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 …

Putin praises Trump, says US political system eating itself  —  MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin lavished praise on President Donald Trump on Wednesday, but added that he was sorely disappointed with the U.S. political system, saying that it has been “eating itself up.”

With primary ending, Cruz takes opening shot at Beto O'Rourke's name  —  Cruz, O'Rourke respond to name-mocking ad  —  Washington (CNN)Texas Sen. Ted Cruz's first shot at his expected Democratic challenger, Rep. Beto O'Rourke?  Mocking his name.  —  As Tuesday's primaries were closing …

Ben Carson Removes Anti-Discrimination Language From HUD Mission Statement  —  It will no longer reference “inclusive” communities “free from discrimination.”  —  WASHINGTON Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson is changing the mission statement of his agency …

U.S. Holocaust Museum Revokes Award to Aung San Suu Kyi  —  The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has revoked a prestigious human rights award it had given to the Nobel laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, now Myanmar's civilian leader, faulting her for failing to halt or even acknowledge …

For Two Months, I Got My News From Print Newspapers.  Here's What I Learned.  —  I first got news of the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., via an alert on my watch.  Even though I had turned off news notifications months ago, the biggest news still somehow finds a way to slip through.

Stormy Daniels sues Trump, says ‘hush agreement’ invalid because he never signed  —  Adult film star Stormy Daniels sued Donald Trump Tuesday, alleging that he never signed the nondisclosure agreement that his lawyer had arranged with her.  —  The civil suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court …

Nunberg Says He Enjoyed Defiance But Will Comply With Mueller  —  Says president ‘never did anything illegal’ around him  —  Plans to testify on Friday, hand over subpoenaed emails  —  Longtime Donald Trump associate Sam Nunberg said he loved the attention he received from a round …

Department of Justice Enters Into Conditional Settlement Agreement to Produce Fast and Furious Documents to House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform  —  Today, the Department of Justice entered into a conditional settlement agreement with the House Committee on Oversight …

Requiem for a Strike  —  West Virginia teachers have a deal.  On Tuesday, a compromise reached by a conference committee composed of Democratic and Republican members of the state House and Senate raised public worker pay by 5 percent.  Teachers and union representatives said the deal …

Facing Potential Challenge from Cynthia Nixon, Cuomo Swipes at Familiar Foe: The Mayor  —  A day after news broke that the actress Cynthia Nixon was in talks with two Democratic strategists about entering the 2018 governor's race in New York, the two-term incumbent, Andrew M. Cuomo …

This is what Nikolas Cruz's life in jail is like  —  Parkland, Florida (CNN)New documents obtained by CNN provide a glimpse into the Florida school shooter's life in the Broward County Jail.  —  In observation reports from February 17 to 24, deputies described Nikolas Cruz's activities, demeanor and behavior.

Why is Paul Allen building the world's largest airplane?  Perhaps to launch a space shuttle called Black Ice. … A massive airplane being built by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen moved a step closer to flight last week, when it crept out of its hangar in Mojave, Calif. …

Blue-Collar Trump Voters Are Shrugging at Their Tax Cuts  —  DAYTON, Ohio — At Slyder's Tavern, Matt Kazee, a machinist, drank a couple of beers as he waited for burgers to take home for dinner.  His tab was about equal to the increase in his take-home pay after President Trump's tax cut found its way into the nation's paychecks.

In 2011, Portland Police Investigated a Sexual Assault Complaint Against Billionaire Mark Cuban.  He Wasn't Charged.  Here's What Happened.  —  WW has obtained the transcript of a Portland Police detective's interview with Cuban.  “Oh my Lord,” Cuban said.  “Oh my f***ing Lord.”

Amazon admits Alexa is creepily laughing at people and is working on a fix  —  Wait, what?  —  Over the past few days, users with Alexa-enabled devices have reported hearing strange, unprompted laughter.  Amazon responded to the creepiness in a statement to The Verge, saying, “We're aware of this and working to fix it.”

It's time to give socialism a try  —  In the United States, we've arrived at a pair of mutually exclusive convictions: that liberal, capitalist democracies are guaranteed by their nature to succeed and that in our Trumpist moment they seem to be failing in deeply unsettling ways.

Russian Influence Campaign Extracted Americans' Personal Data  —  Operators used social media to pitch fake business directories, petitions in return for information  —  All the Facebook account Black4Black asked for was some personal information about Ajah Hales and other Cleveland-area small-business owners.

Trump Expected to Sign Steel and Aluminum Tariffs on Thursday  —  WASHINGTON — President Trump is expected to formally sign off on imposing stiff tariffs on steel and aluminum imports at noon on Thursday, according to people familiar with the deliberations, although advisers close …

‘Cannabis candidate’ accused of abusing women and resume inflation  —  CHICAGO — Benjamin Thomas Wolf, an Illinois congressional candidate whose provocative campaign has captured national media attention, has smoked weed in front of an American flag, brandished an AR-15 in a campaign ad and is running ads on porn sites.

Toomey: Proposed Tariffs Are ‘Big Mistake’  —  PHILADELPHIA — The proposed tariffs on steel and aluminum by President Donald Trump has caused a divide among Republican legislators.  Sen. Pat Toomey, who is against the tariff, joined The Dom Giordano Program on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT to explain.

Trump Fundraiser's Email Breach Shows Risks Before Midterms  —  Broidy learned of hack last week from reporter, lawyer says  —  Emails show his moves in GOP finance, foreign affairs circles  —  A top Republican fundraiser for Donald Trump's 2016 campaign learned last week that his email accounts …

Geek Squad's Relationship with FBI Is Cozier Than We Thought  —  After the prosecution of a California doctor revealed the FBI's ties to a Best Buy Geek Squad computer repair facility in Kentucky, new documents released to EFF show that the relationship goes back years.

Wells Fargo Is the Go-To Bank for Gunmakers and the NRA  —  San Francisco-based firm inherited its relationship with NRA  —  Banks arrange for weapons companies to access loans and bonds  —  Wells Fargo & Co. has emerged as the preferred financier for the U.S. gun industry.