Trump calls Baltimore ‘disgusting ... rodent infested mess,’ rips Rep. Elijah Cummings over border criticism  —  President Donald Trump took to Twitter on Saturday morning to demand an investigation into Maryland's 7th congressional district in a series of tweets criticizing U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland.

Spare Me the Purity Racket  —  WASHINGTON — After I interviewed Nancy Pelosi a few weeks ago, The HuffPost huffed that we were Dreaded Elites because we were eating chocolates and — horror of horrors — the speaker had on some good pumps.  —  Then this week, lefty Twitter erected …

Mueller's team told Congress his acuity was not an issue.  Some lawmakers privately worry it was.  —  The whispers started in 2018, though where they originated remains unclear: Robert S. Mueller III, the taciturn Marine veteran leading an investigation of the president of the United States, might not be as sharp as he once was.

What Kamala Harris Believes  —  The Democratic candidate wants relevant policy, not “a beautiful sonnet.”  Is that enough for voters?  —  LOS ANGELES — At her strongest, Senator Kamala Harris is forceful and pragmatic.  She elates crowds in Iowa and South Carolina with her denunciations …

The Roots of Boeing's 737 Max Crisis: A Regulator Relaxes Its Oversight  —  SEATTLE — In the days after the first crash of Boeing's 737 Max, engineers at the Federal Aviation Administration came to a troubling realization: They didn't fully understand the automated system that helped send …

POLITICO Playbook: Why the GOP retirements are a gut punch for the party  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  WHILE WE WERE ALL watching ROBERT MUELLER and Democrats this week, here's what happened to House Republicans: Three popular and well-respected members of Congress decided they weren't going to run for reelection.

No, McConnell Isn't ‘Moscow Mitch’  —  As an act of political theater, the Democrats' recent attempt to cast Mitch McConnell in a bad light has been quite successful.  The Internet is awash in headlines contending that he blocked election-security reforms despite warnings about ongoing Russian interference …

Review: Kevin Williamson's ‘The Smallest Minority’  —  The gloves are off  —  Kevin Williamson is having fun.  “You want to do this?  Okay, let's f—ing do this,” you can almost hear him muttering.  In the resultant extended, hilarious, quixotic rant, he takes the gloves off in the fight …

Judge signs protective order over materials feds to turn over to jailed financier Jeffrey Epstein  —  Federal prosecutors in New York overseeing the case against millionaire Jeffrey Epstein are preparing to hand over highly-sensitive investigative material to the financier's defense attorneys …

Anti-Gay Brutality in a Polish Town Blamed on Poisonous Propaganda  —  BIALYSTOK, Poland — The marchers at the first gay pride parade here in the conservative Polish city of Bialystok expected that they would be met with resistance.  —  But last week when Katarzyna Sztop-Rutkowska saw …

You're probably making incorrect assumptions about your opposing political party  —  “You know what they really want.”  —  As America slouches toward the 2020 presidential election, candidates and pundits will regularly tell you this about the other political side, followed by a list …

Trump's ‘maximum pressure’ campaign on Iran faces key test  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran is at a crossroads.  —  His administration is trying to decide whether to risk stoking international tensions even more by ending …

Supreme Court Lets Trump Proceed on Border Wall  —  WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Friday gave President Trump a victory in his fight for a wall along the Mexican border by allowing the administration to begin using $2.5 billion in Pentagon money for the construction.

Kuster, Pappas join growing call for formal US House inquiry into Trump impeachment  —  Kuster was first member of all-Democratic NH congressional delegation to take strong position; Pappas later joined about 100 House Democrats issuing call  —  HIDE TRANSCRIPT SHOW TRANSCRIPT  —  CONCORD, N.H. —