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Long Before Divorce, Bill Gates Had Reputation for Questionable Behavior — Melinda French Gates voiced concerns about her husband's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and a harassment claim against his money manager. — By the time Melinda French Gates decided to end her 27-year marriage …
Discussion:
The Week, BroBible, TMZ.com and New York Post, more at Techmeme »
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Microsoft Directors Decided Bill Gates Needed to Leave Board Due to Prior Relationship With Staffer — Company's board members began investigation in 2019 into woman's allegations of prior sexual relationship with Bill Gates; Mr. Gates's spokeswoman says decision to leave board in 2020 wasn't related to the matter

Jeffrey Epstein Gave Bill Gates Advice on How to End ‘Toxic’ Marriage, Sources Say — BROMANCE … A person who attended meetings at Epstein's townhouse says Gates enjoyed holding court there. — Bachelor sex-offender Jeffrey Epstein gave Bill Gates advice on ending his marriage …
Discussion:
New York Post

AT&T Is Preparing to Merge Media Assets With Discovery — WarnerMedia businesses would merge with reality-TV giant — Companies control networks ranging from HBO to Animal Planet — AT&T Inc. is preparing to spin off its media business and merge it with Discovery Inc. in a tax-friendly deal …
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New York Times, CNBC, Ad Age, CNN, Mediaite, The Verge, Variety, Hollywood Reporter, The Hill, TVNewser, Adweek and The Wrap, more at Mediagazer »
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AT&T to spin off HBO, other WarnerMedia assets in a huge deal with Discovery. What went wrong? — Three years ago, AT&T Inc. marched into Hollywood with big ambitions to be a 21st century media colossus, connecting its booming cellphone business with legendary media properties — HBO …

AT&T's WarnerMedia and Discovery, Inc. Creating Standalone Company by Combining Operations to Form New Global Leader in Entertainment — Companies with Shared Values, Complementary Assets, and Iconic Brands and Franchises, Will Offer the Most Differentiated Content Portfolio in the World
Discussion:
New York Times, The Hill, Deadline, TechCrunch, The Verge and Mediaite

How a Jeopardy! Contestant's Hand Gesture Became Part of a Conspiracy — How hundreds of “Jeopardy!” contestants talked themselves into a baseless conspiracy theory — and won't be talked out of it. — It is an ironclad rule of the private Facebook group of past “Jeopardy!” …

Teflon Joe muddies GOP's midterm strategy — When the National Republican Senatorial Committee sought to attack four vulnerable Senate Democrats in a series of new ads this spring, President Joe Biden was nowhere to be found. Instead, the NRSC juxtaposed photographs of the senators …
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Washington Examiner, Washington Post, CNN, ABC News, Daily Kos, Raw Story, NPR, NBC News and Bloomberg
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Olivia Beavers / Politico:
Can McCarthy still discipline MTG? — GREENE HOUSE EFFECT: Even if Kevin McCarthy wanted to punish Marjorie Taylor Greene for her hallway antics last week, could he? — McCarthy (R-Calif.) no longer can deploy his most powerful weapon: removing her from her two committees.
Discussion:
The Hill

Episode 9: Trump's war with his generals — Axios' “Off the rails” series documents the end of the Trump administration, from election night 2020 through the Jan. 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol. — One important piece is only now beginning to emerge: Former President Donald Trump's last-minute bid …

For Trump, Hamas and Bibi, It Is Always Jan. 6 — There are many ways to understand what is happening today between Hamas and Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu of Israel, but I prefer to think about it like this: They are each having their own Jan. 6 moment. — Just as a mob was unleashed …
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Republicans weigh in on Liz Cheney and direction of GOP — CBS News poll — When House Republicans ousted Congresswoman Liz Cheney from her leadership post, it spoke to the direction of the Republican Party in at least one specific way: what should happen to those who publicly break with former President Donald Trump?
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Katherine Clayton / Washington Post:
If the GOP's civil war keeps up, voters are likely to flee
If the GOP's civil war keeps up, voters are likely to flee
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Louisiana Illuminator, FiveThirtyEight and Roll Call

NYC Mayor's Race Focus on Crime Puts Policing in the Spotlight — Candidates pushing police action may turn off some voters — NYC shootings jumped more than 160% in year ending April 2021 — New York City is gearing up for the last month of a mayoral race that is coinciding …
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Tax the rich? Executives predict Biden's big plans will flop — President Joe Biden wants to fund his $4.1 trillion infrastructure and family policy agenda with a huge pile of tax increases on corporations and the wealthy. The business community is dismissing the threat.
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Sarah Ferris / Politico:
How Dems learned to stop worrying (mostly) and embrace tax hikes
How Dems learned to stop worrying (mostly) and embrace tax hikes
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal

US investigates second suspected case of mystery ‘syndrome’ near White House — (CNN)Two White House officials were struck by a mysterious illness late last year — including one who was passing through a gate onto the property — newly revealed details that come as investigators …
Discussion:
Raw Story

From India, Brazil and Beyond: Pandemic Refugees at the Border — Fleeing virus-devastated economies, migrants are traveling long distances to reach the United States and then walking through gaps in the border wall. The Arizona desert has become a favorite crossing point.

Scoop: Lincoln Project offshoot aims to boost civics education — An offshoot of the Lincoln Project is launching Tuesday, aiming to unify people opposed to partisan dysfunction and authoritarianism through civics education and grassroots organizing, Axios has learned.

The World Economy Is Suddenly Running Low on Everything — A year ago, as the pandemic ravaged country after country and economies shuddered, consumers were the ones panic-buying. Today, on the rebound, it's companies furiously trying to stock up. — Mattress producers to car manufacturers …

Texas Reports Zero Deaths 2 Months After Biden Called its Reopening Plan as ‘Neanderthal Thinking’ — Texas Governor Greg Abbott caught heat from Democratic lawmakers when he announced on March 2 this year he would fully reopen the state by the next week. Mississippi lawmakers declared a similar reopening plan about the same time.

Kamala Harris's Impossible Vice Presidency — Everyone expects Harris to run for president again one day, but her job requires her to avoid even the appearance of preparing for her political future. — Air force two is a smaller plane than Air Force One.
Discussion:
Politico

UFOs regularly spotted in restricted U.S. airspace, report on the phenomena due next month — Bill Whitaker reports on the regular sightings of unidentified aerial phenomena, or UAP, that have spurred a report due to Congress next month. — We have tackled many strange stories on 60 Minutes, but perhaps none like this.
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, The US Sun, The Week and New York Post

The new digital extortion — If you run a hospital, a bank, a utility or a city, chances are you'll be hit with a ransomware attack. Given the choice between losing your precious data or paying up, chances are you'll pay. — Why it matters: Paying the hackers is the clear short-term answer …

CNN contributor tweets ‘The world today needs a Hitler’, has history of anti-Semitism — In a now deleted tweet, CNN contributor Adeel Raja posted Sunday that “the world today needs a Hitler.” … Join our mailing list to receive a daily email with all of our top stories
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Fox News, Washington Examiner, RedState and Newsbusters

Photo emerges of Republican barricading chamber doors during US Capitol attack after he compared rioters to ‘tourists’ — ‘Do Georgians always barricade doors against normal, everyday tourists?’ one critic asked — A photo has emerged of Andrew Clyde, the Republican congressman who claimed …
Discussion:
Insider and Washington Post