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 …

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 …

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.

The 9th Circuit's dangerous and unprecedented use of campaign statements to block presidential policy  —  The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit has just upheld a nationwide temporary injunction on President Trump's executive order relating to refugees and visas from certain countries.

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.

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.

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.

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 …

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 …

Kushner Family Is in Talks to Buy Miami Marlins  —  The sale of a major league sports team always draws attention and local interest.  But this one may attract even more interest, especially around the White House.  —  The Kushners, the New York real estate family whose scion is a close adviser …

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.

Protesters briefly block Education Secretary Betsy DeVos's visit to a D.C. school  —  Education Secretary Betsy DeVos encountered protesters Friday morning outside a D.C. middle school and found her way barred as she tried to enter through a side door, forcing her to retreat into a government vehicle as a man shouted “Shame!”

China Hangs Tough.  Trump Folds.  China Ups the Ante.  —  On Thursday night, President Trump told his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, that he accepted the “One China” policy.  The acknowledgement, made during a phone conversation, appears to be a capitulation to Beijing's demands.

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.

No, Donald Trump's father didn't create racist ads for a mayoral bid  —  A pair of ads allegedly created by President Trump's father Fred for a 1970s mayoral bid circulated widely on the Internet this week.  They were ads, one titled “Dope Man” and the other “Real New Yorkers,” presenting two depictions of the city during that decade.

Urbana man charged with living, voting in U.S. illegally  —  Questions for Tom?  Ask them here  —  URBANA — A Mexican national who has lived in Urbana since 2005, allegedly using a stolen identity, was arraigned Thursday on seven federal counts, including four related to voting by an illegal immigrant.

Hundreds of thousands rally in Iran against Trump, chant ‘Death to America’: TV  —  Hundreds of thousands of Iranians rallied on Friday to swear allegiance to their clerical leaders and reject U.S. President Donald Trump's warning that he had put the Islamic Republic “on notice”, state TV reported.

Hill GOP backs Trump on leaks investigation  —  Republicans are urging the White House to find and plug the leaks that led to embarrassing headlines about President Donald Trump's calls with foreign leaders.  —  While Democrats have seized on reports of Trump's confrontational conversations …

A Gift for Donald Trump  —  If you could give Donald Trump the gift of a single trait to help his presidency, what would it be?  —  My first thought was that prudence was the most important gift one could give him.  Prudence is the ability to govern oneself with the use of reason.

Mexican Citizen Sentenced To 8 Years In Prison For Voter Fraud In TX  —  DALLAS (CBS11) - The family of a woman convicted of voter fraud is speaking out after a Tarrant County jury sentenced her to eight years in prison.  —  Prosecutors say the reason officials at the elections department …