Michael Cohen Plans to Call Trump a ‘Con Man’ and a ‘Cheat’ in Congressional Testimony  —  WASHINGTON — Michael D. Cohen plans to testify on Wednesday that President Trump is a “con man” and a “cheat” who knew a longtime adviser was communicating with WikiLeaks — and who implicitly instructed …

Pakistani Military Says It Downed Two Indian Warplanes, Capturing Pilot  —  NEW DELHI — Pakistan said Wednesday that it downed two Indian fighter jets and captured a pilot, escalating hostilities between the nuclear-armed neighbors a day after Indian warplanes struck inside Pakistani territory for the first time in five decades.

White House bans four journalists from covering Trump-Kim dinner because of shouted questions  —  HANOI — The White House abruptly banned four U.S. journalists from covering President Trump's dinner here Wednesday with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un after some of them shouted questions at the leaders during their earlier meetings.

White House sours on Kris Kobach for Senate, Cabinet  —  Republican hardliner Kris Kobach's inner circle is hinting that he has President Donald Trump's support for either a Senate run or Cabinet position.  —  They're wrong.  —  White House officials have grown frustrated enough …

House poised to pass first major gun bill in a generation  —  Legislation to strengthen background checks is expected to face stiff opposition in the Senate.  —  WASHINGTON — On Wednesday, for the first time in a generation, the U.S. House is poised to pass new gun control legislation.

Chicago poised to elect first African-American female mayor after Lori Lightfoot, Toni Preckwinkle advance  —  The field of Chicago's mayoral candidates narrows from 14 to two as Lori Lightfoot and Toni Preckwinkle head to a runoff.  —  Privacy Policy  —  Chicago will elect …

Public Advocate: Jumaane Williams Wins Special Election in New York City  —  [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.]  —  Jumaane D. Williams, a Democratic councilman from Brooklyn, was elected as New York City public advocate Tuesday night …

The Overdue Death of Democratic “Pragmatism”  —  It's an unwritten rule in political journalism today that Amy Klobuchar, the Minnesota senator and Democratic candidate for president, must be described as “pragmatic.”  —  There isn't much mystery as to what the press means by this.

Harvard attacks a defense attorney for doing his job: Ronald Sullivan could be penalized for daring to represent Harvey Weinstein  —  Harvard Law Prof. Ronald Sullivan, the university's first African-American faculty dean, is a criminal defense attorney who has devoted his life to the pursuit of justice …

Conservative Christians Just Retook the United Methodist Church  —  The United Methodist Church has fractured over the role of LGBTQ people in the denomination.  At a special conference in St. Louis this week, convened specifically to address divisions over LGBTQ issues …

Whitaker Agrees to Request to Return to House to Clarify Testimony  —  Former acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker has agreed to meet a second time with House lawmakers to clarify public testimony he gave earlier this month, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee said.

GOP unloads border angst on Pence  —  Vice President Mike Pence faced a wall of resistance from Senate Republicans on Tuesday as he tried to sell President Donald Trump's national emergency declaration on the southern border, according to multiple GOP sources.

More than half of Mass. delegation holds off on backing Warren's White House bid  —  As Senator Elizabeth Warren jets off to Iowa, California, Georgia, and Puerto Rico looking for support for her budding presidential campaign, she may have some unfinished business back home.

Biden's Family Is Urging Him to Run in 2020  —  NEWARK, Del. — Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. said Tuesday that there's “a consensus” in his family that he should run for president, but Mr. Biden said he did not want to embark on “a fool's errand” and was still deliberating …

The Humiliation of the Freedom Caucus  —  A majority of those who fought back against Obama's imperial presidency just voted to support Trump's.  —  The House of Representatives voted Tuesday evening to block President Trump's declaration of a state of emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border …