FBI refused White House request to knock down recent Trump-Russia stories  —  Washington (CNN)The FBI rejected a recent White House request to publicly knock down media reports about communications between Donald Trump's associates and Russians known to US intelligence during the 2016 presidential campaign …

GOP Obamacare Plan Would Cover Fewer People; Blowback Grows  —  Plan expands access for those who want it, Republicans say  —  ‘Not everybody is going to have health care’: GOP lawmaker  —  Republican lawmakers expect that their Obamacare replacement will result in fewer Americans covered …

He yelled ‘Get out of my country,’ witnesses say, and then shot 2 men from India, killing one  —  A 51-year-old man faces first-degree murder charges after shooting three men in an Olathe, Kan., bar Wednesday night, police say, reportedly telling two of them, local Garmin engineers from India, to “get out of my country.”

State Department writes anti-leak memo, which promptly leaks  —  The State Department legal office prepared a four-page memo for Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warning of the dangers of leaking by State Department employees.  It promptly leaked, to me.  That's only the latest sign …

Trump econ advisor: No go on House border adjustment tax  —  Gary Cohn, chief economic advisor to President Trump, told a group of CEOs this morning that the White House does not support the House GOP version of a border adjustment tax, according to an attendee.

Trump, Putin, and the New Cold War  —  What lay behind Russia's interference in the 2016 election—and what lies ahead?  —  1. SOFT TARGETS  —  On April 12, 1982, Yuri Andropov, the chairman of the K.G.B., ordered foreign-intelligence operatives to carry out “active measures” …

The New Nationalism in America  —  Decades of intellectual and political activity preceded the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980.  William F. Buckley Jr. founded National Review in 1955.  A little less than a decade later, National Review publisher William Rusher helped orchestrate Barry Goldwater's presidential nomination.

Exclusive: Senior Trump Aide Forged Key Ties To Anti-Semitic Groups In Hungary  —  When photographs recently emerged showing Sebastian Gorka, President Donald Trump's high-profile deputy assistant, wearing a medal associated with the Nazi collaborationist regime that ruled Hungary during World War II …

My country had its own Trump.  Here's how we beat him.  —  Dalibor Rohac is a research fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.  —  To any fair-minded observer, President Trump's authoritarian instincts, Twitter outbursts and divisive rhetoric should be greatly concerning.

Why therapists are having such a hard time talking about Trump  —  Therapists such as Dr. Arlene Drake, who practices in West L.A., say that many of their patients are talking about President Trump, presenting a challenge for a group of professionals who have been trained not to expose their own political beliefs.

Federal agents ask domestic flight passengers to show IDs in search for immigrant ordered deported  —  This post has been updated.  —  U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed Thursday that their agents requested to see the identification of domestic flight passengers landing …

Starbucks' brand perception has plummeted since it announced plan to hire refugees  —  Starbucks' brand has taken a beating since the company announced plans to hire 10,000 refugees worldwide in the next five years in response to Donald Trump's executive order intended to prevent refugees from entering the US.

A state senator is removed from the chamber for her comments about Tom Hayden and Vietnam  —  After trying to make a statement about the late Tom Hayden and his opposition to the Vietnam War, Sen. Janet Nguyen (R-Garden Grove) was removed from the floor of the state Senate on Thursday …

GOP congressman: Trump should release tax returns  —  Congress could force release of Trump's taxes  — As a candidate, Trump was the first major-party nominee in decades not to release his tax returns  —  Pace, Florida (CNN)A conservative member of Congress called on President Donald …

Marsha Blackburn claims out of state people infiltrated her town hall — records seem to show she's lying  —  DON'T MISS STORIES.  FOLLOW RAW STORY!  —  In an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) said that her recent town hall was overwhelmed by angry people that were not from her district.

US new home sales rise in sign of housing market health, but fail to meet expectations  —  Americans bought more new homes in January after a steep fall-off the previous month, a sign the housing market is healthy despite higher mortgage rates.  —  The Commerce Department …

Santa Cruz and federal agents in war of words over whether a gang sweep was really a secret immigration raid  —  Santa Cruz's police chief angrily accused the Department of Homeland Security of conducting a secret immigration sweep.  —  A Northern California raid ostensibly targeting violent …