Mueller Zooms In on Trump Tower Cover Story  —  WASHINGTON — Aboard Air Force One on a flight home from Europe last July, President Trump and his advisers raced to cobble together a news release about a mysterious meeting at Trump Tower the previous summer between Russians and top Trump campaign officials.

Exclusive: Trump asked Rosenstein if he was ‘on my team’  —  Washington (CNN)Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein visited the White House in December seeking President Donald Trump's help.  The top Justice Department official in the Russia investigation wanted Trump's support …

Exclusive: Controversial FBI agent co-wrote initial draft of explosive Comey letter reopening Clinton email probe  —  GOP Rep.: FBI texts most biased I've ever seen  —  Washington (CNN)Emails obtained by CNN show the FBI agent at the center of a Capitol Hill storm played a key role …

Democrat Accuses Republicans Of Secretly Changing Memo, Demands They Withdraw It  —  Rep. Adam Schiff said a Republican-written memo that questions the propriety of the FBI's Trump-Russia probe was changed before it was submitted to the White House for possible release.  —  Reporting From Washington, DC

Nearly 46 Million Viewers Watch President Trump's State of the Union Address  —  An estimated 45.6 million people tuned in to watch President Donald Trump deliver his State of the Union address in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018.  —  While coverage varied by network …

'I know that God's going to forgive me'  —  During the interview, Barry hesitated when asked whether she plans to resign, but said she will not, despite rumors swirling Wednesday that she might step down.  She also said she won't be taking a leave of absence and would be in the mayor's office Thursday.

The campaign is over.  The candidate might be dead.  But the spending never stops.  —  ★★★  —  WASHINGTON, D.C.  —  I T'S BEEN MORE THAN A DECADE since South Florida Rep. Mark Foley was forced out of Congress for sending sexual text messages to teenage boys.

Josh Hawley blames sex trafficking on ‘sexual revolution’ of 1960s in leaked audio  —  During a speech to pastors in Kansas City in December, Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley linked the problem of sex trafficking to the sexual revolution of the 1960s.  —  Hawley, the top Republican prospect …

Gowdy finally had it with Washington  —  Trey Gowdy is done with politics.  —  The House Oversight Committee Chairman for years has joked privately about quitting Congress and returning home to South Carolina.  On Wednesday, he finally pulled the plug — likely for good.

Behind Pence's plan to rescue the Republican majority in 2018  —  WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. — Vice President Mike Pence is launching one of the most aggressive campaign strategies in recent White House history: he will hopscotch the country over the next three months …

Republican National Committee has huge financial edge heading into 2018 midterms … President Trump's robust small-donor base helped the Republican National Committee vastly outraise its Democratic counterpart in 2017 as the two parties geared up for a crucial midterm campaign season, new Federal Election Commission filings show.

Kellyanne Conway rants wildly in attack on fact checkers: ‘Americans are their own fact checkers’  —  Counselor to the president and former Donald Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway blasted journalist fact-checking of the administration during an appearance on New York's 710 WOR Radio with Mark Simone.

SF will wipe thousands of marijuana convictions off the books  —  San Francisco will retroactively apply California's marijuana-legalization laws to past criminal cases, District Attorney George Gascón said Wednesday — expunging or reducing misdemeanor and felony convictions going back decades.

CDC director resigns because of conflicts over financial interests … This post has been updated.  —  The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention resigned her position on Wednesday after only half a year because of “complex financial interests” that repeatedly forced …

Scott takes big step toward Florida Senate challenge  —  In the clearest sign he's ready to challenge Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, Florida Gov. Rick Scott has raised more than $1.1 million for a super PAC he recently revived and stocked it with top consultants from his previous campaigns.

Texas girl, 9, that Trump said he'd pray for, is out of ICU after brain surgery, family says  —  On behalf of President Trump, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders asked the nation on Jan. 23 to pray for a little girl in Texas who was prepping for an upcoming surgery for a rare brain condition, KFOR reported.

High-Interest Lenders Benefit From Trump's Deregulatory Stance  —  CFPB, run by Trump pick Mick Mulvaney, eases up on enforcement against short-term consumer lenders  —  WASHINGTON—The Trump administration's revamp of a powerful consumer-finance regulator is reaping dividends for high-interest lenders …

Florida (Congress)Man Invited Infamous Troll Chuck Johnson to Trump's State of The Union … Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), a conservative Republican firebrand, was the lawmaker responsible for inviting the controversial internet troll Chuck Johnson to Tuesday night's State of the Union address.

White House seeks 72 percent cut to clean energy research, underscoring administration's preference for fossil fuels … The Trump administration is poised to ask Congress for deep budget cuts to the Energy Department's renewable energy and energy efficiency programs, slashing them by 72 percent overall …

Hapless in Democratland  —  'Can't stand church and family?  Neither can we!  Vote for the Democrats in 2018!'  It's mind-boggling, isn't it?  —  As America edges closer to the 2018 midterm elections, expect to hear a growing herd of weirdly confident political pundits talk about a coming and inevitable …

Americans First  —  President Trump should temper his offer of amnesty by placing strong conditions on eligibility.  —  In last night's State of the Union address, Donald Trump showed us the president who could build an enduring majority and put the identity-mongering …

How to Not Die in America  —  On the second Tuesday in June, I start to feel fluish.  If this is 2016 and I'm still a freelance writer, I'm losing money immediately on the assignments I can't complete because my vision is blurry and my thoughts are erratic.  If this is 2013, I am soon taken off the roster at the cafe where I work.