Trump's real plan for 2018  —  President Trump today will unveil a $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan that his own aides don't think will pass, and a $4 trillion budget that Axios' Jonathan Swan calls “science fiction.”  —  It's the strangest of year-ahead plans for a party that controls …

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 …

Obamas' official portraits unveiled  —  Washington (CNN)Barack and Michelle Obama re-emerged on the public stage Monday in Washington, only this time for an event that has nothing to do with politics.  —  The former first couple's official portraits were unveiled at the Smithsonian's National …

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.

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 …

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 …

Top Justice Department official Brand quit partly over fear she might be asked to oversee Russia probe  —  WASHINGTON — The Justice Department's No. 3 attorney had been unhappy with her job for months before the department announced her departure on Friday, according to multiple sources close to Associate Attorney General Rachel Brand.

Is Devin Nunes Obstructing Justice?  —  As public scrutiny exposes deep flaws in the memo from the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Devin Nunes, about alleged F.B.I. surveillance abuses, the committee's Republicans are increasingly downplaying its significance.

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 …

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.

Harvey Weinstein forced staff to manage his sexual conquests, civil rights suit says  —  Harvey Weinstein was once at the very top of Hollywood.  As accusations of his sexual predation came to light, it didn't just trigger his downfall.  It ushered in a tidal wave of exposure of sexual impropriety in the film industry.

Unilever to Facebook and Google: Clean up ‘swamp’ or we'll pull ads  —  Social media giants grilled on ‘fake news’  —  Unilever is threatening to pull its advertising from digital platforms that it says have become a “swamp” of fake news, racism, sexism and extremism.

MeToo will have staying power, Ruth Bader Ginsburg insists  —  RBG says Clinton was criticized worse than men  —  New York (CNN)Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg believes the “#MeToo” movement will have “staying power” and that she doesn't worry about a serious backlash.

Lawsplainer: “Fruit of The Poisonous Tree” And The Special Counsel Investigation  —  I have a question.  —  I deserve this. … Of course it is.  —  It's about fruits and trees and some kind of poison or something?  —  Where did you pick that up?

CNN Exclusive: California launches investigation following stunning admission by Aetna medical director  —  Video by Elizabeth Cohen and John Bonifield, CNN  —  (CNN)California's insurance commissioner has launched an investigation into Aetna after learning a former medical director …

I'm still a Republican, but my party needs to be fumigated: Tom Nichols  —  One day we'll be needed to recreate the GOP as a center-right party rather than a vehicle for inane populist keggers.  For now, I hope Democrats win Congress in 2018.  —  Republicans once believed in limited government …

Trump Administration Plans To Defang Consumer Protection Watchdog  —  The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was created after the financial crisis to protect Americans from being ripped off by financial firms.  —  Now, President Trump's interim appointee to run the bureau Mick Mulvaney …