acquisition of Twitter Inc (TWTR.N) that he could crack down on executive and board pay at the social media company in a push to slash costs …

The Rise and Fall of the Star White House Reporter  —  Washington reporters have long considered the role of White House correspondent to be the crown jewel of American political journalism.  It has launched high-profile television careers, scored countless reporters book deals and been bestowed …

Biden Eyes Targeted Student-Loan Forgiveness Starting at $10,000  —  The White House is considering forgiving at least $10,000 in student loans per borrower through executive action, according to people familiar with the matter, with momentum increasing as President Joe Biden seeks ways …

Covid deaths no longer overwhelmingly among unvaccinated as toll on elderly grows … Unvaccinated people accounted for the overwhelming majority of deaths in the United States throughout much of the coronavirus pandemic.  But that has changed in recent months, according to a Washington Post analysis of state and federal data.

Ukraine war: Rockets hit Kyiv as UN chief admits failings  —  Rockets hit Kyiv during the UN Secretary General's visit to the city, in which he criticised his own organisation's Security Council.  —  Antonio Guterres said the council had failed to prevent or end the war in Ukraine.

California promised to close its last nuclear plant.  Now Newsom is reconsidering  —  With the threat of power shortages looming and the climate crisis worsening, Gov. Gavin Newsom may attempt to delay the long-planned closure of California's largest electricity source: the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant.

What The New Yorker Didn't Say About a Famous Writer's Anti-Semitism  —  Whatever your views on “cancel culture,” one thing is certain: Search-and-rescue missions on behalf of the disappeared can take strange forms.  Witness a 2020 New Yorker essay that was published online under the title “How Racist Was Flannery O'Connor?”

Why Republican Insurgents Are Struggling to Topple G.O.P. Governors  —  Republicans in several states are trying to oust conservative governors by harnessing anti-establishment energy.  But in battles for a state's top job, it's hard to beat the establishment.

Cracks emerge in Russian elite as tycoons start to bemoan invasion  —  Oligarchs and financial officials are alarmed over the economic toll it's taking and feel powerless to influence Putin  —  In the two months since Russia invaded Ukraine, the silence — and even acquiescence — of the Russian elite has started to fray.

FBI Conducted Potentially Millions of Searches of Americans' Data Last Year, Report Says  —  Searches in national-security investigations came without warrants, could stoke privacy concerns in Congress  —  WASHINGTON—The Federal Bureau of Investigation performed potentially millions …

Likelihood of Trump Indictment in Manhattan Fades as Grand Jury Wraps Up  —  The Manhattan district attorney is continuing to investigate Mr. Trump, but knowledgeable people say charges are unlikely to occur in the foreseeable future, if ever.  — Give this article- - - Read in app

Volodymyr Zelensky refused to be evacuated from Kyiv as Russian hitmen parachuted into capital  —  The Ukrainian President also made a secret visit to the front line, according to the account  —  Volodymyr Zelensky refused to be evacuated from his compound in Kyiv even as Russian assassination …

Rating agency warns Disney debt conflict could ‘weaken’ other Florida government bonds  —  One of the nation's leading bond rating agencies warned Thursday that if the state of Florida doesn't resolve a conflict over its decision to repeal Walt Disney World's Reedy Creek Improvement District …

Inside the House Freedom Caucus' identity crisis  —  Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert look from the outside like MAGA twins, both loathed by Democrats for their incendiary right-wing rhetoric.  But inside the House GOP, they're not quite buddy-buddy.

Opinion Elon Musk reveals how his Twitter may fuel right-wing extremism  —  Elon Musk, the most powerful Twitter troll in our soon-to-be interplanetary species, has spent the past 24 hours trolling Democrats.  In tweet after tweet, he has claimed the Democratic Party has lurched into leftist extremism …

The Redpill Grifter Who Became an Anti-Ukraine Propagandist  —  Last week, on April 21, Scott Ritter—whom older readers might remember as a former U.N. weapons inspector turned ferocious foe of American and Western foreign policy—posted an angry screed on RT.com (the web version of what's left …

U.S. Case of Human Avian Influenza A(H5) Virus Reported  —  Person Had Contact with Infected Poultry; Public Health Risk Assessment Remains Low  —  A person has tested positive for avian influenza A(H5) virus (H5 bird flu) in the U.S., as reported by Colorado and confirmed by CDC.

Disney Dispute Reflects Wider Rift Between Republicans, Big Companies  —  As executives speak out on political and cultural issues, some Republicans draw a sharper line—and lean less on corporate donors  —  The fight between Walt Disney Co. and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is the latest sign …

Putin Really May Break the Nuclear Taboo in Ukraine  —  It seems unthinkable, but American leaders' failure to think about it heightens the risk it will happen.  —  1x  —  Sometimes a thing keeps nagging around your brain and though you've said it before you have to say it again.

She told her Christian college she was raped.  Then she was banned from campus.  —  When Mara Louk told an administrator at Visible Music College, where she was a senior, that a male classmate had choked and raped her last November, she expected that school officials would help her file a police report and arrange a safety plan.

Member of Georgia Chapter of Oath Keepers Pleads Guilty to Seditious Conspiracy and Obstruction of Congress for Efforts to Stop Transfer of Power Following 2020 Presidential Election  —  Defendant Participated in Plot to Use Force to Oppose Execution of U.S. Laws, Including the Attack on the Capitol During the Certification Proceeding

Opinion Republicans have only themselves to blame for Madison Cawthorn  —  It was quite a month for young Madison Cawthorn.  —  The 26-year-old Republican congressman from North Carolina was caught bringing a loaded gun through airport security, his second such incident.

People Have ‘Utterly False Beliefs’ About Chris Pratt, Says ‘Guardians’ Director  —  Director James Gunn said the actor will “never be replaced” in Marvel films despite fan backlash.  —  Given how Chris Pratt is set to voice what feels like every animated character in a slew of upcoming franchises …