Rex Tillerson Secretly Meets With House Foreign Affairs Committee to Talk Trump  —  The former Secretary of State is talking with lawmakers at the same time virtually everyone else who worked for the president is defying Congress.  —  Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was spotted entering …

Release Detail  —  May 21, 2019 - Good Feelings On Economy Don't Help Trump, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Biden Is Only Contender With Positive Score  —  The nation's economy is “excellent,” 22 percent of American voters say in a Quinnipiac University National Poll today, the highest “excellent” rating for the economy.

Confidential draft IRS memo says tax returns must be given to Congress unless president invokes executive privilege  —  A confidential Internal Revenue Service legal memo says tax returns must be given to Congress unless the president takes the rare step of asserting executive privilege …

First on CNN: Justice Department willing to hand over counterintelligence if Schiff backs off ‘enforcement action’  —  (CNN)The Justice Department is trying to stave off an “enforcement action” against Attorney General William Barr this week, making a rare offer to have the House Intelligence …

Trump Expected to Pick Ken Cuccinelli for Immigration Policy Role  —  President Trump is expected to name Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II, a former attorney general of Virginia and an immigration hard-liner, as his choice to coordinate the administration's immigration policies, a White House official confirmed on Tuesday.

Despite national security concerns, GOP leader McCarthy blocked bipartisan bid to limit China's role in U.S. transit  —  House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) blocked a bipartisan attempt to limit Chinese companies from contracting with U.S. transit systems, a move that benefited …

It's Time to Hold American Elites Accountable for Their Abuses  —  Normally, a scandal centered on how rich parents used bribes to win their children's admittance into elite colleges wouldn't play so heavily in the national news.  No one much cared when Donald Trump promised large donations as his children enrolled at Penn.

Legal Fees Mount for Republican Party, Trump Campaign  —  Filings show RNC spent $2.2 million in April for lawyers' work  —  WASHINGTON—The Republican National Committee spent about $2.2 million last month on legal fees, new financial filings show, boosting the overall tab for lawyers paid by the party …

Ben Carson confuses a real-estate term and a cookie  —  Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson tussled awkwardly with freshman Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) at a hearing on Tuesday over HUD real estate owned — or REO — homes, at one point asking if she was referring to an “Oreo.”

Parents are poisoning their children with bleach to ‘cure’ autism.  These moms are trying to stop it.  —  Private Facebook groups urge parents to poison autistic kids with chlorine dioxide to “cure” them.  These moms are going undercover to fight back.  —  When they aren't working …

How San Francisco broke America's heart  —  SAN FRANCISCO — A Tuesday afternoon in the Mission District of America's tech wonderland.  —  Michael Feno stands outside Lucca Ravioli, his beloved pasta emporium on Valencia, a vestige of old San Francisco, puffing on a cigar while posing for pictures, his customers in tears.

Karl Rove: Trump campaign ‘feels very cautious’ about chances in Rust Belt states  —  Following reports that the Trump campaign is struggling to gain a foothold in the Rust Belt states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan, Fox News contributor Karl Rove said he believes the Trump campaign …

Majority of Americans don't want Roe v. Wade overturned, CBS News poll finds  —  Two-thirds of Americans want Roe v. Wade left in place, and most who hold that view would be disappointed or angry if the ruling were to be overturned someday, a new CBS News poll finds.

Albany Closes a Loophole for Trump Pardons.  Next Up: His Taxes.  —  The Legislature is poised to pass a bill that would allow three congressional committees to seek the release of President Trump's state tax returns.  —  [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.]

Trump Appeal Now Goes To Court Headed By Merrick Garland  —  Twitter users can't stop laughing at the irony of the situation.  —  President Donald Trump's attorneys have vowed to appeal Monday's decision in favor of a House committee seeking his financial records, but people on Twitter were thrilled about where the case will end up.

Top Democrat's wife may have gained ‘illegal private benefit’ from his committee activities  —  A charity run by the wife of Rep. Elijah Cummings received millions from special interest groups and corporations that had business before her husband's committee and could have been used illegally …

Numbers from New Q Poll  —  Some very interesting numbers in a just released Quinnipiac Poll.  —  Here are numbers that jump out to me.  —  President Trump's numbers are 38% approve, 57% disapprove.  On May 2nd those numbers were 41%-55%.  54% of voters say they would “definitely not vote” for President Trump.

Why aren't Trump and Republicans pilloried for failing to ‘reach out’?  —  The presidential campaign has begun, which means that Democrats are being asked again and again why they aren't doing more to “reach out” to Republicans.  But there's something important missing from this discussion …

GOP Senator Says Trump's Trade War Has Farmers On ‘Verge Of Financial Collapse’  —  Jerry Moran of Kansas urged Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to find a better response than unreliable government aid.  —  Republican Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas raised dire concerns over the Trump …

Amash won't rule out Libertarian challenge to Trump  —  Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) on Tuesday said he would not rule out a third-party challenge to President Trump in 2020.  —  The Hill asked Amash if he is thinking about leaving the Republican Party to run for president as the Libertarian Party candidate.

U.S. Intel to Congress: No Evidence al Qaeda Is Helping Iran  —  The admission could complicate any potential effort to make the legal case for war with Iran.  —  Betsy Woodruff  —  The American intelligence community has no evidence that al Qaeda has cooperated with the Iranian government …