Playbook reports: We reported Saturday that Trump’s lawyers sent a cease-and-desist letter to the RNC, NRSC and NRCC telling them to stop using his name to fundraise or sell merchandise. But they don’t seem to be taking the warnings seriously. The NRSC advertised a T-shirt for “Trump Supporters ONLY!” with his face and the words “Miss Me yet?” on Facebook. …

The Washington Post reports: Determined to avoid a repeat of last summer’s chaos and destruction, which included the burning of the 3rd Precinct police station, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) and other local leaders have sought to display an unprecedented level of security in the city. The area around the downtown Minneapolis courthouse has been transformed into a militarized zone …

Politico reports: Conservatives are taking a page from the playbook of former President Donald Trump by raising, without evidence, the specter that Democrats are trying to block a California recall election by manipulating the elections process. Recall organizers have expressed confidence in California’s system and believe they have enough valid signatures to qualify a recall election of Democratic Gov. Gavin …

The New York Daily News reports: Gov. Cuomo signed legislation Sunday curbing his pandemic emergency powers as he prepares to increase dining capacity at restaurants outside New York City to 75%. The governor, facing mounting criticism and calls for his resignation over sexual harassment allegations and the state’s handling of nursing home deaths, also vowed he was “not going to …

“Donald Trump was my friend before the riot. And I’m trying to keep a relationship with him after the riot. I still consider him a friend. What happened was a dark day in American history, and we’re going to move forward. “I want us to continue the policies that I think will make America strong. I believe the best way …

Deadline reports: The eyes of the world will focus on Minneapolis this Monday, as the trial of a former police officer accused of killing George Floyd is expected to begin. Protests are already underway in the city and its surrounding neighborhoods, which were devastated in the aftermath of Floyd’s death. As widely reported, Officer Derek Chauvin faces murder charges for …

The Christian Post reports: Ravi Zacharias International Ministries intends to change the name of the organization following the release of an investigative report last month indicating that the Christian apologist was accused of “sexting, unwanted touching, spiritual abuse, and rape.” In a statement Saturday, RZIM CEO and Zacharias’ daughter, Sarah Davis, provided what she described as the first of periodic …

Reuters reports: The United States has administered 90,351,750 doses of COVID-19 vaccines as of Sunday morning and distributed 116,363,405 doses, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The vaccine doses are for both Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines as of 9 a.m. ET (1400 GMT) on Sunday, the agency said.The agency said 58,873,710 people had received one or more doses …

The New York Times reports: In a potentially crippling defection in Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s efforts to maintain power amid a sexual harassment scandal, the leader of the New York State Senate declared on Sunday that the governor should resign “for the good of the state.” The leader of the Senate, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, a Democrat from Westchester County, said that …

The Insider reports: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Sunday said he would not resign due to the allegations against him, saying during a phone call with reporters that resigning due to allegations would be “anti-Democratic.” “I’m not going to resign because of allegations,” Cuomo told reporters Sunday. “The premise of resigning because of allegations is actually anti-democratic.” Cuomo will …

Axios reports: Nearly every big news site saw its traffic decline in February, compared to a tumultuous January that included the Capitol insurrection and Biden’s inauguration. Publishers’ traffic was down across the board, and many major sites saw traffic dip more than 20%, according to data from traffic analytics company SimilarWeb. Politics consumption dropped most dramatically, tumbling 28%. News consumers …

CBS News reports: Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Biden, said Sunday that the number of vaccine doses available will sharply rise in the coming weeks following federal approval of a third coronavirus vaccine. Fauci said the nation is “going in the right direction,” but stressed that mitigation measures should be rolled back slowly and carefully as more …

Politico reports: Sen. John Barrasso said Sunday he’d back Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski for reelection, breaking with former President Donald Trump not long after he vowed to campaign against her. “I want to always make sure we nominate somebody who can win in November,” Barrasso, the No. 3 Senate Republican, said on NBC’s “Meet The Press” of the 2022 midterm …

The Washington Post reports: Ahead of Europe’s summer holiday season, some top destinations such as Greece and Spain are pushing the European Union to introduce digital “vaccine passports” to ease entry for visitors — and their tourism cash. But what some countries see as a path toward reopening has been viewed by others, led by France and Germany, as a …

The Wall Street Journal reports: Russian intelligence agencies have mounted a campaign to undermine confidence in Pfizer Inc.’s and other Western vaccines, using online publications that in recent months have questioned the vaccines’ development and safety, U.S. officials said. An official with the State Department’s Global Engagement Center, which monitors foreign disinformation efforts, identified four publications that he said have …

Axios reports: Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) defended his decision to revoke the state’s mask mandate on CNN, describing the move as backed by data and a necessary step to boost the state’s economy. Why it matters: Although hospitalizations have dropped, Mississippi had the largest increase in the average of new coronavirus cases over a seven-day period in the country …

The Hill reports: Communications director Kate Bedingfield told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union” that Biden remains committed to winning Republican support even after no GOP lawmakers broke with their party in either chamber to vote for the $1.9 trillion relief bill. “It is still his position [that the filibuster should be preserved],” Bedingfield said. “He wants to …

Newsweek reports: Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado on Saturday night accused Democrats of being “obsessed with conspiracy theories” as she railed against Capitol security measures enforced in the aftermath of the insurrection on January 6. Speaking on Fox News’ Justice With Judge Jeanine, Boebert told host Jeanine Pirro that Capitol security measures should be relaxed because she believes that …

ABC News reports: “I didn’t do anything intentionally whatsoever,” Manchin said. “I did everything I could to bring us together so we’d have more support, and the public would get the needed help, as needed. We have so many different ways that we’re helping the public with this piece of legislation.” Debate over jobless benefits paralyzed the Senate for hours …

The Associated Press reports: A new executive order from President Joe Biden directs federal agencies to take a series of steps to promote voting access, a move that comes as congressional Democrats press for a sweeping voting and elections bill to counter efforts to restrict voting access. His plan was being announced during a recorded address on the 56th commemoration …