Trump calls out Putin by name for “backing Animal Assad”  —  President Trump responded on Twitter to the alleged chemical attack by Syrian government forces that left dozens dead, calling out Russian President Vladimir Putin by name for his backing of the Assad regime. … This tweet is important.

Trump's budget “undo” button  —  President Trump may try to hit “undo” on a slice of the $1.3 trillion spending bill that he signed last month after threatening a veto, and now regrets.  —  The big picture: Republican aides in the House and Senate tell me they're working with the White House …

Trump Tower fire is second 2018 blaze in sprinkler-free residential tower  —  The fire on the 50th floor New York City's Trump Tower that left 67-year-old Todd Brassner dead and six firefighters injured was the second fire in the building in 2018.  President Trump's centerpiece Manhattan skyscraper opened …

A Dissent Concerning Kevin Williamson  —  Last month, The Atlantic hired Kevin Williamson, the longtime National Review staffer.  Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor in chief of The Atlantic, announced the move, declaring him a writer “whose force of intellect and acuity of insight reflect our ambition.”

Republicans Seize on Impeachment for Edge in 2018 Midterms  —  WASHINGTON — As Republican leaders scramble to stave off a Democratic wave or at least mitigate their party's losses in November, a strategy is emerging on the right for how to energize conservatives and drive a wedge between …

Zuckerberg Gets a Crash Course in Charm.  Will Congress Care?  —  For Facebook, Tuesday is being seen as a kind of dreaded final exam.  —  That's when Mark Zuckerberg, the company's chief executive, will swap out his trademark gray T-shirts for a suit and tie, and embark on a two-day marathon of testimony on Capitol Hill.

Running Out of Punching Bags, Trump Turns on Mattis  —  The president has wasted no time turning Mattis into his next McMaster.  —  Until recently, Donald Trump's campaign to purge naysayers had spared the Pentagon.  In the absence of more proximate targets, however, it appears the president …

Mnuchin: China trade dispute won't have ‘meaningful impact’ on U.S. economy  —  Top Trump administration economic officials emphasized on Sunday that reaching a trade deal with China remains their goal, but they're prepared to take action to defend U.S. interests.

There's no good reason to stop felons from voting … The bumpy path of Desmond Meade's life meandered to its current interesting point.  He is a graduate of Florida International University law school but cannot vote in his home state because his path went through prison …

This Is What It Was Like Learning To Report Before Fake News Was The Biggest Problem In The World  —  As a young reporter in Eastern Europe in 2001, I expected to witness the “end of history” and the flowering of democracy.  That was just one of the mistakes I made.  —  BuzzFeed Editor-in-Chief

Keystone pipeline leak in South Dakota about double previous estimate: paper  —  (Reuters) - The Keystone crude oil pipeline leak in November in rural South Dakota was nearly double the original estimate, making it one of the largest U.S. inland spills since 2010, a newspaper report on Saturday said.

Stop Trying To Make Beto Happen; Ted Cruz Will Trounce Him and Here's Why  —  Beto O'Rourke is different than most politicians in Washington DC.  It may sound mean, but most of the elected people walking the halls of the U.S. Capitol look as though they fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch …

Denver Post Rebels Against Its Hedge-Fund Ownership  —  The Denver Post is in open revolt against its owner.  —  Angry and frustrated journalists at the 125-year-old newspaper took the extraordinary step this weekend of publicly blasting its New York-based hedge-fund owner and making the case …

GOP worries Blankenship surge will cost party W. Va. Senate seat  —  MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — A former coal CEO's post-prison rise is scrambling the GOP battle to unseat Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin  —  (W.Va.).  —  Don Blankenship, released from jail less than a year ago …

Skowhegan bull chase an example of how not to react, experts say  —  While admitting a bull is a large, strong animal, experts counsel being calm and giving a bull its space.  —  When the Skowhegan police chief recently chased a loose bull through town and fatally shot it …

Missouri braces for bombshell as report on Greitens scandals is set for release  —  JEFFERSON CITY  —  The series of slow-burning scandals that have besieged Gov. Eric Greitens over the last three months could soon transform into an inferno that engulfs his administration.

Indians Fans Taunt, Mock, And Scream Obscenities At Native American Protesters At Home Opener  —  The Cleveland Indians finally made the decision to at least scale back the use of the Chief Wahoo logo, starting next season, when the racist caricature will be removed from Indians uniforms …

20 cents on the dollar  —  In Tatum Woods' case, Amerigroup, his Medicaid company, offered to pay $575 of the $3,500 manufacturer cost of the wheelchair-like device known as a gait trainer, which suspends him above the floor and allows him to “walk” by propelling himself on wheels.

This New Film Is Resurrecting Ted Kennedy's Darkest Scandal  —  “It is a damning portrait because there's no other way to tell it,” Chappaquiddick director John Curran told BuzzFeed News.  —  On the night of July 18, 1969, Sen. Ted Kennedy — the last surviving son of the powerful Kennedy …

The Macker readies for a second act  —  Terry McAuliffe, seen prior to the inauguration of his successor, Gov. Ralph Northam, has been busy since leaving the Executive Mansion.  He has traveled to key states and met with Democratic activists and leaders.  —  In his kids' Jeep, Terry McAuliffe …