Trump Told Russians That Firing ‘Nut Job’ Comey Eased Pressure From Investigation  —  WASHINGTON — President Trump told Russian officials in the Oval Office this month that firing the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, had relieved “great pressure” on him, according to a document summarizing the meeting.

Tips for Leaders Meeting Trump: Keep It Short and Give Him a Win  —  WASHINGTON — As Saudi Arabia's leaders prepared to make a pitch to the White House for a visit by President Trump, a PowerPoint presentation was put together complete with slides describing Saudi demographics …

Anthony Weiner to Plead Guilty to Resolve ‘Sexting’ Inquiry  —  Anthony D. Weiner, the former Democratic congressman whose “sexting” scandals ended his political career and embroiled him in a tumultuous F.B.I. investigation of Hillary Clinton before the election, is to appear in a federal courtroom …

Fox News Fires ‘The Five’ Co-Host Bob Beckel Over Racist Comment  —  Fox News Channel is parting ways - again - with Bob Beckel, the co-host of its primetime program, “The Five.”  —  “Bob Beckel was terminated today for making an insensitive remark to an African-American employee,” the network said in a statement.

What James Comey Told Me About Donald Trump  —  The New York Times is reporting tonight: … I did not know this particular fact, but it doesn't surprise me at all.  The principal source for the rest of this story is, well, me—specifically a long interview I gave to reporter Michael Schmidt …

Trump said to favor move that could destabilize Obamacare  —  President Donald Trump has told advisers he wants to end payments of key Obamacare subsidies, a move that could send the health law's insurance markets into a tailspin, according to several sources familiar with the conversations.

News Coverage of Donald Trump's First 100 Days  —  A new report from Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy analyzes news coverage of President Trump's first 100 days in office.  —  The report is based on an analysis of news reports in the print editions …

Roger and Me  —  For the past six years, ever since I began researching a biography of Roger Ailes, there probably hasn't been a day when I haven't thought or talked about him.  I considered Ailes to be the most consequential media and political figure of his generation — a modern-day Citizen Kane.

Democrats are falling for fake news about Russia  —  Why liberal conspiracy theories are flourishing in the age of Trump.  —  President Donald Trump is about to resign as a result of the Russia scandal.  Bernie Sanders and Sean Hannity are Russian agents.

Julian Assange Rape Investigation Is Dropped in Sweden  —  STOCKHOLM — Prosecutors in Sweden said on Friday that they would drop their investigation into Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder who sought refuge in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London five years ago after the authorities …

Biden disses Clinton: ‘I never thought she was a great candidate.  I thought I was a great candidate.’  —  Former vice president Joe Biden stirred the Democratic pot a little bit on Thursday night.  —  Appearing at the SALT hedge fund conference in Las Vegas, the possible 2020 presidential candidate weighed …

The Trump Administration Talent Vacuum  —  After an eruption, volcanoes sometimes collapse at the center.  The magma chamber empties out and the volcano falls in on itself, leaving a caldera and a fractured ring of stone around the void, covered by deadening ash.

Israeli Intelligence Furious Over Trump's Loose Lips  —  As the U.S. president heads to Israel for a show of unity, the country's spies are alarmed at his disclosures to the Russians.  —  Just days before President Donald Trump's arrival in Tel Aviv, Israeli intelligence officials were shouting …

Donovan dropping out as Trump's nominee for deputy Treasury secretary  —  NEW YORK — Jim Donovan is dropping out as President Donald Trump's nominee to serve as deputy Treasury secretary.  —  The Goldman Sachs executive, nominated in March to serve as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin's No. 2 …

EXCLUSIVE: Chuck Johnson And Mike Cernovich Prepare To Launch Sites To Go After Journalists  —  EXCLUSIVE: Chuck Johnson, Mike Cernovich Each Launching Sites To Go After Journalists  —  ‘The American press no longer behaves properly’  —  Audio Analysis: Erdogan Goons Were Told To ‘Attack’ Protesters

Trump's Approval Sinks Further Amid Avalanche of Bad Headlines  —  Political observers have said it's been a very bad week for President Donald Trump, and that notion is underscored by a new Morning Consult/POLITICO survey that shows his support continues to decline as many voters expressed concern about his fitness for office.

Don't underestimate Trump  —  Ron Klain, a Post contributing columnist, served as a senior White House aide to Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton and was a senior adviser to Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign.  —  Last October, we were in the midst of debate preparation for Hillary Clinton …

Dear Donald, when did the ballsy winner who was going to Make America Great Again turn into President Paranoid Snowflake?  Stop whining.  Your friend, Piers  —  My favourite poem is only two lines long.  —  It's called ‘Self-pity’ and was written by my fellow Brit, DH Lawrence.