Trump called Cruz to press him on ObamaCare repeal bill: report  —  President Trump has joined the effort led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell  —  (R-Ky.) to get the 50 votes needed for the Senate GOP bill to repeal ObamaCare, according to a new report.

T r u m p ' s L i e s  —  Many Americans have become accustomed to President Trump's lies.  But as regular as they have become, the country should not allow itself to become numb to them.  So we have catalogued nearly every outright lie he has told publicly since taking the oath of office.

Why ‘Mattis in charge’ is a formula for disaster  —  “It's all under control: Mattis is in charge.”  That, or words to that effect, is what U.S. national security officials have been telling European allies in recent days.  Don't worry.  There won't be any surprises.

CNN deletes, retracts story linking Trump and Russia  —  On Thursday evening, CNN investigative reporter Thomas Frank published a potentially explosive report involving an investigation of a Russian investment fund with potential ties to several associates of President Donald Trump.

‘Trump Is What Happens When a Political Party Abandons Ideas’  —  Almost two years ago, I wrote an article for Politico endorsing Donald Trump for president.  It was a tongue-in-cheek effort—I “supported” Trump only because I thought he would lose to Hillary Clinton, disastrously …

Attorney General Becerra: Alabama, Kentucky, South Dakota and Texas Added to List of Restricted State Travel  —  Contact: (415) 703-5837, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov  —  California will prohibit state-funded and state-sponsored travel due to discriminatory legislation enacted in each state

Op-Ed Kamala Harris: I can help you understand Trumpcare, but I can't defeat it alone  —  U.S. Senator Kamala Harris speaks at a rally to protest the national effort by Republican lawmakers to rescind the Affordable Care Act outside Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center in Los Angeles on January 15.

There's a Health Care Lesson for Republicans in the Shooting of Steve Scalise  —  The GOP is attempting to expose millions of Americans to the kind of financial ruin that he has avoided—for now.  —  It has been nine days since a gunman opened fire on Republican members of Congress during …

‘Woefully incomplete’ universal health bill dead for the year in California  —  Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon put the brakes on a sweeping plan to overhaul the health care market in California Friday, calling the bill “woefully incomplete.”  —  Rendon announced plans to park the bill …

With cameras banned, CNN sends sketch artist to White House briefing  —  The White House has been prohibiting cameras at some press briefings, so on Friday CNN got creative and sent a sketch artist.  —  Bill Hennessy, the network's regular sketch artist for Supreme Court proceedings …

How Twitter Pornified Politics  —  This is the column in which I formally forswear Twitter for good.  I'll keep my Twitter handle, and hopefully my followers, but an editorial assistant will manage the account from now on.  I'll intercede only to say nice things about the writing I admire, the people I like and the music I love.

Gowdy won't use Oversight gavel to probe Russia  —  Newly minted House Oversight Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy  —  (R-S.C.) said Friday he has no plans to call fired FBI Director James Comey before his panel or demand the bureau hand over memos that Comey wrote detailing his interactions with President Trump.

Making America scared again won't make us safer  —  Sally Q. Yates served in the Justice Department from 1989 to 2017 as an assistant U.S. attorney, U.S. attorney, deputy attorney general and, briefly this year, as acting attorney general.  —  In today's polarized world …

California activist Tom Steyer adds health care to his brand  —  SAN FRANCISCO — California billionaire activist Tom Steyer made his name as an environmental activist, worked with Democratic groups to register a million new voters and redefined green politics with high-profile campaigns on climate change and clean energy.

Frustrated Dems say Obama botched Russia response  —  The Obama administration is under fresh scrutiny for its response to Russian meddling in the election after new details emerged this week about how the White House weighed its actions against the 2016 political environment.

Judiciary Committee Probes Reported Lynch Assurances to Stifle Clinton Email Investigation  —  WASHINGTON - Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein, Crime and Terrorism Subcommittee Chairman Lindsey Graham and Ranking Member Sheldon Whitehouse sought information …

Justice Department, FBI seem at odds over budget  —  The firing of FBI Director James Comey isn't the only thing top Justice Department officials and FBI leaders disagree about at the moment.  —  They also don't see eye to eye about something else always of great import in Washington: money.

Johnny Depp apologizes for ‘bad joke’ about Trump: ‘I intended no malice’  —  Johnny Depp has apologized after making controversial comments about President Donald Trump, which caused the White House to issue a statement condemning him.  —  “I apologize for the bad joke I attempted last night …