H.R. 1628, American Health Care Act of 2017  —  CBO and JCT estimate that enacting the American Health Care Act would reduce federal deficits by $119 billion over the coming decade and increase the number of people who are uninsured by 23 million in 2026 relative to current law.

First on CNN: AG Sessions did not disclose meetings with Russian officials, DOJ says  —  Sources: Russians bragged about using Flynn  —  Washington (CNN)Attorney General Jeff Sessions did not disclose meetings he had last year with Russian officials when he applied for his security clearance, the Justice Department told CNN Wednesday.

How a dubious Russian document influenced the FBI's handling of the Clinton probe  —  In the midst of the 2016 presidential primary season, the FBI received a purported Russian intelligence document describing a tacit understanding between the campaign of Hillary Clinton and the Justice Department …

Top Russian Officials Discussed How to Influence Trump Aides Last Summer  —  WASHINGTON — American spies collected information last summer revealing that senior Russian intelligence and political officials were discussing how to exert influence over Donald J. Trump through his advisers …

Spicer's absence in papal visit reveals Trump's family-first rule  —  Vatican City (CNN)At the most highly anticipated meeting on President Donald Trump's first foreign odyssey, the ever-shifting pecking order of a tumultuous White House was on full display.

Fox News Poll: Trump approval down, voters support special counsel on Russia  —  American voters disagree with President Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey, think the dismissal was for self-serving reasons, and approve of a special counsel being appointed to investigate Russian government efforts …

The Pentagon Can't Believe Trump Told Another President About Nuclear Subs Near North Korea  —  “We never talk about subs!” three defense officials told BuzzFeed News after a transcript of a call between President Trump and Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte was published.

The life and death of the Seth Rich conspiracy theory  —  When Seth Rich's Gmail account received an alert this week from Mega.com, attempting to start a new account on a website created by the New Zealand-based Internet businessman and convicted hacker Kim Dotcom, his family knew that something was off.

Found at the Scene in Manchester: A Detonator, Shrapnel and a Battery  —  The bomber in the Manchester terrorist attack appeared to have carried a powerful explosive in a lightweight metal container concealed either within a black vest or a blue Karrimor backpack, and to have held a small detonator …

Manchester bomber Salman Abedi's father and brothers arrested, linked to ISIS, Al Qaeda  —  Manchester bomber Salman Abedi apparently wasn't the only member of his family to harbor extremist views as Libyan officials arrested the suicide bomber's father and two brothers, and uncovered what investigators called a plot for a new attack.

Donald Trump's Base Is Shrinking  —  A widely held tenet of the current conventional wisdom is that while President Trump might not be popular overall, he has a high floor on his support.  Trump's sizable and enthusiastic base — perhaps 35 to 40 percent of the country — won't abandon him any time soon …

Trump Casts Shadow Over Tightening Montana Special Election  —  In the closely-watched Montana special congressional election on Thursday, President Trump is the shadow hanging over a race that neither candidate can fully escape — even though they're trying.

Trump Failing to Track Foreign Cash at His Hotels  —  Just before taking office, President Donald Trump promised to donate all profits earned from foreign governments back to the U.S. Treasury.  —  But MSNBC has learned the Trump Organization is not tracking all possible payments it receives …

A Top Mar-A-Lago Employee Is Quietly Doing Government Work For Trump's Foreign Trip  —  Heather Rinkus, the guest reception manager at Trump's “Winter White House” and wife of a twice-convicted felon, is in Italy with Trump's logistics team and has been outfitted with a government-issued phone and email.

Ben Carson calls poverty ‘a state of mind’ during interview  —  In an interview released Wednesday, Housing Secretary Ben Carson said that a “certain mindset” contributes to people living in poverty, pointing to habits and a “state of mind” children take from their parents at a young age.

Baltimore attorney arrested for allegedly offering rape victim $3K to not testify, saying Trump will deport her  —  A Baltimore defense attorney was arrested in the downtown courthouse Tuesday and charged with obstruction of justice and witness intimidation for allegedly telling a rape victim …

Kit Harington Already Died Once  —  He's the face of television's most obsessed-over show.  His hair alone has more fans than most actors.  But as Game of Thrones enters its second-to-last season, Harington faces a dilemma: To enter the next phase of his career, must he leave Jon Snow behind?

Portland burrito shop forced to close amid accusations of cultural appropriation, stealing recipes  —  Just one week after Kooks Burritos in Portland, Ore., was featured in a profile for local publication Willamette Week, the pop-up Mexican food cart has closed down amid accusations that they ripped off their recipes.

Classified Senate briefing expands to include Russian cyber firm under FBI scrutiny  —  Even with the Senate Intelligence Committee focused this week on its investigation of Russia's alleged meddling in last year's presidential election, the committee met behind closed doors today …

Analysis: ESPN Lost Republican Viewers Across the Country in 2016  —  Special to Outkick by David Seawright:  —  Two weeks ago, Deep Root Analytics published an analysis of the changing partisanship of ESPN's audience from 2015 to 2016 with the following key point:

President Trump's tax reform vs. his balanced budget  —  President Trump has a $2 trillion hole in his fiscal policy proposals.  His numbers don't add up.  This creates a conflict between two of his fiscal policy goals: tax reform and balancing the budget.