Republicans exempt their own insurance from their latest health care proposal  —  Republican legislators want to keep popular Obamacare provisions for themselves and their staff.  —  House Republicans appear to have included a provision that exempts Members of Congress and their staff from their latest health care plan.

White House readies order on withdrawing from NAFTA  —  The Trump administration is considering an executive order on withdrawing the U.S. from NAFTA, according to two White House officials.  —  A draft order has been submitted for the final stages of review and could be unveiled late this week or early next week, the officials said.

This is Amazing  —  This is really quite astounding.  In this morning's edition of Mike Allen's not-Playbook from Axios he introduces what seems to be Ivanka Trump setting up something that sounds a lot like the Clinton Foundation, only in this case run from within the White House …

Ann Coulter On Verge of Pulling Out of Speech at Berkeley  —  Ann Coulter said Wednesday that she is likely to cancel her planned appearance at the University of California, Berkeley, because she faced threats of violence and felt she was left without the support of local law enforcement who have said it cannot guarantee her safety.

Trump's Tax Plan: Low Rate for Corporations, and for Companies Like His  —  President Trump plans to unveil a tax cut blueprint on Wednesday that would apply a vastly reduced, 15 percent business tax rate not only to corporations but also to companies that now pay taxes through the personal income tax code …

WHO BUN IT?  Brit bunny riddle as rabbit destined to be world's biggest dies on United Airlines jet to US  —  Three foot Simon died in the cargo section of a Boeing 767 after leaving Heathrow  —  SCANDAL-hit United Airlines is facing a new PR disaster — after a valuable giant rabbit died mysteriously on one of its planes.

How Newt Gingrich became the go-to interview for every story about the Trump White House  —  Donald Trump is everything to Newt Gingrich.  —  He's “the grizzly bear in The Revenant,” he told HuffPost; a “pirate” willing to get things done outside the system he proclaimed to Fox News …

When will Obama have made enough money?  —  Cantor Fitzgerald LP will pay former President Barack Obama $400,000 to speak at a conference in September, likely the first of many lucrative Wall Street paydays.  —  Good for him.  —  SEE ALSO  —  Obama doesn't really need the money …

Trump attacks judiciary for blocking order on sanctuary cities  —  President Donald Trump renewed his attacks on the nation's judiciary Wednesday, blaming the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals for the ruling by a federal district court judge that blocked Trump's move to deny federal funding to so-called sanctuary cities.

Apparently repealing Obamacare could violate international law  —  We've already seen that repealing Obamacare is politically perilous.  Now there's a new complication: It may also violate international law.  —  The United Nations has contacted the Trump administration as part of an investigation …

The NYT's new columnist defends his views on Arabs, Black Lives Matter, campus rape  —  On April 12, the New York Times's vaunted editorial page got a new addition.  Bret Stephens, formerly a columnist at the Wall Street Journal, will join Ross Douthat and David Brooks among the stable of in-house conservatives at the Gray Lady.

Views on Russian influence reflect partisan finger-pointing (POLL)  —  It's a partisan cold war right here at home: A majority of Democrats think now-President Donald Trump's campaign tried to help Russia influence the 2016 election, while a majority of Republicans think former President …

Bail increased for veteran, soldier accused in execution of veteran's PTSD therapy dog  —  Marinna Rollins told her Facebook friends on April 17 that she found a new home for her PTSD therapy dog, Cam.  —  Instead, she and her boyfriend, soldier Jarren Heng, are accused of shooting Cam multiple times with a rifle execution-style.

Carl Bernstein: Flynn is ‘central to what FBI believes is cover-up’ … CNN commentator Carl Bernstein suggested Wednesday that former national security adviser Michael Flynn's is key to helping the FBI unravel a vast “cover-up” of the Trump campaign's ties to Russia.

Samantha Bee Interviewed by Lena Dunham on Trump, Trolls and Comedy's Fraught New Normal  —  Late night's queen of the Trump takedown gets grilled by the ‘Girls’ mastermind on her White House Correspondents' Dinner special and the “raging negativity” of politics: “Every time I turn my phone off something terrible happens in the world.”

Wild boars maul Isil fighters to death in Iraq  —  Wild boars mauled three Islamic State (Isil) fighters to death near the Iraqi city of Kirkuk, according to Kurdish fighters.  —  The jihadists' bodies were found badly mangled by refugees fleeing through farmland as they tried to get away …

Trump's speaking style still flummoxes linguists  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Campaign promises may have been reshaped and some self-imposed deadlines reset.  But among the things kept intact in the opening months of the new administration is the unmistakably distinct style of President Donald Trump's speech.

US Navy fires warning flare at Iran vessel in Persian Gulf  —  DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer fired a warning flare toward an Iranian Revolutionary Guard vessel coming near it in the Persian Gulf, an American official said on Wednesday, the latest tense naval encounter between the two countries.

Jeff Goldblum Joins ‘Jurassic World’ Sequel (Exclusive)  —  Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are returning for the follow-up, which will be directed by J.A. Bayona.  —  Jeff Goldblum is returning to the land of dinosaurs.  —  The actor, who co-starred in 1993's Jurassic Park and 1997's The Lost World …

O'Reilly protégée makes oral sex joke about Ivanka Trump  —  Jesse Watters is in his first week on The Five following his former boss' ouster amid a sexual harassment scandal.  —  Moments after smearing the left for merely pretending to respect women, Fox News' Jesse Watters made a sexual joke about Ivanka Trump.