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 …

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

US investigators corroborate some aspects of the Russia dossier  —  Washington (CNN)For the first time, US investigators say they have corroborated some of the communications detailed in a 35-page dossier compiled by a former British intelligence agent, multiple current and former US law enforcement and intelligence officials tell CNN.

White House Rewriting Trump's Controversial Travel Ban Order: Sources  —  Donald Trump learning how things work 21:41  —  Still regrouping from a federal appeals court's refusal to reinstate President Trump's controversial ban of nationals from seven predominantly Muslim countries …

Trump has some awkward exchanges with the Japanese prime minister  —  President Donald Trump's grin-and-grip with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the Oval Office on Friday came off more like a power play between world leaders — and ended with an exaggerated eye roll from Abe.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos physically blocked by protesters from entering D.C. school  —  Education Secretary Betsy DeVos was physically blocked by protesters from entering Jefferson Academy in SW, D.C. Friday morning.  This was her first visit to a public school.

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.

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.

Readout of the President's Call with President Xi Jinping of China  —  President Donald J. Trump and President Xi Jinping of China had a lengthy telephone conversation on Thursday evening.  The two leaders discussed numerous topics and President Trump agreed, at the request of President Xi, to honor our “one China” policy.

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.

White House: Cohn-Led Tax Plan Is Real and It's Phenomenal  —  Congressional leaders have been consulted, official says  —  Cohn has said he's focused on tax cuts for low earners  —  Former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. president Gary Cohn is leading the effort to craft President Donald Trump's plan …

Katy Perry gets political: Listen to her new song ‘Chained to the Rhythm’  —  Pop Music Critic  —  You know America's in a troubling spot when even Katy Perry is singing about the illusion of freedom.  —  That's the subject of “Chained to the Rhythm,” the once-carefree pop star's new single …

Steve 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.

Tishaura Jones slams Post editorial board while declining interview  —  On Monday, February 6, Tishaura O. Jones declined an editorial board interview with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  Jones, of course, is a Democratic candidate for St. Louis mayor in the March 7 primary election and current city treasurer.

Daytime TV's New Star?  Sean Spicer  —  He is no match for “The Young and the Restless.”  But he is beating “The Bold and the Beautiful.”  —  Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary whose early tenure has prompted political fireworks and late-night parodies, may be struggling to settle in behind the lectern.

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.