In the Middle of His Official Business, Trump Took the Time to Send Checks to Michael Cohen  —  WASHINGTON — On a busy day at the White House, President Trump hosted senators to talk about tax cuts, accused a Democratic congresswoman of distorting his condolence call to a soldier's widow …

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 …

CNN commentator Ben Ferguson's Facebook page is a cesspool of bigotry, false info, and fabricated quotes  —  CNN political commentator Ben Ferguson regularly uses his Facebook page to post memes with false information and fabricated quotes, including an image with a made-up Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez …

Prosecutors in Chicago to drop charges against former U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock if he pays back IRS, campaign  —  Federal prosecutors in Chicago have agreed to drop all charges against former U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock if he pays back money he owes to the Internal Revenue Service and his campaign fund.

‘I think you mean that, too’: Trump's aides struggle to defend, explain his foreign policy statements  —  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo grew testy in a recent newspaper interview when asked to explain why President Trump would take North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “at his word” …

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 …

Rubio says Saudi crown prince has gone ‘full gangster’  —  Sen. Marco Rubio on Wednesday accused Saudi Arabia's powerful crown prince of going “full gangster” and urged the Trump administration's nominee for ambassador to Riyadh to hold the country accountable for human rights abuses.

Democrats Plan to Grill Kirstjen Nielsen on Perjury Allegations  —  According to staffers, Nielsen should expect harsh questioning on child deaths in detention, Trump's emergency declaration, and the veracity of her own past statements to Congress.  —  Scott Bixby

House Democrats erupt in protests over indirect sanction of Rep. Omar for alleged anti-Semitism  —  House Democrats erupted into a full-scale brawl Wednesday, challenging leaders over indirectly sanctioning freshman Rep. Ilhan Omar for alleged anti-Semitic remarks amid an outcry over party inaction …

Trump in trouble in Florida poll  —  Donald Trump is in trouble in Florida, a state that's crucial to his reelection hopes.  —  Just 40 percent of Florida voters said they believed the president should be reelected, while 53 percent were opposed to a second term, according to a new Bendixen & Amandi International poll.

McConnell preps new nuclear option to speed Trump judges  —  President Donald Trump's stream of judges is about to become a torrent.  —  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his GOP caucus have long prioritized confirming conservative judges to lifetime appointments.

60 false claims in 2 hours: Trump's CPAC speech was by far his most-dishonest single event as president  —  WASHINGTON—Donald Trump made 60 false claims in his speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday, shattering his old record for false claims in a single speech.

Trump Fussed Over Tablecloths and Rockettes for the Inauguration  —  It was Christmas Day 2016, and President-elect Donald Trump had the Rockettes on his mind.  —  A few days earlier, James Dolan, chief executive officer of Madison Square Garden, had announced that the famous New York dance troupe …

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.

Mario Batali Gives Up All His Restaurants  —  A year after reports that the celebrity chef sexually assaulted and harassed women, the Bastianich family and Mr. Batali's other partners have bought out his stake and regrouped.  —  The 20-year partnership between the celebrity chef Mario Batali …

Prominent Democratic super PAC says Ohio isn't a top priority in 2020  —  CLEVELAND, Ohio - One of the most prominent Democratic super PACs in the country does not have Ohio high on its list of targets for the 2020 presidential election, further eroding the state's status as a presidential battleground.