As Kavanaugh's hearing concludes, Collins says she's still undecided on Supreme Court nominee  —  The moderate Republican wields a key vote and says she won't make a decision until she has a chance to review Brett Kavanaugh's paperwork and testimony.  —  SCARBOROUGH — Sen. Susan Collins …

Trump Administration Discussed Coup Plans With Rebel Venezuelan Officers  —  The Trump administration held secret meetings with rebellious military officers from Venezuela over the last year to discuss their plans to overthrow President Nicolás Maduro, according to American officials …

The Banality of Barack  —  Capping off a week where Senate Democrats embarrassed themselves at what should have been the semi-serious vetting of a Supreme Court justice, along comes our foot-stomping former president to remind Americans of who, ultimately, is responsible for infantilizing national politics.

plaidshirtguy at Trump rally is ... a Billings high schooler  —  Billings West High School senior Tyler Linfesty learned Thursday morning during first period that he had been selected for VIP treatment at President Donald J. Trump's rally at MetraPark.  —  Linfesty had applied for tickets to the rally earlier in the week.

Elliott Broidy's Mistress Shera Bechard Says He Demanded She Get Abortion  —  Shera Bechard also accused Elliott Broidy of having unprotected sex with her—'without telling her he had genital herpes.' Broidy denies the claims.  —  Lachlan Cartwright  —  A major Republican fundraiser allegedly demanded …

NYT columnist Maureen Dowd explains why Donald Trump isn't as bad as Dick Cheney  —  Share via Email  —  Post on facebook wall  —  Post to Linkedin  —  Maureen Dowd, I have a confession.  I know the “scheduling conflict” you used at the last minute to push our lunch back one hour was a hair appointment at your hotel.

According to Donald Trump, a lot of people are crying around Donald Trump  —  WASHINGTON - Something remarkable happened, according to Donald Trump, when Donald Trump arrived at his campaign rally in Evansville, Indiana last week.  —  Nine “miners” greeted him backstage.

Michael Cohen seeks to tear up Stormy Daniels deal, wants money back  —  (CNN)Michael Cohen's shell company, Essential Consultants, filed a status report Friday evening agreeing to tear up the original 2016 agreement with adult film star Stormy Daniels, in which Cohen arranged to pay her $130,000 …

Ryan, McConnell try to coax Trump away from shutdown — using props and flattery  —  The top two Republicans in Congress arrived at the White House this week armed with props aimed at flattering and cajoling President Trump out of shutting down the government at the end of this month.

Cuomo Bridge: ‘Dangerous situation’ on Tappan Zee halts opening of Westchester-bound span  —  The second span of the new Mario M. Cuomo Bridge was supposed to open, but fears that the old Tappan Zee would collapse onto the new bridge kept the span closed to drivers.  Video by Jordan Fenster.

To Secure Better Housing, Top Diplomat Pulls Rank on the Military  —  WASHINGTON — As a congressman and before he moved to Washington full-time, Mike Pompeo lived in a 5,500-square-foot house in Wichita, Kan., replete with vaulted ceilings, four bedrooms and five bathrooms …

Echoes of Watergate in Trump tumult  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House seethes with intrigue and backstabbing as aides hunt for the anonymous Deep (state) Throat among them.  A president feels besieged by tormentors — Bob Woodward is driving him crazy — so he tends his version of an enemies list …

>> Defunding UNRWA is an example of Trump's ‘peace’ plan |  Analysis  —  The administration deliberated for a number of weeks whether or not to include the East Jerusalem hospitals in its budget cut, since some of these hospitals are supported by influential Christian groups in the United States.

Deputies faulted over Parkland shooter tips, but neither one is fired  —  A Broward Sheriff's Office vehicle parked outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.  (Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press) South Florida Sun Sentinel  —  Privacy Policy  —  Two sheriff's deputies will keep their jobs …

Trump Executives Face U.S. Campaign-Finance Probe, Source Says  — Manhattan prosecutors continue inquiry after Cohen guilty plea  — What did Weisselberg know and sign off on as company's CFO?  —  Federal prosecutors in Manhattan are investigating whether anyone …

Why so many former intelligence officers are speaking out  —  John McLaughlin teaches at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.  He was deputy director of the CIA from 2000 to 2004, serving as acting director in 2004.  —  People frequently ask …

Dallas Police Officer Kills Her Neighbor in His Apartment, Saying She Mistook It for Her Own  —  A Dallas police officer fatally shot a neighbor inside the man's apartment late Thursday night, claiming that she mistook his apartment for her own and believed he was an intruder, the police said.

Democrats Embrace Liberal Insurgents, Demanding New Face for Party  —  The Democratic primary elections of 2018 have brought an end to an era of deference by liberals to establishment leaders in Washington and the states, as an emboldened coalition of women, young people and racial minorities claimed ownership …

Manafort Weighing Plea Deal to Avoid New Criminal Trial, Source Says  — Talks said to center on possible admissions, sentencing length  — Ex-Trump campaign chief was convicted in Virginia last month  —  Paul Manafort's lawyers have talked to U.S. prosecutors about a possible guilty plea …

Letter confirms Vatican received McCarrick complaint in 2000 … VATICAN CITY — A 2006 letter from a top Vatican official confirms that the Holy See received information in 2000 about the sexual misconduct of now-resigned U.S. cardinal, lending credibility to bombshell accusations of a cover …

Amazon has patented a system that would put workers in a cage, on top of a robot  —  Amazon said it never implemented the technology described in the patent, granted in 2016, and has no plans to.  —  A patent Amazon has received would pair humans and machines.  In this case, the humans would be in a cage.