Top of the Fold

• Powerful teachers union influenced CDC on school reopenings (NY Post)

“The American Federation of Teachers lobbied the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on, and even suggested language for, the federal agency's school-reopening guidance released in February. The powerful teachers union’s full-court press preceded the federal agency putting the brakes on a full re-opening of in-person classrooms, emails between top CDC, AFT and White House officials show. … The close communication between the union and the feds came despite repeated assurances from CDC and Biden officials that the medical guidelines would ‘follow the science’ and be free of political interference. … The AFT and its affiliates have long been one of the most reliable and deep pocketed donor constituencies of the Democratic party, dropping almost $20 million to elect party members during the 2020 election cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.”

• And not a minute too soon: U.S. Catholic Bishops expected to advise denying communion to pro-abortion politicians like Joe Biden (Christian Post)

“United States bishops are considering formalizing their opposition to pro-abortion Catholic politicians receiving communion as they continue to speak out against President Joe Biden, a Catholic, over his support for abortion. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, scheduled to hold a national meeting in June, is considering approving a draft document that would advise Catholic politicians who support abortion not to receive communion. The consideration of the document comes as Biden continues to advocate for liberal abortion policies that directly conflict with the teachings of his faith, specifically, that all human life is sacred from natural conception until natural death.”

Government & Politics

• Ominous bellwether: Democrats suffer blow after loss at Texas special election, prepare for “shellacking in 2022” (Fox News) | Reading the tea leaves? Cheri Bustos, House Democrats’ former campaign chief, announces retirement (Politico)

• Biden says, “I don’t think the American people are racist,” despite peddling “systemic racism” soundbite (Fox News)

• Joe Manchin doesn’t support DC statehood or election overhaul bills (The Hill) | Jim Clyburn agrees with Tim Scott that U.S. isn’t racist (Washington Examiner)

• Fake news: New York Times, WaPo, and NBC forced to retract false claims about Rudy Giuliani (NY Post)

• “Very disappointing”: Pentagon denies veterans a parking lot for Memorial Day “Rolling to Remember” motorcycle event, breaking 32-year-old tradition (Washington Examiner)

• Senate Republicans criticize 1619 Project’s “divisive nonsense” in letter to ed secretary (Washington Times)

National Security

• At least three dead, dozens hurt when human smuggling boat crashes (San Diego Union-Tribune)

• Open-borders Biden cancels military-funded border wall projects (The Hill)

• Taliban issues attack warning as original May 1 deadline for U.S. troop removal passes (Fox News)

• Republican lawmakers call for ending controversial USPS surveillance program (Washington Times)

Health

• India’s daily cases surge to 50% of world total with 800,000 over two days (UPI)

• Biden, who has previously been critical of travel bans, prohibits travel from India amid COVID surge (Fox News)

Around the Nation

• Derek Chauvin juror who promised impartiality now says people should join juries “to spark some change,” wore BLM shirt that said “Get your knee off our necks” in 2020 (PM)

• Lubbock, Texas, becomes largest city to outlaw abortion (Daily Wire)

Closing Arguments

• Policy: The CDC and mask mandates: Unmasking the truth (Heritage Foundation)

• Humor: Democrats throw Justice Breyer a surprise retirement party hoping he’ll just go with it (The Onion)

For more of today’s editors’ choice headlines, visit Headline Report.

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