Beto O'Rourke plans ‘reintroduction’ as 2020 buzz fizzles  —  NEWTON, Iowa (AP) — Beto O'Rourke barreled into the 2020 presidential race with breakneck energy and a fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants campaign style that saw him leap atop tables to address overflow crowds with the organic …

Rudy Giuliani Cancels His Trip to Ukraine, Blaming Democrats' ‘Spin’  —  WASHINGTON — Facing withering attacks accusing him of seeking foreign assistance for President Trump's re-election campaign, Rudolph W. Giuliani announced on Friday night that he had canceled a trip to Kiev in which he planned …

Trump's Tariffs Are a New Tax on Americans  —  President Trump is undermining the credibility of his trade policies by falsely claiming that China is paying the bill.  —  The editorial board represents the opinions of the board, its editor and the publisher.  It is separate from the newsroom and the Op-Ed section.

The GOP's increasing embrace of Trump's Russia conspiracy theory  —  On Friday, the former general counsel of the FBI, Jim Baker, decided to speak out.  Frustrated by the burgeoning Republican narrative about how the Russia investigation might have been launched under false pretenses …

Inside Syria's Secret Torture Prisons: How Assad Crushed Dissent  —  GAZIANTEP, Turkey — Syrian security officers hung Muhannad Ghabbash from his wrists for hours, beat him bloody, shocked him with electricity and stuck a gun in his mouth.  —  Mr. Ghabbash, a law student from Aleppo …

Trump's new nickname for Pete Buttigieg: ‘Alfred E. Neuman’  —  President Donald Trump dismissed Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg on Friday in a single sentence.  —  “Alfred E. Neuman cannot become president of the United States,” the president told POLITICO …

White House Asked McGahn to Declare Trump Never Obstructed Justice  —  WASHINGTON — White House officials asked at least twice in the past month for the key witness against President Trump in the Mueller report, Donald F. McGahn II, to say publicly that he never believed the president obstructed justice …

Trump takes over Fourth of July celebration, changing its location and inserting himself into the program  —  President Trump has effectively taken charge of the nation's premier Fourth of July celebration in Washington, moving the gargantuan fireworks display from its usual spot on the Mall …

EXCLUSIVE: The Mexican father of alleged Colorado school shooter Alec McKinney, 16, was jailed for domestic violence and deported TWICE, with his son posting how he missed him just days before the atrocity  — Jose Evis Quintana, 33, was jailed for 15 months for domestic violence …

For Harris, memories of a warrior mother guide her campaign  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Speaking from the Senate floor for the first time, Kamala Harris expressed gratitude for a woman on whose shoulders she said she stood.  In her autobiography, Harris interspersed the well-worn details of her resume …

As Joe Biden seeks the Obama mantle, many Obama loyalists wait to see ‘who lights a fire’  —  Only one of the 21 Democrats running for president wants voters to see him as the establishment choice best able to fulfill the promise of President Barack Obama's third term.

Washington is flirting with a debt crisis.  No one has a plan to stop it  —  President Trump: 'It's time to stop this nonsense'  —  Washington (CNN)The US government is hurtling toward a potential financial crisis, and no one in Washington seems to know how to stop it.

House Ways and Means Chairman Subpoenas Trump Tax Returns  —  WASHINGTON — The chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee subpoenaed the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service on Friday, disregarding the Treasury secretary's refusal this week to hand over six years …

Lobbyists Working to Undermine Medicare For All Host Congressional Staff at Luxury Resort  —  At a luxury resort just outside of the nation's capital last month, around four dozen senior congressional staffers decamped for a weekend of relaxation and discussion at Salamander Resort & Spa.