Blackwater founder held secret Seychelles meeting to establish Trump-Putin back channel  —  The United Arab Emirates arranged a secret meeting in January between Blackwater founder Erik Prince and a Russian close to President Vladi­mir Putin as part of an apparent effort to establish …

Top Obama Adviser Sought Names of Trump Associates in Intel  —  White House lawyers last month discovered that the former national security adviser Susan Rice requested the identities of U.S. persons in raw intelligence reports on dozens of occasions that connect to the Donald Trump transition and campaign …

‘Far from idle speculation’: Dem. senator says ‘looming’ impeachment is reason to filibuster Gorsuch  —  DON'T MISS STORIES.  FOLLOW RAW STORY!  —  Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) argued on Monday that Neil Gorsuch, President Donald Trump's Supreme Court pick, should not be nominated in the midst of a “looming” constitutional crisis.

EXCLUSIVE: Controversial Trump Aide Sebastian Gorka Backed Violent Anti-Semitic Militia  —  As a Hungarian political leader in 2007, Sebastian Gorka, President Trump's chief counter-terrorism adviser, publicly supported a violent racist and anti-Semitic paramilitary militia that was later banned …

Devin Nunes Isn't a Joke Back Home  —  He's become a figure of great fun in Washington, even among his fellow Republicans (e.g., Senator Lindsey Graham, who mocked his “Inspector Clouseau investigation” of the Trump-Russia connection).  HBO comedian John Oliver said he had managed somehow to make …

Mercedes-Benz pulls ads from 'The O'Reilly Factor' — will others follow?  —  O'Reilly accuser: ‘My voice is not for sale’  —  Mercedes-Benz said Monday that it has “reassigned” its advertisements on “The O'Reilly Factor” following a report about five settlements with women who alleged sexual harassment …

AOL and Yahoo plan to call themselves by a new name after the Verizon deal closes: Oath  —  When Verizon merges Yahoo with AOL after its acquisition of Yahoo closes, the newly created division will get a new name.  —  That new name is Oath, sources tell Business Insider.

Why Trump lies … Donald Trump did not invent the lie and is not even its master.  Lies have oozed out of the White House for more than two centuries and out of politicians' mouths — out of all people's mouths — likely as long as there has been human speech.

Putin Derangement Syndrome Arrives  —  Whatever the truth about Trump and Russia, the speculation surrounding it has become a dangerous case of mass hysteria  —  So Michael Flynn, who was Donald Trump's national security adviser before he got busted talking out of school to Russia's ambassador …

Trump Can Pull Money From His Businesses Whenever He Wants — Without Ever Telling Us  —  When President Donald Trump placed his businesses in a trust upon entering the White House, he put his sons in charge and claimed to distance himself from his sprawling empire.

Sessions orders Justice Department to review all police reform agreements  —  Attorney General Jeff Sessions ordered Justice Department officials to review reform agreements with troubled police forces nationwide, saying it was necessary to ensure these pacts do not work against the Trump …

White House, conservatives mull deal to revive Obamacare repeal  —  House conservatives and the White House are mulling a potential agreement to revive the GOP Obamacare replacement bill that was pulled from the House floor just over a week ago, POLITICO has learned.

She voted illegally.  But was the punishment too harsh?  —  GRAND PRAIRIE, Tex. — Rosa Ortega stirred herself awake at the sound of a prison guard yelling in her dreams.  —  “It's just a nightmare,” Oscar Sherman assured her as the pair rested in his low-slung apartment complex in a desolate part of town.

The big Russia questions loom even larger  —  Following his extraordinary testimony last week, former FBI special agent Clint Watts appeared on “Meet the Press” on Sunday.  This exchange, in which he explained Russia's “active measures” during the 2016 campaign, was eye-popping:

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner's Rent in Washington: $15,000 a Month  —  Owner is a Chilean magnate who bought house for $5.5 million  —  Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's daughter and her White House adviser husband, are paying $15,000 a month to rent their new home …

Fox News Cancels Red Eye  —  Red Eye the TV show has outlived Red Eye the newspaper, by a couple months.  —  The overnight news/comedy show on Fox News has been canceled, TVNewser has learned, with the final show airing this Friday night at 3 a.m.  —  Host Tom Shillue and co-host Andy Levy are expected to stay on with Fox News.

Black Lives Matter Philly Bans White People From Its Meetings  —  Black Lives Matter Philly banned white people from an upcoming event, claiming it is a “black only space.”  —  The April 15 meeting plans to discuss projects and initiatives for the upcoming year and a place for people to “meet, strategize and organize.”

North Korean Defector Tells Lester Holt ‘World Should be Ready’  —  SEOUL, South Korea — A senior North Korean defector has told NBC News that the country's “desperate” dictator is prepared to use nuclear weapons to strike the United States and its allies.  —  Thae Yong Ho is the most high …

New details emerge about 2014 Russian hack of the State Department: It was ‘hand to hand combat’  —  Over a 24-hour period, top U.S. cyber defenders engaged in a pitched battle with Russian hackers who had breached the unclassified State Department computer system and displayed an unprecedented level …

WASHINGTON (AP) — Amid the turmoil over staff shake-ups, blocked travel bans and the Russia cloud hanging overhead, President Donald Trump is steadily plugging away at a major piece of his agenda: Undoing Obama.  —  From abortion to energy to climate change and personal investments …