Cummings demands docs on Kushner's alleged use of encrypted app for official business  —  House Democrats are raising new concerns about what they say is recently revealed information from Jared Kushner's attorney indicating that the senior White House aide has been relying …

Marine Corps commandant says deploying troops to the border poses ‘unacceptable risk’ … The commandant of the Marines has warned the Pentagon that deployments to the southwest border and funding transfers under the president's emergency declaration, among other unexpected demands, have posed …

What I Want From the Mueller Report  —  I am rooting for a demonstration to the world that the United States justice system works.  —  Mr. Comey is a former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  —  The country is eagerly awaiting the special counsel Robert Mueller's report.

Scoop: Biden advisers debate Stacey Abrams as out-of-the-gate V.P. choice  —  Close advisers to former Vice President Joe Biden are debating the idea of packaging his presidential campaign announcement with a pledge to choose Stacey Abrams as his vice president.

We Should Probably Talk About Lauren Duca  —  In the thousand years since Donald Trump sailed down an escalator and crash-landed with a wet thump in the Oval Office, a lot of Americans have changed, for good or ill. Many of us are more political or more cynical, impassioned or deflated, hopeful or entirely gutted.

For Trump, attacking McCain is a way to appeal to his political base  —  Republican leaders gasped again this week at President Trump's conduct, expressing horror at his scathing criticism of John McCain, the late Arizona senator and former GOP presidential nominee.

Several 2020 Democrats to skip AIPAC conference after call to boycott  —  Liberal group MoveOn.org asked all 2020 presidential candidates to steer clear of the event.  —  Several Democratic presidential candidates will skip the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's policy conference …

Cindy Yang helped Chinese tech stars get $50K photos with Trump.  Who paid?  —  President Donald Trump poses with two Chinese executives at a Dec. 2, 2017, fundraiser.  He is pictured with tech startup CEO Lucas Lu (left), and cryptocurrency giant Ryan Xu (right).

‘Change Is Closer Than We Think.’ Inside Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Unlikely Rise  —  Every 10 minutes or so, someone knocks on the big wooden door of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's office on Capitol Hill.  The noise makes staffers stiffen.  It's almost always a harmless fan …

Doomed Boeing Jets Lacked 2 Safety Features That Company Sold Only as Extras  —  As the pilots of the doomed Boeing jets in Ethiopia and Indonesia fought to control their planes, they lacked two notable safety features in their cockpits.  —  One reason: Boeing charged extra for them.

Colorado's Sen. Michael Bennet near presidential announcement, sources say  —  U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet is taking the final steps toward becoming the second Colorado Democrat in the 2020 race for president, with a possible announcement coming soon, sources familiar with his plan have told The Denver Post.

The Latest: Man pleads guilty to mailing bombs to Trump foes  —  NEW YORK (AP) — The Latest on a Florida man charged with mailing explosives to critics of President Donald Trump (all times local):  —  A Florida man has pleaded guilty to sending a wave of pipe bombs to CNN and prominent critics of President Donald Trump.

Trump's free speech executive order isn't about free speech  —  It's actually about power — specifically, the conservative attempt to seize it on college campuses.  —  President Donald Trump gleefully pressed on another culture war hot button Thursday afternoon, issuing an executive order that's supposed …

How Trump is on track for a 2020 landslide  —  President Donald Trump has a low approval rating.  He is engaging in bitter Twitter wars and facing metastasizing investigations.  —  But if the election were held today, he'd likely ride to a second term in a huge landslide …

Jimmy Carter gets new title: oldest living former president  —  At 94 years, 172 days the 39th president passes George H.W. Bush  —  When Jimmy Carter left office in 1980, the return home to Plains was not easy.  His once flourishing farming business was more than $1 million dollars in debt …

Redistricting Edge Saved GOP From Deeper Midterm Losses  —  JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Democrats won more votes, regained control of the U.S. House and flipped hundreds of seats in state legislatures during the 2018 elections.  It was, by most accounts, a good year for the party.

‘We all found out by tweet’: Trump's Golan Heights surprise  —  President Donald Trump's tweet on Thursday recognizing the Golan Heights as Israeli territory surprised members of his own Middle East peace team, the State Department, and Israeli officials.  —  U.S. diplomats and White House aides …

Facebook Stored Hundreds of Millions of User Passwords in Plain Text for Years  —  Hundreds of millions of Facebook users had their account passwords stored in plain text and searchable by thousands of Facebook employees — in some cases going back to 2012, KrebsOnSecurity has learned.

‘It hurt so bad’: Indiana teachers shot with plastic pellets during active shooter training  —  An active-shooter training exercise at an Indiana elementary school in January left teachers with welts, bruises and abrasions after they were shot with plastic pellets by the local sheriff's office conducting the session.

Yang agreed to a debate with conservative radio host Ben Shapiro on the issue of circumcision, which he opposes  —  ‘Terrific!  Look forward to it,’ Shapiro replied.  —  No date has been announced yet.  —  Shapiro discussed Yang's long-shot candidacy on his radio show Tuesday …

Trump Didn't Call Neo-Nazis ‘Fine People.’ Here's Proof  —  News anchors and pundits have repeated lies about Donald Trump and race so often that some of these narratives seem true, even to Americans who embrace the fruits of the president's policies.  The most pernicious and pervasive of these lies is the …

How Theresa May decided she was willing to accept a no-deal Brexit  —  In the early hours of Wednesday morning, Theresa May made a momentous choice.  After a day of acrimonious debate in her cabinet and inner circle, the prime minister decided that she was willing to take Britain out of the EU without a deal.

Former Murdoch Executive Says He Quit Over Fox's Anti-Muslim Rhetoric  —  In recent days, Rupert Murdoch's Fox News Channel and some of its corporate siblings have faced renewed and withering criticism for how they depict Muslims and immigrants.  Calls for boycotts of shows and pressure campaigns on advertisers ensued.

Reporter Loses Job After Right-Wing Activist Laura Loomer's Legal Threats Over CPAC Coverage (Exclusive)  —  Zachary Petrizzo, a writer for the pro-life media organization Live Action, says he was forced to resign after he tweeted about right-wing activist Laura Loomer “verbally tormenting” …

Mayor Pete Buttigieg on Trump, Islamophobia, and His Presidential Bid  —  Photo illustration: Soohee Cho/The Intercept, AP  —  Subscribe to the Deconstructed podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Radio Public, and other platforms.  New to podcasting?  Click here.

Jordan Peterson's 12 Rules for Life removed from Whitcoulls following Christchurch terror attack  —  A Jordan Peterson book is no longer for sale from Whitcoulls in New Zealand following the Christchurch terror attack.  —  The controversial Canadian professor visited Aotearoa in February …