President pressured staff to grant security clearance to Ivanka Trump  —  Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump pressured his then-chief of staff John Kelly and White House counsel Don McGahn to grant his daughter and senior adviser Ivanka Trump a security clearance against their recommendations …

Trump promised to shrink the trade deficit.  Instead it exploded.  —  BREAKING NEWS: U.S. posted record-breaking $891.2 billion merchandise trade deficit in 2018, despite Trump's ‘America First’ policies  —  President Trump's tariffs and tough policies have failed to shrink a trade gap …

Our Highest Office, My Deepest Obligation  —  I'm not running for president, but I am launching a new campaign: Beyond Carbon.  —  I've never made any secret of my belief that Donald Trump is a threat to our country.  At the 2016 Democratic National Convention, I said: “New Yorkers know a con when we see one.”

North Korea rebuilding long-range rocket site, photos show  —  Photos taken just 2 days after the Trump-Kim Hanoi summit show rebuilding at the Sohae Satellite Launching Station, North Korea's operational space launch facility.  —  WASHINGTON — North Korea is pursuing the “rapid rebuilding” …

Payments to corporation owned by Ocasio-Cortez aide come under scrutiny  —  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.)'s chief of staff helped establish two political action committees that paid a corporation he ran more than $1 million in 2016 and 2017, federal campaign finance records show.

Senate Confirms 37-Year-Old To Lifetime Seat On U.S. Circuit Court  —  Every Democrat opposed Trump nominee Allison Jones Rushing, who is going to be a federal judge for a long, long time.  —  WASHINGTON The Senate voted Tuesday to confirm Allison Jones Rushing, 37, to the U.S. Court …

Fox News Quietly Ditched Trump-Loving Sheriff David Clarke  —  The infamous firebrand hasn't appeared on Fox in more than a year and he no longer works for the pro-Trump super PAC that hired him to do media.  —  For years, Sheriff David A. Clarke was a fixture on Fox News …

Americans, but Not Liberal Democrats, Mostly Pro-Israel  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — The majority of Americans remain partial toward Israel in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with 59% saying they sympathize more with the Israelis whereas 21% sympathize more with the Palestinians.

Trump Organization's Insurance Policies Under Scrutiny in New York  —  New York State regulators have issued an expansive subpoena to the Trump Organization's longtime insurance broker, the first step in an investigation of insurance policies and claims involving President Trump's family business …

‘Grab that record’: How Trump's high school transcript was hidden  —  In 2011, days after Donald Trump challenged President Barack Obama to “show his records” to prove that he hadn't been a “terrible student,” the headmaster at New York Military Academy got an order from his boss: Find Trump's academic records and help bury them.

House Dems delay vote on resolution rebuking Omar over Israel remarks  —  House Democratic leaders are delaying a vote on a resolution condemning anti-Semitism that had been slated to take place on Wednesday, according to a Democratic aide.  —  Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) …

The Mueller report no one's talking about  —  Most people don't know it, but there's another Mueller report coming.  —  Around the same time the special counsel sends his Russia investigation findings to the Justice Department, Attorney General William Barr must give Congress an account …

China Won't Make Big Concessions on Trade Deal, Ex-Minister Says  —  China won't make big concessions to the U.S. in order to seal a trade deal, former finance minister Lou Jiwei said in Beijing on Wednesday, calling some U.S. demands for change “unreasonable.”

R. Kelly breaks his silence on sexual abuse claims: “I have been assassinated”  —  In an explosive interview, R. Kelly is breaking his silence about the sexual abuse charges that landed him in jail last month.  The embattled R&B singer spoke with “CBS This Morning” co-host Gayle King for nearly 80 minutes Tuesday.

Border at ‘Breaking Point’ as More than 76,000 Migrants Cross in a Month  —  For the fourth time in five months, the number of migrant families crossing the southwest border has broken records, border enforcement authorities said Tuesday, warning that government facilities are full and agents are overwhelmed.

Shakeup possible in federal case against ex-congressman Aaron Schock … Aaron Schock, a Peoria Republican, has been fighting federal corruption charges since leaving office four years ago.  —  WLS  —  CHICAGO (WLS) — There is a mystery concerning the corruption case against former downstate Illinois Congressman Aaron Schock.

The federal deficit ballooned at start of new fiscal year, up 77 percent from a year before  —  The federal budget deficit ballooned rapidly in the first four months of the fiscal year amid falling tax revenue and higher spending, the Treasury Department said Tuesday, posing a new challenge …

Does John Hickenlooper Have a Secret Weapon?  —  Maybe nice guys finish Trump.  —  John Hickenlooper's boots weren't made for hiking.  —  Were they even boots?  We couldn't decide.  They occupied some limbo between boots and shoes and were all wrong for the trek that our group of six was taking …

Belgian carnival float condemned for featuring anti-Semitic puppets of Jews  —  Jewish groups protest open displays of anti-Semitism at parade in town of Aalst, west of Brussels  —  Participants in a street celebration in the Belgian city of Aalst on Sunday paraded giant puppets of Orthodox Jews …

McClatchy Stands By Reports That Michael Cohen Visited Prague, Despite Ex-Trump Lawyer's Denials  —  McClatchy news organization is standing by its reports that Michael Cohen visited Prague during 2016, as alleged in the Steele dossier, even though the former Trump attorney disputed the claim in sworn congressional testimony last week.

Power Up: Despite Trump's efforts, Senators won't let Khashoggi killing go  —  Good morning, Power People.  We're halfway there.  Tips, comments, recipes?  Reach out and sign up.  Thanks for waking up with us.  —  Global Power  —  COVERING UP KHASHOGGI: Five months have passed since the …