Trump Campaign Aides Had Repeated Contacts With Russian Intelligence  —  WASHINGTON — Phone records and intercepted calls show that members of Donald J. Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and other Trump associates had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year …

No to Puzder  —  Andrew Puzder was from the start an odd choice to head Donald Trump's Labor Department.  The chief of CKE Restaurants, the parent company of fast-food chains such as Carl's Jr. and Hardee's, Puzder has long been one of corporate America's most high-profile advocates of Gang of Eight-style …

Robert Harward plans a housecleaning of Trump's National Security Council staff  —  President Donald Trump offered the job of national security advisor to retired Vice Adm. Robert Harward on Monday night, and was a bit surprised when Harward responded by saying he needed a couple of days to think it over.

Sean Spicer isn't finished  —  Washington (CNN)Sean Spicer has barely moved into his office.  —  Three weeks after the inauguration, the only things adorning the White House press secretary's shelves are a framed picture of himself at the podium, a book on Naval Special Warfare …

‘This is . . .  Nixonian’: Reporter was taped by White House in heated exchange  —  A top aide to President Trump said she has a recording of a dispute with a White House reporter, and has shared parts of it with journalists.  —  Omarosa Manigault, a communications official …

Do voter identification laws suppress minority voting?  Yes.  We did the research.  —  The Justice Department just got a new boss: Jeff Sessions.  He is raising alarms in the civil rights community.  The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is concerned about his “record of hostility” …

U.S. detains Mexican immigrant in Seattle covered by Obama program  —  U.S. immigration authorities have detained a 23-year-old Mexican man who was brought to the United States illegally as a child and given a work permit during the Obama administration, according to a lawsuit challenging the detention in Seattle federal court.

Mika Brzezinski Firmly Says Conway Will No Longer Be Booked on Morning Joe: 'She's Not Credible Anymore'  —  Mika Brzezinski of Morning Joe revealed a tidbit that many may not know about the way Kellyanne Conway gets herself booked onto so many shows on behalf of the administration …

Corey Lewandowski's Potential Clients Say He's Bragging About Access To Trump's Twitter Account  —  Trump's former campaign manager, who now has a lobbying and consulting shop, has mentioned having access to Trump's Twitter account as a selling point in pitch meetings with at least …

Kim Jong Un Consolidates Power in North Korea's Game of Thrones  —  ‘Bloodline is still the strongest claim to legitimate rule’  —  Dictator's last surviving brother not seen as a threat  —  While much remains mysterious about the assassination of Kim Jong Un's half-brother in Malaysia this week …

Beware Triggering the Coup Theory  —  I can't believe I'm writing this after the administration has been in office for 26 days, but here goes.  The idea that Donald Trump is now inexorably on a path to impeachment has taken almost gleeful hold in the wake of the Michael Flynn resignation among liberal elites …

Defense Secretary Mattis issues new ultimatum to NATO allies on defense spending  —  BRUSSELS — Defense Secretary Jim Mattis issued an ultimatum Wednesday to allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), warning that if they do not boost their defense spending to goals set by the alliance …

The hottest invite in town: Donald Trump's supper club  —  Washington (CNN)Less than a week before President Donald Trump's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he settled down to dinner to discuss the upcoming visit — and America's approach to Mideast peace …

U.S., Middle East Allies Explore Arab Military Coalition  —  The Trump administration is in talks with Arab allies about having them form a military alliance that would share intelligence with Israel to help counter their mutual foe, Iran, according to several Middle Eastern officials.

Republicans make first move targeting Planned Parenthood funding  —  Republicans are taking their first shot of 2017 at Planned Parenthood.  —  The House is expected this week to vote on a resolution that would rescind an Obama-era regulation barring states from defunding the organization for political reasons.

How ‘La La Land’ Misleads on Race, Romance and Jazz  —  The musical is “daring and deserving,” writes the NBA legend and culture critic, but the “bigoted message” of a black man selling out and the “childish notion” of ambition before love disappoints.  —  A recent Saturday Night Live skit depicts …

Teen With Cancer Fires Back at Accusations of ‘Cultural Appropriation’ For Wearing a Turban  —  A white Brazilian teen fighting cancer, who has been accused of cultural appropriation for wearing a turban to conceal her baldness, is firing back back at her critics: “I'm so angry …

Steve Bannon privately unloaded on Breitbart reporter  —  Shortly after Breitbart's Matt Boyle published an extensive attack on White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, Boyle's former boss Steve Bannon exploded.  —  Far from Bannon orchestrating the leaks — as some have speculated — Trump's chief strategist was furious.

Republican Painter: It's time to impeach Trump  —  Mark P. Painter, a lifelong Cincinnatian, served as a judge for 30 years.  —  As Charles P. Pierce said in Esquire last week, “I swear, it's like we elected the Clampetts, if the Clampetts were grifters.”  —  A president of the United States …