Mueller gathers evidence that 2017 Seychelles meeting was effort to establish back channel to Kremlin … Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III has gathered evidence that a secret meeting in the Seychelles just before the inauguration of Donald Trump was an effort to establish a back channel between …

Hope Hicks told House Intelligence Committee she was hacked, sources say  —  WASHINGTON — A day before she resigned as White House communications director, Hope Hicks told the House Intelligence Committee last week that one of her email accounts was hacked, according to people who were present …

Trump lawyer Michael Cohen tries to silence adult-film star Stormy Daniels  —  President Donald Trump's lawyer is trying to silence adult-film star Stormy Daniels, obtaining a secret restraining order in a private arbitration proceeding and warning that she will face penalties if she publicly discusses …

Trump to offer temporary tariff exemption for Canada and Mexico … President Trump is planning to offer Canada and Mexico a temporary exemption from new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, reversing his original insistence that the measures apply to U.S. allies as well as nations like China, administration officials said Wednesday.

Kushner Meets With Mexican President, Underscoring Shift in U.S. Diplomacy  —  MEXICO CITY — Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, met with Mexico's president on Wednesday, arriving just weeks after a planned meeting between the nations' leaders fell apart …

Sinclair's new media-bashing promos rankle local anchors  —  “This is so manipulative.”  —  That's an anchor at a local TV station owned by Sinclair, describing the company's latest mandate, a promotional campaign that sounds like pro-Trump propaganda.  —  Internal documents call …

Poisoned Russian spy Sergei Skripal was close to consultant who was linked to the Trump dossier  —  A security consultant who has worked for the company that compiled the controversial dossier on Donald Trump was close to the Russian double agent poisoned last weekend, it has been claimed.

Two Miramar SWAT officers suspended for heading to Parkland massacre  —  Sun Sentinel  —  When a gunman started shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, two Miramar SWAT team members did what comes naturally: They went to help.  —  Now they've been suspended for it.

Tony Tooke, head of U.S. Forest Service, stepping down amid sexual misconduct allegations  —  The chief of the U.S. Forest Service is stepping down amid allegations of sexual misconduct and an investigation commissioned by the United States Department of Agriculture into his own behavior.

We're All Fascists Now  —  Christina Hoff Sommers is a self-identified feminist and registered Democrat with a Ph.D. in philosophy and a wicked sense of humor.  She is also a woman who says bad things.  Things like: Men and women are equal, but there are differences between them.

Several White House staffers terminated or reassigned for security clearance issues: Sources  —  Several White House staffers have been terminated or reassigned for issues related to their security clearances — with at least one individual employed in the Office of the First Lady relieved of duty …

Blue wave?  Texas Republicans outvoted Democrats in the 2018 primaries — again.  —  Vote counts Tuesday night once again showed how Texas is a red state.  Despite an apparent early rush to the polls for Democrats, Republicans ended up casting more ballots in the 2018 primaries.

Trump blocks access to puppy mill inspections as Florida weighs dog store legislation  —  Legislation would null local dog sale ordinances as transparency into puppy mills disappears  —  TAMPA — In May of last year, the Tampa Bay Times asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide …

Republicans trash their candidate in Pa. special election  —  Shortly after the new year, Rep. Steve Stivers, the House GOP campaign chief, delivered a stern message to Rick Saccone, the party's special election candidate in Pennsylvania.  —  You need to start pulling your weight …

Gary Cohn's Breaking Point  —  Like a lot of guys, I've watched “The Shawshank Redemption” more times than I can count.  Which is why, when I heard the news that Gary Cohn had resigned as Donald Trump's top economic adviser, I thought of Red's (Morgan Freeman's) somber line: “Every man has his breaking point.”

McDonald's is flipping its iconic arches upside down in an unprecedented statement  — McDonald's is flipping its logo on all its digital channels to celebrate International Women's Day on Thursday.  —  People driving by a McDonald's in Lynwood, California, might be baffled by an upside-down sign.

Why Won't Women's March Leaders Denounce Louis Farrakhan's Anti-Semitism?  —  Two weeks ago, during a Saviours' Day event to commemorate the life of Nation of Islam founder Master Fard Muhammad, Louis Farrakhan had some things to say about Jews.  The “powerful Jews,” he told …

Attorney General Sessions Delivers Remarks at the 26th Annual Law Enforcement Legislative Day Hosted by the California Peace Officers' Association  —  Remarks as prepared for delivery.  —  Thank you, Mark for that kind introduction, for your leadership with the CPOA, and most all for your 22 years of service in law enforcement.

Kamala Harris keeps 'em guessing  —  Ask Sen. Kamala Harris about her aspirations for higher office and you'll get an unsatisfying answer.  —  “I have aspirations to get through this interview,” the California Democrat says with a belly laugh.  —  One year into her stint in the Senate …

Trump to reportedly dine with key figures in America First Policies, a secretive pro-Trump nonprofit group  — President Donald Trump will reportedly attend a dinner party Wednesday night with officials from the pro-Trump nonprofit America First Policies.  — Guests at the dinner …

Obama repeats ‘18 school shootings in 2018’ lie  —  Former President Barack Obama on Monday repeated the now-debunked claim that there have been 18 school shootings in 2018 after the Parkland, Fla., massacre on February 14 that took the lives of 17 people and wounded 16 others.

Texas Judge Tortured Defendant With Stun Belt to Show ‘Power,’ Court Rules … A Texas judge who shocked a defendant three times with a stun belt to silence him during his own trial violated the man's constitutional rights, an appeals court has ruled.  —  “Never before have we seen any behavior …

China's Long Arm Reaches Into American Campuses  —  Beijing is stepping up efforts to inject party ideology into student life.  Some Chinese students are crying foul. … WHEN CHINESE PRESIDENT XI JINPING VISITED WASHINGTON ON SEPT. 24, 2015 ON A STATE VISIT, HUNDREDS OF CHINESE STUDENTS LINED …