In big reversal, new Trump budget will give up on longtime Republican goal of eliminating deficit … President Trump on Monday will offer a budget plan that falls far short of eliminating the government's deficit over 10 years, conceding that huge tax cuts and new spending increases …

Pence: The United States is ready to talk with North Korea  —  Despite the mutual chilliness between U.S. and North Korean officials in South Korea last week, behind the scenes real progress was made toward a new diplomatic opening that could result in direct talks without preconditions between Washington and Pyongyang.

Twisted: Trump says Porter sick, guilty; defends him publicly  —  President Trump is defending Rob Porter even though, privately, he says he's guilty.  —  Behind closed doors: The president has told multiple people that he believes the accusations about Porter, and finds him “sick.”

He Predicted The 2016 Fake News Crisis.  Now He's Worried About An Information Apocalypse.  —  In mid-2016, Aviv Ovadya realized there was something fundamentally wrong with the internet — so wrong that he abandoned his work and sounded an alarm.  A few weeks before the 2016 election …

First-class travel distinguishes Scott Pruitt's EPA tenure … Just days after helping orchestrate the United States' exit from a global climate accord last June, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt embarked on a whirlwind tour aimed at championing President Trump's agenda at home and abroad.

Exclusive: CIA Ex-Director Brennan's Perjury Peril  —  House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes next plans to investigate the role former CIA Director John Brennan and other Obama intelligence officials played in promoting the salacious and unverified Steele dossier on Donald Trump …

Trump takes ‘shackles’ off ICE, which is slapping them on immigrants who thought they were safe … A week after he won the election, President Trump promised that his administration would round up millions of immigrant gang members and drug dealers.  And after he took office …

McConnell's immigration gamble  —  Mitch McConnell is taking the reins of an immigration debate that may prompt a fix for “Dreamers” — or quickly spiral out of control.  —  Usually careful with his every move, the Senate majority leader is taking a gamble this week with his pledge for a free …

Doubling Down: Ginsburg Blames ‘Macho Atmosphere’ & ‘Sexism’ for Clinton Loss  —  Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg doubled down on comments she made last year that sexism “no doubt” played a role in Hillary Clinton's 2016 election defeat.  —  During a Columbia University Women's Conference event …

Hillary Clinton, a favorite GOP foil, plans discreet 2018 strategy  —  There was a long line for selfies with Hillary Clinton last week at a Georgetown soiree for Lanny Davis, a Clinton loyalist whose latest book blames former FBI director James B. Comey for her 2016 presidential defeat.

Leader of Put Vets First!  PAC prioritizing telemarketers, himself  —  The political committee is not contributing money to politicians as PACs typically do.  —  likes  —  The leader of a veterans-focused political action committee rapidly increased payments to himself late last year …

Woman Dragged Out of West Virginia House Hearing For Listing Oil and Gas Contributions to Members  —  “The people who are going to be speaking in favor of this bill are all going to be paid by the industry.”  —  Lissa Lucas traveled the 100 miles from her home in Cairo …