A Secret Mission, a Code Name and Anxiety: Inside the Early Days of the F.B.I.'s Trump Investigation  —  WASHINGTON — Within hours of opening an investigation into the Trump campaign's ties to Russia in the summer of 2016, the F.B.I. dispatched a pair of agents to London on a mission …

‘Kremlin Used’ NRA to Help Trump in 2016, Says Senate Judiciary Committee  —  The Senate Judiciary Committee said Wednesday that the Russian government apparently used the National Rifle Association to help Donald Trump's presidential campaign in 2016.  “The Committee has obtained a number …

Trump Discloses Payment to Cohen in Financial Report  —  President Trump's financial disclosure, released on Wednesday, revealed for the first time that he paid more than $100,000 to his personal attorney, Michael D. Cohen, as reimbursement for payments to a “third-party.”

Qatari Investor: Michael Cohen Asked Me for a Million Dollars  —  In the blink of a Michael Avenatti tweet, Ahmed al-Rumaihi has suddenly found himself internet-famous.  It began on Sunday evening, when the attorney for adult film star Stormy Daniels posted a screenshot of video footage …

The #Resistance Had A Very Good Night  —  The Democratic Party woke up this morning with a clear signal from Tuesday's primary elections: The #Resistance means business.  The more progressive candidate won in Democratic primaries around the country.  The question, however …

Sderot homes hit with heavy machine gun fire from Gaza, army says  —  No injuries after gunmen in Strip target military aircraft and hit homes in city with errant rounds; IDF shells Hamas post in Gaza  —  The Times of Israel is liveblogging Wednesday's events as they unfold.

Dixon High School shooting: Former student shot, wounded after bringing gun  —  DIXON - A 19-year-old former Dixon High student is in custody with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the shoulder after bringing a gun to the school this morning.  —  The man shot at school resource officer Mark Dallas …

Tillerson warns of ethical crisis among U.S. leaders in speech  —  Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Wednesday appeared to offer an implicit rebuke of his old boss, as he warned of a “growing crisis in ethics and integrity” during a commencement address at the Virginia Military Institute.

Who is drinking the most?  The drunkest (and driest) cities in America  —  A new study reveals that alcohol may change the microbial makeup of our mouths.  Tony Spitz has the details.  Buzz60  —  Though alcohol is enjoyed responsibly by millions of Americans every day …

Putting ‘White House’ on the resume is less of a boost  —  WASHINGTON — Listing a White House gig on your resume used to be considered a sparkling credential, reflecting a stint at the apex of the country's political power.  —  But as with so many other things about Donald Trump's …

Porn Star Lawyer Interviewed 147 Times in 10 Weeks  —  In the past ten weeks, lawyer Michael Avenatti, who is representing porn star Stormy Daniels in her lawsuits against President Trump, has been interviewed a staggering 147 times on broadcast and cable news shows.

'World's oldest woman', 128, says she's been miserable every day of her life and her long life is a punishment from God  —  A Russian woman is claiming to be the oldest person in the world, but says her upcoming 129th birthday is nothing but ‘punishment’.  —  Koku Istambulova, from Chechnya …

Say it ain't so: McConnell threatens to kill August recess  —  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is seriously considering scrapping some or all of the August recess this year, according to senators and aides.  —  The GOP leader told Republican chairmen on Wednesday that he would speak …

White House Brushes Aside North Korea's Threats to Cancel Summit With Trump  —  WASHINGTON — The White House brushed aside threats by North Korea on Wednesday to cancel an upcoming summit meeting between President Trump and the North's leader, Kim Jong-un, saying it was still “hopeful” …

The Democratic Party Has an ‘MSNBC Problem’  —  “The Democrats need to stop obsessing about Trump and Russia, and start talking about the bread-and-butter issues that matter to ordinary people.”  Since Donald Trump took office, that sentiment has been a refrain for the party's leading critics on both the left and right.

Leaders warn Republicans against forcing immigration vote  —  Republican leaders warned rank-and-file members Wednesday not to move ahead with a discharge petition to force an immigration vote, saying the effort would effectively hand over power to the Democrats, according to lawmakers who attended the closed-door meeting.

Sinclair circling Sean Hannity  —  The Fox News rival is courting the host's top producer, along with another of Hannity's close friends.  —  Sinclair Broadcasting is zeroing in on Sean Hannity's team.  —  As its executive chairman David Smith prepares to launch a competitor to Fox News …

Baby Bust: Fertility is Declining the Most Among Minority Women … Any serious pro-natal policy in America worth its salt would primarily result in birth gains among minority mothers, not white ones.  —  The decline in fertility has been far greater among minorities than among non-Hispanic whites.

Why Trump's Assault on Democracy Doesn't Bother the Radical Left  —  The rise of Donald Trump has galvanized what could be called a democracy movement in the United States.  Drawing on the findings of political scientists who have studied democratic governments, and how they can collapse …

Gov. Kay Ivey on gay accusations: 'It's false.  It's wrong'  —  A little more than 12 hours after a state legislator suggested she was gay, Gov. Kay Ivey again issued a strong denial on Wednesday morning.  —  “There's absolutely no truth to it,” Ivey said.  “It's false.  It's wrong.”