Politics A.M.: How the lab-leak coronavirus theory suddenly became credible

Justice Dept. releases part of internal memo on not charging Trump in Russia probe ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Limited time offer: Get one year of digital access for just $29.   View offer Sign up for this newsletter Read online The most important politics stories today.     (Ng Han Guan/AP) Timeline: How the Wuhan lab-leak coronavirus theory suddenly became credible The possibility that the coronavirus emerged from a lab was quickly dismissed by scientists in early 2020. This timeline shows which events and scientific publications had an impact on changing minds. Fact Checker | Analysis ●  By Glenn Kessler ●  Read more »   Justice Dept. releases part of internal memo on not charging Trump in Russia probe The memo was the subject of a judge's opinion that sharply criticized then-Attorney General William P. Barr's handling of the Mueller investigation. By Devlin Barrett ●  Read more »   The complex role of Kamala Harris amid India's anguish Some Indian Americans want Harris to speak out more forcefully about the pandemic in India and push harder for U.S. help. Others warn against unreasonable pressures and expectations. By Cleve Wootson and Fenit Nirappil ●  Read more »   Texas governor to sign law preventing the defunding of police, setting up another clash with cities Abbott took to Twitter to weigh in on a shooting in the capital, Austin, arguing that the police were "incapable" of responding swiftly due to recent budget cuts. By Paulina Villegas ●  Read more »   Five months on the Hill: National Guard winds down Capitol deployment The National Guard was deployed Jan. 6 to help push back a crowd of about 10,000 rioters who had besieged the U.S. Capitol and clear out the approximately 800 who had broken inside. By Washington Post Staff ●  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   Supreme Court turns down inmate requesting firing squad, drawing rebuke from liberal justices Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the court was going back on a promise to allow inmates to propose alternative methods when a state's procedure might cause excruciating pain. By Robert Barnes ●  Read more »   Biden to meet with George Floyd's family amid uncertain progress on race Biden is preparing to meet with George Floyd's family Tuesday, one year after Floyd's death ignited a national reckoning on race. Many activists see a big gap between politicians' promises on racial equity and the reality. By Cleve Wootson ●  Read more »   Man charged with bringing molotov cocktails to Capitol on Jan. 6 has Texas militia ties, contacted Ted Cruz's office, court papers allege Lonnie Coffman attended an armed-citizens camp in Brownsville, Tex., and kept papers about the Southwest Desert Militia, prosecutors said. By Spencer Hsu ●  Read more »   Dylann Roof appeals federal hate crime death sentence in slaying of 9 Black parishioners in Charleston Roof's death sentence could pose a challenge for the Biden administration. President Biden is opposed to capital punishment and as a candidate said he would seek to end federal executions. By Ann Marimow ●  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   The GOP's shifting arguments against a Jan. 6 commission Initially, it was that it needed to probe antifa and Black Lives Matter, too. That has since given way to a number of other justifications. Analysis ●  By Aaron Blake ●  Read more »   Key impeachment witness Gordon Sondland sues Mike Pompeo and U.S. for $1.8 million in legal fees The suit alleges that Pompeo reneged on his promise that the State Department would cover Sondland's legal fees after the witness delivered bombshell testimony accusing President Trump of a quid pro quo. By John Hudson ●  Read more »   Infrastructure talks hit a wall as Senate GOP and White House exchange blame Republicans say Biden agreed earlier this month to seek what they describe as "social" spending as part of another plan, only to have his top aides take the opposite approach during the latest round of talks Friday. By Tony Romm and Seung Min Kim ●  Read more »   Senate Democrats introduce legislation to ban political committees from using prechecked donation boxes Many political committees have embraced the tactic, which critics call deceptive and predatory. By Colby Itkowitz and Paul Farhi ●  Read more »   Rand Paul received a suspicious package at home. He blames a pop singer he claims 'called for violence.' After Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) received a suspicious package at home filled with white powder, he blamed pop singer Richard Marx for a tweet that he claimed "called for violence" against him. By Tim Elfrink and Felicia Sonmez ●  Read more »     We think you'll like this newsletter Check out Coronavirus Updates for news to help you stay safe and informed during the pandemic. Access to all stories in the newsletter is free. Sign up »

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