Jeffrey Epstein Was a ‘Terrific Guy,’ Donald Trump Once Said.  Now He's ‘Not a Fan.’  —  WASHINGTON — It was supposed to be an exclusive party at Mar-a-Lago, Donald J. Trump's members-only club in Palm Beach, Fla. But other than the two dozen or so women flown in to provide the entertainment …

Migrant kids in overcrowded Arizona border station allege sex assault, retaliation from U.S. agents  —  Migrant children held in Yuma, Arizona, report sex assault and retaliation for protests in addition to unsanitary conditions and overcrowding.  —  WASHINGTON — The poor treatment …

Sir Kim Darroch resigns as UK ambassador to US  —  Sir Kim Darroch has resigned as UK ambassador to the US, amid a row over leaked emails critical of President Trump's administration.  —  The ambassador was branded “a very stupid guy” by Mr Trump, after emails emerged calling the Trump administration “clumsy and inept”.

An Explosive Secret Recording Reveals How Russia Tried To Funnel Millions To The “European Trump”  —  A close aide to Italy's deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini held covert talks to pump Russian oil money to his far-right party.  BuzzFeed News has the tape.

‘Mother Is Not Going to Like This’: The 48 Hours That Almost Brought Down Trump  —  One by one, they had trickled out of the conference room on the 25th floor of Trump Tower.  It was Friday, October 7, 2016, two days before the second presidential debate, and the Republican nominee's brain trust …

McGrath raises a record $2.5 million on first day of Senate campaign  —  WASHINGTON — Kentucky Democratic Senate candidate Amy McGrath raised more than $2.5 million in the first 24 hours of her campaign against Mitch McConnell — over $1 million of it coming in just the first five and a half hours …

Robert Foster, GOP governor candidate, denies woman reporter access because of her gender  —  In recent weeks, in an attempt to better inform readers about candidates in the upcoming Republican gubernatorial primary, Mississippi Today has asked to shadow each contender seeking the GOP nomination.

Trump labor secretary who cut Epstein deal plans to slash funds for sex trafficking victims  —  Democrats condemn as ‘amoral’ Alex Acosta's proposed 80% funding cut for US agency that combats child sex trafficking  —  Alexander Acosta, the US labor secretary under fire for having granted …

I have NO relationship with Nancy Pelosi: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez accuses Speaker of trying to sideline her with loaded-up work schedule after top Democrat dismissed her ‘squad’ as just having Twitter following  — She also claimed Democratic leadership gave her prominent committee assignments in an attempt to keep her busy

Justice Dept. Tells Mueller Deputies Not to Testify, Scrambling an Agreement  —  WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is seeking to discourage Robert S. Mueller III's deputies from testifying before Congress, potentially jeopardizing an agreement for two of the former prosecutors …

In the aftermath of Khashoggi's murder, Saudi influence machine whirs on in Washington  —  After the killing in October of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, a handful of lobbying firms and think tanks made a move rare in Washington: They publicly severed ties with Saudi Arabia …

Rip Torn, Artie the Producer on ‘The Larry Sanders Show,’ Dies at 88  —  The respected Emmy winner and Oscar and Tony nominee always aimed for authenticity but had a reputation as a trouble-maker.  —  Rip Torn, the tenacious, temperamental Texan whose much-admired career was highlighted …

Fifteen minutes on cable television that illustrated one of America's deepest political divides  —  Much of Anderson Cooper's hourly show on CNN on Tuesday night was spent in an interview with Megan Rapinoe, the biggest star on the World-Cup-winning U.S. women's soccer team.

Trump attacks ‘Radical Left’ for boycotting, a tactic he has repeatedly advocated  —  President Trump on Tuesday night came to the defense of Home Depot, calling those who choose not to shop at the home improvement retailer because of financial ties between its billionaire co-founder …

Sen. Collins rejected Republican senator's offer to ditch Kavanaugh after Ford testimony, new book claims  —  Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, refused to take part in a Senate Judiciary Committee Republican's proposal for the White House to abandon Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's nomination …

If Women's Soccer Players Want Higher Pay, They'd Better Ditch The Politics  —  If higher pay was of such importance to the team, why alienate half of the country by protesting the flag and picking Twitter fights with the president?  —  The U.S. Women's National Soccer Team won their record fourth World Cup this past Sunday.

S&P 500 soars above 3,000 for first time as Fed Chair Jerome Powell hints interest rate cut likely in July  —  Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell had two messages for Congress Wednesday: Central bank independence is critical and an interest-rate cut is likely at the end of July.

Impeachment isn't optional.  If facts point in that direction, Congress must act.  —  The Constitution's framers didn't want the process to be a political calculation.  —  Cass R. Sunstein is the Robert Walmsley University Professor at Harvard Law School.

Strip club to host golf tournament at Trump resort in South Florida  —  President Trump's golf resort in Doral, Fla., is scheduled to host a golf tournament Saturday put on by a Miami-area strip club, which will allow golfers to pay for a dancer to serve as their “caddy girl” while they play at the president's club.

CNN Tells Digital Staff: Take Some Cues From Fox News  —  CNN fears being eclipsed on the web by Fox News, and the network apparently wants digital staffers to occasionally emulate their rival's coverage decisions.  —  Fox News is already beating CNN on TV.

The 25 Democrats running for president, debate lineups, and everything else you should know about 2020  —  The biggest questions about the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, answered.  —  Graphics: Javier Zarracina/Vox, Photos: Getty Images, Creative Commons  —  The 2020 presidential campaign is well underway.

Federal Judge Blocks Justice Department's Effort to Withdraw Lawyers on Census Citizenship Case  —  WASHINGTON — A federal judge in New York on Tuesday rejected the Justice Department's request to switch its legal team midway through a case challenging the Trump administration's effort to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census.

Is There Anyone Who Can Unite the Democrats Besides Trump?  —  The debate between progressives and moderates never ends, but the party does best when neither side wins outright.  —  Mr. Edsall contributes a weekly column from Washington, D.C. on politics, demographics and inequality.

Tired, Irrelevant Democratic Candidates Point To Trump Reelection  —  It is easier to notice the drift of American political public opinion after being away from it in England for six weeks.  It is obvious that President Trump is steadily gaining ground.  The human wave of kooks …

Democratic donor Ed Buck accused of human trafficking and revenge porn after man dies in his home  —  Prominent political activist Ed Buck is facing new legal troubles as the mother of a man who died in his home has filed an amended civil suit accusing Buck of human trafficking and engaging in revenge porn, CBS Los Angeles reports.