‘Boss, I Miss You So Much’: The Awkward Exile of Michael Cohen  —  Donald Trump's self-described ‘fixer’ brooded about failing to get a White House post; now under criminal investigation, he has the president's attention  —  In the 15 months since Donald Trump shut him out of a White House job …

U.S. Attorney General Sessions says Mueller probe has taken on ‘life of its own’  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Thursday defended his decision not to appoint a second special prosecutor to investigate Republicans' concerns about the FBI by noting …

Attorney Michael Avenatti hints $1.6 million abortion payout was for Trump — not GOP donor  —  The lawyer for porn actress Stormy Daniels suggested that a $1.6 million hush money payoff to a Playboy model was actually made on behalf of President Donald Trump — and not a Republican donor.

House chaplain forced out by Ryan  —  House Chaplain Patrick Conroy's sudden resignation has sparked a furor on Capitol Hill, with sources in both parties saying he was pushed out by Speaker Paul Ryan  —  (R-Wis.).  —  Conroy's own resignation announcement stated that it was done at Ryan's request.

Secretly Taped Audio Reveals Democratic Leadership Pressuring Progressive to Leave Race  —  Steny Hoyer, the No. 2 Democrat in the House of Representatives, has for years been a prolific campaigner on behalf of current and potential members of Congress.  It was no surprise, then …

Bill Cosby Found Guilty of Sexual Assault After Years of Accusations  —  NORRISTOWN, Pa. — A jury found Bill Cosby guilty Thursday of drugging and sexually assaulting a woman at his home near here 14 years ago, capping the downfall of one of the world's best-known entertainers …

Senate Confirms C.I.A. Chief Mike Pompeo to Be Secretary of State  —  WASHINGTON — The Senate on Thursday easily confirmed Mike Pompeo as the nation's 70th secretary of state, elevating the current C.I.A. director and an outspoken foreign policy hawk to be the nation's top diplomat.

Diamond and Silk say under oath they weren't paid by Trump campaign; FEC filings say otherwise  —  The conservative social media personalities known as Diamond and Silk claimed under oath at a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Thursday that they were never paid for their consulting work by President Trump

F.B.I. Letter Casts Further Doubt on White House's Rob Porter Timeline  —  WASHINGTON — The F.B.I. first gave the White House counsel, Donald F. McGahn II, a file containing spousal abuse allegations against Rob Porter in March 2017, according to a detailed new timeline the bureau has given …

Why Aren't U.S. Liberals Outraged About Alfie Evans?  —  A British baby's right to life should be clear to everyone.  —  What the British government is doing to a baby and his family is almost unbelievable.  The government has determined that Alfie Evans, afflicted as he is by a rare …

In Bonkers Interview, Trump Threatens to Seize Control of Justice Department  —  While many reporters have described President Trump's aggrieved psychology, his phone call this morning on Fox & Friends gave outsiders unfiltered access to the sorts of rants he routinely imposes upon his staff.

A farewell to free journalism  —  Bloomberg, my former employer, is reportedly moving to a paywall.  If that turns out to be true, I can't say I'll be surprised.  —  When I announced that I was leaving Bloomberg View for the Post Opinion section in February, many longtime readers gently reproached …

Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez is ‘severely admonished’ by Ethics Committee, ordered to repay gifts  —  The Senate Ethics Committee said Thursday that Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), who avoided conviction in a federal corruption trial last year, violated federal law and Senate rules …

Trump: Tester has a ‘big price to pay’ over VA nominee's withdrawal  —  President Donald Trump said Thursday that Sen. Jon Tester should “have a big price to pay” with voters this November for his role in the controversy surrounding Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, who earlier in the day withdrew …

The Public, the Political System and American Democracy  —  Most say ‘design and structure’ of government need big changes  —  At a time of growing stress on democracy around the world, Americans generally agree on democratic ideals and values that are important for the United States.

Trump's biggest problem might be the competency question  —  First Read is your briefing from Meet the Press and the NBC Political Unit on the day's most important political stories and why they matter  —  WASHINGTON — This morning, President Trump's pick to head the Department …

Mattis Breaks With Trump, Says Iran Nuclear Deal Includes ‘Robust’ Verification  —  Without giving his opinion about whether the U.S. should stick with the agreement, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said that after reading the deal three times he was struck by how tough it is

‘Firing Line’: PBS Reloads Public-Affairs Show With Host Margaret Hoover  —  EXCLUSIVE: PBS is bringing back an iconic property after nearly two decades.  The pubcaster said today that a new version of Firing Line, the William F. Buckley-hosted public-affairs show it aired from 1966-99, will premiere in June.

Our shame: The sins of our past laid bare for all to see  —  We were wrong.  —  On the day when people from across the globe come to our capital city to consider the sordid history of slavery and lynching and try to reconcile the horrors of our past, the Montgomery Advertiser recognizes …

If Democrats Are Doing so Great, Why Don't They Have a Bigger Lead on Generic Ballot?  —  Every day, it seems, another warning light goes off on the GOP's dashboard, a blinking reminder of their ensuing troubles for 2018.  There are a record number of GOP retirements — including that of House Speaker Ryan.

Bush 41, Trump, and American Decline  —  George H.W. Bush once vomited on the prime minister of Japan.  It was a mortifying but innocent incident, the result of a nasty stomach bug.  Donald Trump has spent the last couple of days effectively doing likewise on France's Emmanuel Macron.

Amid Trump's diplomatic thaw, Otto Warmbier's parents sue North Korea for having ‘brutally tortured and murdered’ their son  —  The family of Otto Warmbier filed an extraordinary lawsuit against North Korea in federal court Thursday alleging that the 22-year-old college student was …

The military paid for a study on sea level rise.  The results were scary. … More than a thousand low-lying tropical islands risk becoming “uninhabitable” by the middle of the century — or possibly sooner — because of rising sea levels, upending the populations of some island nations …