Manafort faced blackmail attempt, hacks suggest  —  A purported cyberhack of the daughter of political consultant Paul Manafort suggests that he was the victim of a blackmail attempt while he was serving as Donald Trump's presidential campaign chairman last summer.

GOP to bury House resolution on Trump conflicts  —  House Republicans next week plan to derail a Democratic resolution that would have forced disclosure of President Donald Trump's potential ties with Russia and any possible business conflicts of interest, according to multiple House sources.

In first month of Trump presidency, State Department has been sidelined  —  The Trump administration in its first month has largely benched the State Department from its long-standing role as the pre­eminent voice of U.S. foreign policy, curtailing public engagement and official travel …

Fox News Channel's Alan Colmes Dies at Age 66  —  Fox News Channel's Alan Colmes has passed away at age 66 after a brief illness.  —  Colmes leaves behind his wife, Jocelyn Crowley, who issued the following statement:  —  Alan Colmes passed away this morning after a brief illness.  He was 66-years-old.

DNC: Dollars 'N Cents  —  The Democrats' loss in November was devastating and certainly unexpected.  Activists and party leaders immediately began debating what went wrong and the path forward.  —  There are no answers yet, at least officially.  No one has written up a post-mortem similar …

Christie turned down Labor secretary job: report  —  President Trump offered New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie the job of Labor secretary after a lunch meeting last week, Politico reported on Wednesday.  —  The offer came as the president's previous labor secretary pick Andrew Puzder's nomination was in jeopardy.

Chaffetz probing national park's tweet welcoming new monument  —  House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz  —  (R-Utah) is investigating a months-old tweet from his state's Bryce Canyon National Park.  —  Chaffetz reportedly suspects that the tweet, which was posted in December …

The Death of Compassion  —  Folks, we have been here before.  —  After Ronald Reagan, a celebrity-turned-politician, carried 49 states in his devastating defeat of Walter Mondale in 1984, Democrats were whining and moaning, shuffling their feet and scratching their heads.

Arizona Senate votes to seize assets of those who plan, participate in protests that turn violent  —  Claiming people are being paid to riot, Republican state senators voted Wednesday to give police new power to arrest anyone who is involved in a peaceful demonstration that may turn bad — even before anything actually happened.

McMaster May Reorganize Trump's Foreign Policy Team Once Again  —  WASHINGTON — Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster, President Trump's new national security adviser, is considering a reorganization of the White House foreign policy team that would give him control of Homeland Security and guarantee full access …

I Was a Muslim in Trump's White House  —  In 2011, I was hired, straight out of college, to work at the White House and eventually the National Security Council.  My job there was to promote and protect the best of what my country stands for.  I am a hijab-wearing Muslim woman …

Apple criticizes Trump's transgender decision  —  Apple is voicing opposition to President Trump's move to rescind guidance to schools that transgender students be allowed to use bathrooms and other facilities that correspond with their gender identity.  —  “We disagree with any effort …

Straightforward From Here To The Left's Fascist, Maybe Violent, Endgame  —  The Democrat Party, its Media serfs, and Social Justice Incorporated are all outraged because we uppity normals are again presuming to rule ourselves, and their agony is delightful.  Less delightful is how …

Murkowski tells Legislature she'll consult Alaska leaders before voting on repeal of Medicaid expansion  —  (Nathaniel Herz / Alaska Dispatch News)  —  JUNEAU — U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski moved Wednesday to ease Alaskans' concerns about congressional Republicans' plans for the Affordable Care Act …

Trumps Will Be Dancing, Not Listening, On Oscar Night  —  “... a phenomenal event.”  —  by  —  As Hollywood's stars deliver their off-the-cuff condemnations of President Donald Trump at Sunday night's Academy Awards, the president and first lady Melania Trump will be having a ball.  —  Literally.

Lawyers: ICE detainee with brain tumor removed from hospital  —  An undocumented immigrant diagnosed with a brain tumor while under Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody was returned to a detention center from a Texas hospital, her lawyers said.

Conservative provocateur targets CNN with secret recordings  —  Conservative provocateur James O'Keefe is setting his sights on CNN.  —  O'Keefe said in a telephone interview with CNN on Wednesday that he has “a few hundred hours” of “secretly recorded material” from inside the network.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin Sees Tax Overhaul by August  —  Economic growth at 3% or higher is also among Trump administration's ambitious goals, he says  —  Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin laid out ambitious goals to secure a U.S. tax-code overhaul by August and to deliver economic growth …

Poll: More than half think Trump acted unethically or illegally in business conflicts  —  WASHINGTON  —  More than half of voters believe Donald Trump has done something illegal or unethical as he faces potential conflicts of interest by continuing to own his businesses while serving as president …

The True Story of the Comey Letter Debacle  —  When F.B.I. director James Comey reopened the investigation into Hillary Clinton's e-mails in the final days of the campaign, many saw it as a political move that cost Clinton the presidency.  But some insiders suspect Comey had a more personal concern: his own legacy.

Top U.S. Officials Met With Defiance in Visit to Mexico  —  Secretaries of State and Homeland Security encounter objections to hard U.S. line on deportations  —  MEXICO CITY—Top U.S. officials arrived for talks here Wednesday to find a defiant Mexican government refusing …

Inside Ivanka Trump's Campaign for a $500 Billion Child-Care Plan  —  She met with members of the House and Senate last week  —  Tax overhaul should include child care deduction, she's said  —  Ivanka Trump has urged lawmakers writing a tax overhaul to include a deduction for child care expenses …

John McCain Makes Secret Trip to Syria in Midst of U.S. Assessment  —  The senator traveled to Kurdish-controlled Kobani, U.S. officials say  —  WASHINGTON—Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) secretly traveled to northern Syria last weekend to speak with American military officials and Kurdish fighters …

The Bow-Tied Bard of Populism  —  Tucker Carlson is selling me hard on the swamp.  It is an unseasonably warm afternoon in late January, and we are seated at a corner table in Monocle, an upscale Capitol Hill eatery frequented by the Fox News star.  (Carlson, who typically skips breakfast …

Inside Uber's Aggressive, Unrestrained Workplace Culture  —  SAN FRANCISCO — When new employees join Uber, they are asked to subscribe to 14 core company values, including making bold bets, being “obsessed” with the customer, and “always be hustlin'.”  The ride-hailing service particularly emphasizes …

Cellphone Video Shows Anaheim Struggle Between 13-Year-Old Boy and Off-Duty LAPD Officer Who Fired Weapon  —  Cellphone video captured a physical struggle between an off-duty LAPD officer and a 13-year-old boy that led to the officer firing his weapon and the teen in Anaheim police custody.

Repeal of Health Law Faces Obstacles in House, Not Just in Senate  —  WASHINGTON — Ever since Republicans got down to the business of repealing the Affordable Care Act, the Senate has been singled out as the likely problem.  Any plan that could zoom through the House would hit roadblocks …

Air Force Stumped by Trump's Claim of $1 Billion Savings on Jet  —  Cost estimates for a new Air Force One still being refined  —  Service awards next contracts for design, aircraft by June 30  —  The Air Force can't account for $1 billion in savings that President Donald Trump said he's negotiated …