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 …

‘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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

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.

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.

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 …

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.”

Theaters to play ‘1984’ in global Trump protest  —  Nearly 200 movie theaters worldwide reportedly plan to screen the film version of “1984” simultaneously Tuesday in protest against President Trump.  —  The demonstration, called “National Screening Day,” primarily involves cinemas in the U.S …

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 …

Trump snubbed Angela Merkel, but happily shakes hands with brutal dictator — twice  —  In March, Donald Trump snubbed one of our most important allies, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, refusing to shake her hand or even look her in the eye.  That blatant disrespect stands in sharp contrast …

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.