A Grotesque Spectacle in Jerusalem  —  On Monday, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner and other leading lights of the Trumpist right gathered in Israel to celebrate the relocation of the American Embassy to Jerusalem, a gesture widely seen as a slap in the face to Palestinians who envision East Jerusalem as their future capital.

The Russians Try to Call Mueller's Bluff, File Request to View Secret Grand Jury Info  —  Attorneys for an alleged component of Russian trolling efforts during the 2016 presidential election are demanding that special counsel Robert Mueller be forced to reveal the grand jury instructions used …

$1 million mystery gift to inauguration traced to conservative legal activists  —  WASHINGTON  —  One of the largest contributions to President Donald Trump's inaugural committee in 2016 appears to have been orchestrated by a set of powerful conservative legal activists who have since …

Trump Orders Help For Chinese Phone-Maker After China Approves Money For Trump Project  —  Trump will profit from Indonesian resort project that will get $500 million in Chinese loans in a deal sealed days before before his tweet ordering help for ZTE.  —  WASHINGTON - A mere 72 hours …

Circuit attorney drops Greitens case, asks for special prosecutor to refile charge  —  ST. LOUIS  —  In a stunning development, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner on Monday dropped her prosecution of Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens in the face of the defense team's plan to call her to the stand.

Michael Avenatti is using Trump tactics to battle Trump, a strategy that comes with risks  —  Ten weeks ago, Michael Avenatti was a California lawyer known for his successes in class-action lawsuits.  Then he sued President Trump on behalf of adult-film actress Stormy Daniels and …

Melania Trump undergoes kidney surgery at Walter Reed medical center  —  (CNN)First lady Melania Trump underwent kidney surgery Monday at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center near Washington, DC, according to a statement from her office.  —  Trump had been experiencing an issue …

Pence Is Trying to Control Republican Politics.  Trump Aides Aren't Happy.  —  Representative Jeb Hensarling of Texas needed a favor: Before retiring, he wanted to anoint a local activist as his successor.  Mr. Hensarling, a veteran conservative, reached out to President Trump for help …

Senate GOP chides Trump over McCain treatment  —  ‘Just out of common decency they should apologize,’ one Republican said of the White House ahead of a Trump lunch with GOP senators.  —  Senate Republicans are openly seething over the White House's treatment of John McCain …

Embattled ex-congressman Blake Farenthold finds safe harbor at the Port of Port Lavaca  —  This is Congressman Blake Farenthold's full statement announcing his resignation on Friday, April 6.  Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi, has resigned from Texas' 27th Congressional District following months …

Mueller may have a conflict — and it leads directly to a Russian oligarch  —  has withstood relentless political attacks, many distorting his record of distinguished government service.  —  But there's one episode even Mueller's former law enforcement comrades — and independent ethicists …

Reacting to plunging revenues, Salt Lake Tribune lays off a third of its newsroom, cuts back print offerings  —  In a radical restructuring of Utah's largest newspaper, owner Paul Huntsman proceeded Monday with cutting 34 Salt Lake Tribune employees from a newsroom staff of 90 …

Ahead of Vote on Gina Haspel, Senate Pulls Access to Damning Classified Memo  —  As the Senate prepares for a Wednesday vote on whether to confirm Gina Haspel as director of the CIA, the Senate Intelligence Committee has restricted access to a classified memo that Democratic staff put together …

Seattle Scales Back Tax in Face of Amazon's Revolt, but Tensions Linger  —  SEATTLE — After intense lobbying by local businesses and a bold threat by Amazon to curtail development in its hometown, the Seattle City Council on Monday approved a smaller and more limited tax on big companies than originally envisioned.

Cannes: Spike Lee's ‘BlacKkKlansman’ Draws 10-Minute Ovation  —  The evening was poised to be dramatic if not redemptive given that Lee was famously overlooked for the Palme d'Or in 1989 for ‘Do the Right Thing.’  —  In his long-awaited return to the Croisette, Spike Lee drew a 10-minute ovation …

Scott Pruitt requested and received 24/7 security starting on his first day at EPA … Scott Pruitt began receiving round-the-clock security from the moment he stepped foot inside the Environmental Protection Agency in February 2017, the agency's inspector general revealed Monday.

Medical Mystery: Something Happened to U.S. Health Spending After 1980  —  The spending began soaring beyond that of other advanced nations, but without the same benefits in life expectancy.  —  The United States devotes a lot more of its economic resources to health care than any other nation …

Mueller team urges federal judge to reject request for hearing on leaks: report  —  is reportedly pressing a federal judge to turn down a request from former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort  —  to hold a hearing about leaks surrounding the investigation into Russia's 2016 election meddling.

Trump, Iran and American Power  —  The president sees Tehran's overreach as an opportunity to arrest U.S. decline.  —  America's withdrawal from the Iran deal and relocation of its Israeli embassy to Jerusalem send an unmistakable signal about the emerging Trump foreign policy …    SL