Yup - we were duped.  Ya' got me, Sacha.  Feel better now?  —  I join a long list of American public personalities who have fallen victim to the evil, exploitive, sick “humor” of the British “comedian” Sacha Baron Cohen, enabled and sponsored by CBS/Showtime.

GOP Senators Tell Contradictory Stories About Moscow Trip … A top Republican senator shocked his colleagues when he suggested, after returning from a trip to Moscow with fellow GOP lawmakers, that U.S. sanctions targeting Russia were not working and the Kremlin's election interference was really no big deal.

EXCLUSIVE: Ocasio-Cortez with another surprise election win - in a district she wasn't even running in … Things are going so well for insurgent Democratic congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that she's winning primaries she didn't even enter.  —  In addition to recently …

I don't know Kavanaugh the judge.  But Kavanaugh the carpool dad is one great guy.  —  Julie O'Brien lives in Chevy Chase.  —  Much has been written about Brett Kavanaugh as President Trump's nominee for the Supreme Court, but the discussion has focused on his record as a federal judge and in his legal career.

President Trump makes good on his threat to target an additional $200 billion in Chinese imports with tariffs, ramping up the trade war  —  President Trump escalated his trade war with China Tuesday, identifying an added $200 billion in Chinese products that he intends to hit with import tariffs.

Mike Flynn Joins Global Consulting Firm  —  Former Trump adviser is awaiting sentencing for lying to federal investigators  —  Former national security adviser Mike Flynn has a new job: He has joined a global lobbying and investment advisory firm.  —  As he awaits sentencing for lying …

At Start of NATO Summit, Trump Renews Push for Allies to Increase Defense Spending  —  U.S. president rebukes Germany, saying it is ‘captive’ to Russia because of gas pipeline deal  —  BRUSSELS—President Donald Trump on Wednesday reiterated his call for allies to increase their defense spending …

Kavanaugh's Papers Don't Help Trump Avoid Indictment  —  Opponents of the Supreme Court nominee are reading him all wrong.  —  Some Democrats and advocacy groups are saying President Donald Trump picked Judge Brett Kavanaugh as his second nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court because of Kavanaugh's view …

Trump Administration Returns to ‘Catch and Release’ of Migrants  —  WASHINGTON — The government said on Tuesday that it would release hundreds of migrant families wearing ankle bracelet monitors into the United States, effectively returning to the “catch and release” policy that President Trump promised to eliminate.

Government Told Immigrant Parents to Pay for DNA Tests to Be Reunited With Kids: Advocate … DALLAS—U.S. government officials recently told four immigrant women that they must pay for DNA tests in order to be reunited with their children, according to the shelter that housed the women.

Paula White: There's a Difference Between Jesus as a Refugee and Those Who Enter the US Illegally … Amid the hysteria surrounding the separation of immigrant families who recently entered the United States illegally, one of President Donald Trump's spiritual advisers, Paula White …

Facebook is slapped with first fine for Cambridge Analytica scandal  —  Facebook is staring down its first fine for allowing Cambridge Analytica to improperly access data about millions of people, potentially opening the door for governments around the world to slap the social media giant …

Trump's neediness is at the core of his diplomacy  —  Watching President Trump's diplomatic maneuvers — in Singapore last month and during the run-up to his meetings over the next week in Brussels and Helsinki — I wonder whether analysts have been making a mistake explaining his bargaining style …

Stateless and Poor, Some Boys in Thai Cave Had Already Beaten Long Odds  —  MAE SAI, Thailand — Adul Sam-on, 14, has never been a stranger to peril.  —  At age 6, Adul had already escaped a territory in Myanmar known for guerrilla warfare, opium cultivation and methamphetamine trafficking.

“Trump Is Too Chickenshit to Fire Kelly Himself”: With Bill Shine Producing His West Wing Reality Show, Trump Prepares to Dump His Chief of Staff  —  Now that Shine is in the saddle, it's Mooch 2.0: Kelly is being humiliated, Sarah Sanders has been deemed low energy, and the biggest winner of all is, naturally, Sean Hannity.

Man, 92, beaten with brick on street, told to ‘go back’  —  “A 92-year-old senior citizen, what can he do to anybody?  There's no harm that he meant,” the grandson of Rodolfo Rodriguez asked.  —  A 92-year-old man who was thrown to the ground, stomped on by strangers on the Fourth of July …

Shopping struggles: These 11 retailers may not survive 2018  —  The retail apocalypse isn't over yet.  —  The retail apocalypse is entering its ninth year.  —  Many North American retailers were wiped out in the “retail apocalypse” which started in 2010.

Trump Officials Slash Grants That Help Consumers Get Obamacare  —  WASHINGTON — The Trump administration announced on Tuesday that it was slashing grants to nonprofit organizations that help people obtain health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, the latest step in an escalating attack …