The Wall Street Journal reports: The U.S. economy expanded rapidly in the first quarter, growing at a 6.4% annual rate and extending what economists project will be a robust, consumer-led recovery from the pandemic this year. The jump in U.S. gross domestic product in the first three months of the year, reported by the Commerce Department on Thursday, put the …

CNBC reports: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is “committed” to the resumption of cruise industry passenger operations in the United States by mid-summer, it said on Wednesday, announcing some new steps to speed approvals. “If a ship attests that 98% of its crew and 95% of its passengers are fully vaccinated,” the agency said in a …

The New York Daily News reports: The NYPD’s robot dog has been hounded out of service. The police department will return Digidog to robotics manufacturer Boston Dynamics after months of backlash and mockery that compared the four-legged bot to a dystopian sci-fi surveillance nightmare. John Miller, the NYPD’s deputy commissioner for intelligence and counterterrorism, confirmed Wednesday the NYPD had cancelled …

Fortune reports: The U.S. government told its citizens to leave India as soon as possible because of the country’s escalating COVID-19 crisis. In a Level 4 travel advisory — the highest issued by the Department of State — U.S. citizens were told “not to travel to India or to leave as soon as it is safe to do so.” There …

Axios reports: Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on MSNBC Thursday that New York City plans to “fully reopen” on July 1, with no restrictions on restaurants, retail, or any other business. Why it matters: It will be a major milestone for America’s most populous city, which was once the global epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. What they’re saying: While cautioning …

The Associated Press reports: Just about all eyes were on the president who addressed a variety of topics, including the American Rescue Plan, stimulus checks, and more. And while Biden’s speech was interrupted by standing ovations and loud applause throughout the entirety of the address, Sen. Ted Cruz was a little less enthusiastic. Cruz was caught sleeping during Biden’s address. …

CNN reports: Federal agencies are investigating at least two possible incidents on US soil, including one near the White House in November of last year, that appear similar to mysterious, invisible attacks that have led to debilitating symptoms for dozens of US personnel abroad. Multiple sources familiar with the matter tell CNN that while the Pentagon and other agencies probing …

The Hollywood Reporter reports: The controversial executive, who has been banned from Twitter and is currently being sued for pushing wild conspiracy theories and disinformation that the 2020 election was rigged, began his interview with host Jimmy Kimmel talking about the coronavirus and whether or not Lindell had been vaccinated, to which he confirmed that he hasn’t. The late-night host …

The Hill reports: Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) displayed a thermal space blanket similar to those distributed to migrants held at detention facilities at the southern border during President Biden’s address to Congress on Wednesday. A spokesperson for Boebert told The Hill that she was trying to highlight the recent surge of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. “President Biden did not …

The Guardian reports: It is Donald Trump, not Democrats, who deserves credit for wresting the coronavirus pandemic under control, Tim Scott argued on Wednesday night as the Republican senator gave his party’s official response to Joe Biden’s first address to Congress. As the only Black Republican in the US Senate, Scott had been expected to address the issue of racial …

Politico reports: President Joe Biden’s address to a joint session Congress was the most ambitious ideological statement made by any Democratic president in decades—couched in language that made it sound as if he wasn’t making an ideological argument at all. Make no mistake that he was. He called for trillions in new spending in a robust expansion of government’s role …

Variety reports: Apple smashed Wall Street expectations for the first three months of 2021, reporting its highest-ever revenue for a March quarter and biggest-ever quarterly haul for the Services business. The company posted revenue of $89.6 billion, up 54% on a surge of iPhone sales, for the quarter ended March 27. Net income more than doubled (up 110%) to $23.6 …

CNN reports: A highly engaged writer, President Biden has spent hours debating the language and themes of his speech with his team, according to people familiar with his preparation. He has also consulted with members of his family. He has reviewed drafts and sent back handwritten revisions in the margins, along with dictating portions of his speech during writing sessions …

ABC News reports: West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R) on Wednesday signed into law a bill that prohibits transgender female athletes from playing on women’s sports teams in public middle schools, high schools and universities. The bill cleared the state House last month in an overwhelming 78-20 vote before passing the state Senate in a closer 18-15 vote on April …

First, a reminder from Fox News: Sen. Joni Ernst, the vice chair of the Senate GOP conference, will lead a “prebuttal” Wednesday afternoon to President Biden’s joint address to Congress. Ernst, R-Iowa, and at least five other Republicans will deliver a series of speeches on the Senate floor to protest how Biden has handled his first 100 days and to …

Mediaite reports: Four Seasons Total Landscaping is making the most of the news about Rudy Giuliani, trolling him over latest developments. Giuliani held a press conference in front of the landscaping company’s garage doors back in November. Between Giuliani’s wild comments, the weirdness of the location, and the fact that the company is next to a crematorium and an adult …

Today marks the seventeeth blogiversary of this here website thingy. Counting this one, we’re at 111,095 posts over 17 years, the last 13 of which have been without a day off. As I’ve said on this day every year, whether I am insanely committed or am insane and should be committed – that is entirely your call. The news never …

CBS News reports: Three Georgia men were charged with federal hate crimes Wednesday in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man who was pursued and gunned down by two White men as he jogged through a Brunswick neighborhood. The men already faced state murder charges. Travis McMichael, 35, his father Gregory McMichael, 65, and 51-year-old William “Roddie” Bryan were …

“It has to stop. If this can happen to the former president’s lawyer, this can happen to any American. Enough is enough. “The only piece of evidence that they did not take up there today was the only piece of incriminating evidence that is in there, and it does not belong to my father, it belongs to the current president’s …

Courthouse News reports: After three hours of deliberation, a jury found Brendan Hunt guilty of threatening to murder members of Congress in online posts before and in the wake of the Jan. 6 riot at the United States Capitol. Hunt, 37, faces up to 10 years in prison for the threats, which targeted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader …