Defender of World Order or Trump Mouthpiece?  Pompeo Is Tested by North Korea, Iran and U.S. Allies  —  WARSAW — In the eyes of Mike Pompeo, the day was shaping up to be one of his most commanding displays of diplomacy since becoming secretary of state.  Months of planning had finally yielded …

The Loud Silence of Mueller's Manafort Memo  —  A nation is waiting, with no clear sense of timing or resolution, to learn if its leader is a foreign agent of a hostile power.  But the director of this epic tale seems determined to jerk everyone around.  —  Expectations of imminent revelation are routinely deflated.

What triggered the escalation of US-Venezuela policy?  —  For two decades the US was powerless to alter the course of Venezuela's socialist rule.  But, in recent weeks Trump has turned the screws on the Maduro regime.  So, what changed?  How a casual meeting at Trump Tower and a photo op …

Andrew McCabe's Countdown to the Mueller Report  —  In his new book, the former acting director of the F.B.I. speaks with bracing directness about what was going on in the Trump-Russia investigation and why it matters.  —  In “Seven Days in May,” a popular novel from the early nineteen-sixties …

Bill Maher Mocks Red State Voters, Says Rich and Educated Live in Blue States  —  Bill Maher ridiculed red state voters in a segment about Amazon's HQ2 locations, saying that the rich and educated people of America live in blue states.  —  “That's why red state voters are so pissed off.

After Stinging Presidential Loss, Popular Vote Movement Gains Momentum In States  —  An attempt at an Electoral College workaround is gaining momentum in the Mountain West.  —  Democrats in Colorado and New Mexico are pushing ahead with legislation to pledge their 14 collective electoral votes …

The Hard Lessons of Dianne Feinstein's Encounter with the Young Green New Deal Activists  —  One imagines that Senator Dianne Feinstein would like a do-over of her colloquy with some young people on Friday afternoon.  A group of school students, at least one as young as seven …

With women in combat roles, a federal court rules the male-only draft unconstitutional  —  A federal judge in Texas has declared that the all-male military draft is unconstitutional, ruling that “the time has passed” for a debate on whether women belong in the military.

Mueller filing could be held up pending indictments of Don Jr. and Jared Kushner for lying: ex-US Attorney  —  Appearing on MSNBC on Saturday afternoon, former U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade said there is no telling when special counsel Robert Mueller will be releasing his final report …

As tax refunds shrink, Republicans scramble to defend Trump tax cut  —  Size apparently does matter, at least when it comes to tax refunds, and that's put Republicans on the defensive as Americans start filing their returns.  —  With headlines blaring about smaller refunds in the first weeks …