North Korea has increased nuclear production at secret sites, say U.S. officials  —  “Work is ongoing to deceive us on the number of facilities, the number of weapons, the number of missiles,” said one U.S. official.  —  WASHINGTON — U.S. intelligence agencies believe that North Korea …

Weaponizing the First Amendment: How Free Speech Became a Conservative Cudgel  —  WASHINGTON — On the final day of the Supreme Court term last week, Justice Elena Kagan sounded an alarm.  —  The court's five conservative members, citing the First Amendment, had just dealt public unions a devastating blow.

Conservative Hugh Hewitt makes surprise announcement MSNBC has pulled plug on his show  —  MSNBC has cancelled that weekly television show hosted by right-wing pundit Hugh Hewitt, the conservative explained at the end of his final show on Saturday.  —  “This has been the last Hugh Hewitt Show on Saturday mornings,” Hewitt explained.

U.S. Ambassador to Estonia Resigns in Disgust After Trump Anti-Europe Rants  —  James Melville is the latest in a string of career diplomat resignations over Trump's comments and policies.  —  The U.S. ambassador to Estonia, James D. Melville Jr., a career diplomat and member …

Vancouver restaurant manager unrepentant after refusing Trump supporter  —  Darin Hodge fired following confrontation at the Teahouse in Stanley Park  —  The manager of a popular Vancouver tourist restaurant has been fired after refusing service to a supporter of Donald Trump.

Top Democrats see danger on sudden party push to abolish ICE  —  Top Democrats tell Axios they're worried that a sudden wave of ambitious party members calling for the abolition of ICE — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is newly controversial because of the detained kids …

An explosion is coming  —  Eight years ago, when Congress was about to pass Obamacare, John A. Boehner, leader of a powerless Republican congressional minority, gave a passionate, prescient speech on the House floor.  —  “This is the People's House, and the moment a majority forgets this …

An Immigrant Teen Describes Life in Detention After Being Separated From His Mother  —  ‘You cannot imagine how awful it is to be there,’ the boy said of his nine-month separation by U.S. immigration officials.  —  On an unusually muggy night in August 2017, a Brazilian woman …

To Report or Resist?  A Journalist's Struggles in the Age of Trump  —  There comes a time when you wonder if staying on the sidelines is the responsible thing to do  —  It has been a week of blows.  —  As a journalist, I've always resisted activism.  That doesn't mean I don't have opinions …

Top Supreme Court prospect has argued presidents should not be distracted by investigations and lawsuits  —  U.S. Circuit Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, a former clerk for Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy who is viewed as one of the leading contenders to replace him, has argued that presidents …

Trump Leaves Door Open to U.S. Recognizing Russia's Crimea Grab  —  President Donald Trump left the door open to recognizing Russia's annexation of Crimea, telling reporters that such a move would be up for discussion when he meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin next month.

112-year-old Austin resident, our oldest living veteran, robbed of savings, identity  —  Someone is impersonating the oldest man in America.  —  Family members of Richard Overton, the 112-year-old World War II veteran who lives in Austin, learned that his personal bank account had been drained on Friday.

Warren: It's time to replace ICE  —  (D-Mass.) on Saturday joined calls from the left to get rid of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), saying it should be replaced with something new.  —  “The president's deeply immoral actions have made it obvious we need to rebuild our immigration system …

The Democratic Socialists of America show their muscle in New York congressional upset  —  The primary defeat Tuesday of Rep. Joe Crowley, D-N.Y., who was both a top-ranking House Democrat and the head of one of New York's last political machines, is an upset that is still sending shockwaves through the Democratic Party.

Black and Democratic voters gain on Republicans in Georgia  —  Turnout among black voters soared in last month's Georgia primary, a show of strength that could bode well for Democrats in this year's contests for governor and other statewide offices.  —  The number of black voters rose 43 percent …

Tens of thousands expected to protest Trump's immigration policy during Washington rally  —  It took 13 days to organize Saturday's demonstration against the Trump administration's “zero-tolerance” immigration policy and the detention of children and families.  It was the fastest that organizers could patch something together.

‘Not what we expected’: Trump's tax bill is losing popularity  —  In a packed arena in Fargo, N.D., this week, President Trump's most ardent supporters roared with approval when he talked about protecting the U.S. borders, beating the Democrats and “respect for our great, beautiful, wonderful American flag.”

Former ICE General Counsel Heads to Prison for Identity Theft  —  By angelo gilardelli / Shutterstock.com  —  A former top legal adviser to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement bureau was sentenced to 48 months in prison for wire fraud and identity theft affecting aliens, the Justice Department announced on Thursday.

3 Black U.S. Senators Introduce Bill to Make Lynching a Federal Hate Crime  —  The United States Senate's three black members introduced a bill on Friday that would make lynching a federal hate crime.  —  The move came more than two weeks after a similar bill was introduced in the House of Representatives.

White supremacist propaganda is inundating college campuses, civil rights group says  —  “Not Stolen.  Conquered,” a flier found in a music building at San Diego State University read.  “Your professor is scared of this book,” read a sticker outside a building at New York's Baruch College …

Trump Boils Maine Lobstermen  —  A case study in how a tariff war will hurt small businesses and blue-collar workers.  —  Donald Trump has upended global trade relationships, promising that temporary disruption will end in better terms for American businesses.

At the Capital Gazette, the Death of a Reporter's Reporter  —  I believe there are two kinds of reporters — ones who can find a story by pointing to a random name in the phone book, and those who would rather impale themselves on an old-fashioned newsroom spike than do business that way.