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.

Feds seized more than a dozen of Michael Cohen's phones  —  Manhattan federal prosecutors seized as many as 16 cell phones when the FBI raided the home, office and hotel room of President Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen.  —  Prosecutor Thomas McKay made the astonishing revelation …

Here's Why Ben Sasse Voted Against the Mueller Protection Bill  —  Constitutional concerns were at the center of some conservatives' opposition.  —  A bipartisan bill that would provide special counsel Robert Mueller legal recourse in the event of his firing passed the Senate Judiciary Committee …

NBC News faces skepticism in remedying in-house sexual harassment … NBC News Chairman Andy Lack had barely slept.  Late the night before, he had walked from the art deco headquarters of NBC Universal in Midtown Manhattan to the Upper East Side to fire his most famous employee and longtime friend, “Today” show co-host Matt Lauer.

Relative's DNA from genealogy websites cracked East Area Rapist case, DA's office says  —  Sacramento investigators tracked down East Area Rapist suspect Joseph James DeAngelo using genealogical websites that contained genetic information from a relative, the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office confirmed Thursday.

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 …

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

For Many, Life in Trump's Orbit Ends in a Crash Landing  —  WASHINGTON — Another day, another casualty.  Or two.  —  By the time the sun set Thursday, Dr. Ronny L. Jackson was a failed cabinet nominee whose life had been picked apart for public consumption, and Michael D. Cohen was back in court facing criminal prosecution.

‘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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

Ford Is About to Abandon American Sedans  —  Cars will be just 10% of its North American portfolio by 2020  —  Wall Street cheers CEO Hackett's ‘bold and decisive action’  —  The Model T, the '32 deuce coupe, the Thunderbird, the Mustang: For much of its 115-year history, Ford Motor Co. has been synonymous with cars.

Top Homeland Security officials urge criminal prosecution of parents crossing border with children … The nation's top immigration and border officials are urging Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen to detain and prosecute all parents caught crossing the Mexican border illegally with their children …

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.

‘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.

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.

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.

Recovered text messages between FBI officials sent to Congress  —  Text referred to Russian meddling, not Clinton  —  (CNN)A batch of recovered text messages exchanged between two top FBI employees who have come under scrutiny for criticizing then-presidential candidate Donald Trump …

‘This puts a target on his back’: Ethics experts say the FBI should investigate Trump's budget director for pay for play  — Ethics experts say Mick Mulvaney, the White House budget director and interim head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, should be investigated for potentially violating federal bribery laws.