The Comey Letter Probably Cost Clinton The Election  —  This is the tenth article in a series that reviews news coverage of the 2016 general election, explores how Donald Trump won and why his chances were underrated by most of the American media.  —  Hillary Clinton would probably be president …

Jury Convicts Woman Who Laughed At Jeff Sessions During Senate Hearing  —  But jurors say it's not about her laugh, it's about her post-laughter conduct.  —  WASHINGTON A jury convicted a woman on Wednesday who was arrested during a congressional hearing in January after laughing at the claim …

Confusion Reigns As House Lurches Toward Possible O'care Repeal Vote  —  Tierney Sneed contributed reporting.  —  Even as rumors of a House vote as early as Thursday to repeal the Affordable Care Act rippled around the Capitol Wednesday afternoon, lawmakers told TPM they have not yet seen …

SWAMP PEOPLE: 47; TRUMP: 0  —  If this is the budget deal we get when Republicans control the House, the Senate and the presidency, there's no point in ever voting for a Republican again.  —  Not only is there no funding for a wall, but — thanks to the deft negotiating skills of House Speaker Paul Ryan …

First on CNN: Rice refuses Senate request to testify on Russian hacking  —  Susan Rice responds to Trump's accusations  —  Washington (CNN)Susan Rice, President Barack Obama's former national security adviser, on Wednesday declined Sen. Lindsey Graham's request to participate …

FireColbert Twitter campaign gains steam after Stephen Colbert's profane Donald Trump takedown  —  #FireColbert is on fire.  —  Talk show host Stephen Colbert is taking serious heat on social media for a vulgar joke he made about President Donald Trump that many fans are calling “homophobic.”

Trump Is Expected to Relax Tax Rules on Churches Taking Part in Politics  —  WASHINGTON — President Trump plans to mark National Day of Prayer on Thursday by issuing an executive order that makes it easier for churches and other religious groups to actively participate in politics without risking …

Don't Make Housing for the Poor Too Cozy, Carson Warns  —  COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ben Carson does not like the creature comforts, at least not for low-income Americans reliant on the government for a helping hand.  —  As he toured facilities for the poor in Ohio last week, Mr. Carson …

Lawmakers plot to oust Tuesday Group leader over health bill  —  Some members of the Tuesday Group of House Republican moderates are plotting to oust Co-Chairman Tom MacArthur (R-N.J.) from his post amid frustration that he negotiated a deal on the ObamaCare replacement bill …

Trump Administration Hires Official Who Five Students Accused of Sexual Assault  —  As an upperclassman at The Citadel military college several years ago, Steven Munoz allegedly assaulted five freshmen.  His hiring at the State Department raises further questions about the Trump administration's vetting process.

Obamas unveil design of presidential center in Chicago  —  The design for the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park has been unveiled on May 3, 2017.  —  Former first couple Barack and Michelle Obama on Wednesday offered the first look at the design of the planned Obama Presidential Center …

Revealed: Hillary's next steps  —  Hillary Clinton soon will launch a PAC as a way of “acting as a quiet catalyst” for organizations she cares about, and eventually will help 2018 congressional candidates — but with no intention of making it a vehicle to run for anything herself.

Over the last few weeks, we've seen people hurting themselves and others on Facebook -\-\ either live or in video posted later.  It's heartbreaking, and I've been reflecting on how we can do better for our community.  —  If we're going to build a safe community, we need to respond quickly.

Bret Stephens Takes On Climate Change.  Readers Unleash Their Fury.  —  Jim Thomas is a gay man living in a red state.  He has friends who voted for Donald Trump and he interacts daily with people whose political views he finds questionable.  Which is fine, because he believes …

Live: Macron, Le Pen spar in acrimonious final debate  —  The two remaining contenders for the French presidency, centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, are battling it out on live TV one last time before Sunday's run-off vote.  Follow the debate on FRANCE 24's live blog.

Puerto Rico Placed Under Bankruptcy Protection  —  Puerto Rico is requesting bankruptcy protection, Gov. Ricardo Rosselló said Wednesday, setting up a showdown with Wall Street firms owed billions of dollars.

21 Telling Photos From the Mark Zuckerberg Presidential Campaign Trail  —  He set out to meet people in every state, but he's been opting only for people a politician would meet.  And he's calling them “folks.”  —  “I started my day in North Carolina at Fort Bragg, the largest military base in the world.”

Email: Trump “directly involved” in post-inauguration hunt for rogue tweeter  —  WASHINGTON — Newly inaugurated President Donald Trump was “directly involved” in the search for the person who, using the official National Park Service account, retweeted side-by-side comparisons of the crowds …

Obama once dreamed of being Trump, manuscript shows  —  More than two decades before he railed against Donald Trump's “temperament” and “core values,” a young Barack Obama dreamed of becoming the billionaire businessman.  —  Obama revealed his idolization of The Donald - and what he stood for …

Trade Is the Scapegoat for Political Failure  —  Writing last week in the Guardian, Thomas Frank identified the Democratic Party's “enlightened Davos ideology” as the source of both the ascendance of Donald Trump and the despair of Midwestern manufacturing towns.

Venezuela Is Heading for a Soviet-Style Collapse  —  A few lessons from the last time an oil economy crashed catastrophically.  —  Venezuela is not the first developed country to put itself on track to fall into a catastrophic economic crisis.  But it is in the relatively unusual situation …