How to Read (and How Not to Read) Today's 9th Circuit Opinion  —  Today's 9th Circuit decision is a bit less of a big deal than it will play in the press tomorrow; it will play big both because of the high stakes of the current litigation and because of some rhetorical excess in the opinion itself.

National security adviser Flynn discussed sanctions with Russian ambassador, despite denials, officials say  —  National security adviser Michael Flynn privately discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia with that country's ambassador to the United States during the month before President Trump took office …

Anger erupts at Republican town halls  —  Murfreesboro, Tennessee (CNN)More than seven years after angry anti-Obamacare town halls erupted across the country, raw emotions are boiling over again — this time, as the Republican Party under President Donald Trump gears up to dismantle Barack Obama's legacy.

Trump vexed by challenges, scale of government  —  Being president is harder than Donald Trump thought, according to aides and allies who say that he's growing increasingly frustrated with the challenges of running the massive federal bureaucracy.  —  In interviews, nearly two dozen people who've spent …

UNDER FIRE, CONWAY MAINTAINS SUPPORT OF THE PRESIDENT  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Kellyanne Conway, the high-profile White House counselor, has come under fire from Democratic and Republican lawmakers, fact checkers and the media.  But she's so far maintained the support of her boss, President Donald Trump.

Americans Now Evenly Divided on Impeaching Trump  —  PPP's new national poll finds that Donald Trump's popularity as President has declined precipitously just over the last two weeks.  On our first poll of his Presidency voters were evenly divided on Trump, with 44% approving of him and 44% also disapproving.

Trump promises Chinese president he'll honor ‘one China’ policy  —  President Trump said he would honor the United States' longstanding “one China” policy during a Thursday night phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, an effort to ease diplomatic tensions between the two powers.

Analysis: Ninth Circuit Would Allow 9/11 Hijacker to Sue to Come to U.S.  —  The judgment of the Ninth Circuit upholding the temporary restraining order (TRO) against President Donald Trump's recent executive order restricting travel from seven terror-prone countries would have allowed …

‘GO BACK!  SHAME!  SHAME!  SHAME!’:  Protestors Block Betsy DeVos From Entering DC School … Betsy DeVos' first week as the Secretary of Education is off to a rough start.  —  Just moments ago, DeVos was caught on camera by an ABC affiliate trying to enter a local public school …

A Game Plan for Senate Democrats  —  The Republican majority in Washington has vowed to bulldoze the legacy of President Barack Obama.  Because Democrats — despite round-the-clock efforts this week in the confirmation votes of Betsy DeVos as education secretary and Jeff Sessions as attorney general …

Le Pen: French Jews Will Have to Give Up Israeli Citizenship  —  Asked specifically about Jews and Israel, she said: 'Israel isn't an EU member.'  —  In a France ruled by the far-right Marine Le Pen, Jewish citizens will be forced to give up their Israeli citizenship, the Front National party leader said on Thursday.

Bannon Cited Italian Thinker Who Inspired Fascists  —  ROME — Those trying to divine the roots of Stephen K. Bannon's dark and at times apocalyptic worldview have repeatedly combed over a speech that Mr. Bannon, President Trump's ideological guru, made in 2014 to a Vatican conference …

Americans See US World Standing as Worst in a Decade  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans believe the world at large sees the U.S. more unfavorably (57%) than favorably (42%), their worst assessment of the country's image in 10 years.  A year ago, Americans' perceptions were more positive than negative.

First on CNN: Trump nixes Elliott Abrams for State Department job  —  (CNN)CNN has learned that Elliott Abrams will not get the number two position at the State Department, according to Republican sources.  —  President Donald Trump met with Abrams and the sources said that the meeting went …

Fear spreads in L.A. after immigration ‘raid,’ advocates claim.  Officials say arrests are 'routine.  "  —  The panicked emails and phone calls began streaming in from community members at about 11 a.m. Thursday morning, inundating Los Angeles immigration lawyers with far more cases than usual.

The Madness of King Donald  —  I guess I should start by saying this is not a blog.  Nor is it what one might call a column.  It's an experiment of sorts to see if there's something in between those two.  Most Fridays, from now on, I'll be writing in this space about, among other things …