House panel weighs contempt if Bannon fails to show for Thursday hearing

The House Intelligence Committee has scheduled a Thursday meeting to hear testimony from Steve Bannon -- but it's an open question whether President Donald Trump's former chief strategist will even show up. The White House sent a letter to Capitol Hill late Wednesday laying out its explanation for why Trump's transition period falls under its authority to assert executive privilege, a move intended to shield Bannon from answering questions about that time period, according to a person familiar with the discussions.

Bipartisan Senate group reaches immigration deal, but votes unsure

A group of bipartisan senators Wednesday struck a much-anticipated deal on a narrow immigration compromise -- but it remains unclear whether the proposal could garner the elusive 60 votes needed to advance legislation in the Senate. According to a draft obtained by CNN, the bill would offer nearly 2 million young undocumented immigrants who came to the US as children before 2012 a path to citizenship over 10 to 12 years.

State assemblywoman faces fresh misconduct allegations

Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia was hit Wednesday with fresh allegations of misconduct in her office, including frequent discussions about sex and alcohol consumption at the Capitol. San Diego lawyer Dan Gilleon filed a formal complaint with the Legislature detailing the allegations on behalf of four anonymous former employees in Garcia's office.

Former student opens fire at Florida high school, killing 17

A former student opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle at a Florida high school Wednesday, killing at least 17 people and sending hundreds of students fleeing into the streets in the nation's deadliest school shooting since a gunman attacked an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. The shooter, who was equipped with a gas mask and smoke grenades, set off a fire alarm to draw students out of classrooms shortly before the day ended at one of the state's largest schools, officials said.

The Next Democratic President Will Legalize Weed

Porn star who alleged Trump affair: I can now tell my story - NEW YORK - Stormy Daniels, the porn star whom President Donald Trump's personal attorney acknowledges paying $130,000 just before Election Day, believes she is now free to discuss her alleged sexual encounter with Trump. Stormy Daniels Warns Trump & Lawyer: You Breached Our Agreement, Now I'm Free to Talk! - Stormy Daniels has suddenly changed her position and is ready to spill all the tea regarding her alleged affair with Donald Trump, and it all has to do with the president's personal attorney allegedly breaching Police respond to report of shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Florida - live updates - CORAL SPRINGS, Fla.

Adam Schiff: There is ‘ample evidence’ of collusion between Trump campaign, Russians

The senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee said only special counsel Robert Mueller can decide if there's enough for criminal charges. WASHINGTON - There is "ample evidence" that the Trump campaign colluded with Russians, but only special counsel Robert Mueller can decide if it's enough to prove a crime beyond a reasonable doubt, the senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee said Wednesday.

APNewsBreak: Democrats say Interior boss withheld key facts

In this Feb. 9, 2018, file photo,U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke speaks during an conservation announcement at the Western Conservation and Hunting Expo Friday in Salt Lake City. On Monday, Feb. 12, 2018, the Interior Department released budget documents showing Zinke plans to press ahead with a massive overhaul of his department, including a plan to relocate some officials from Washington to the West and creating a new organizational map that mostly ignores state boundaries.

Mnuchin says IRS to ban hedge-fund tax dodge on carried interest

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the Internal Revenue Service will issue guidance within the next two weeks to prevent hedge-fund managers from dodging new tax rules on carried-interest profits. "I've already met with the IRS and our Office of Tax Policy this morning as a result of that article," Mnuchin said Wednesday during a Senate Finance Committee hearing, referring to a Bloomberg News story about hedge fund managers creating shell companies to work around stricter limits on carried interest.

Mnuchin says more Russia sanctions are coming

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Wednesday the Trump administration is "actively working" on imposing sanctions on Russia over its interference in the 2016 US election. "We are actively working on Russia sanctions coming out of the classified briefing," Mnuchin told lawmakers on the Senate Finance Committee, where he was testifying on the President's 2019 budget.

Democrats say Florida statehouse race a bellwether for US

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- A Democratic win in a Florida statehouse district that's firmly Republican is being called a bellwether for national politics, a referendum of sorts on President Donald Trump and his conservative agenda.

3 commentary Jennifer Rubin: We’re defenseless against Russian…

President Donald Trump, unwilling to acknowledge the degree of Russian meddling in the 2016 election , has brushed aside numerous admonitions from Congress, outside experts and even his own advisers to harden our defenses against future interference. On Tuesday, Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats was the latest to testify to Russia's threat to our democracy and our unpreparedness.

Intel chief says “national cry” needed to combat Russian election meddling

In an open session of the Senate committee's annual Worldwide Threat Assessment hearing on Tuesday, all six intelligence chiefs told Vice Chairman Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, that they stood by the conclusions of a January 2017 assessment that said the Russian government -- at President Vladimir Putin's instruction -- "That this is going to happen, and the resilience needed for us to stand up and say we're not going to allow some Russian to tell us how to vote, how to run our country," Coats, who leads the nation's 17 intelligence agencies, said. "I think there needs to be a national cry for that."

Medicare drug plan divides up winners, losers

Some Medicare beneficiaries would face higher prescription drug costs under President Donald Trump's budget while the sickest patients save thousands of dollars, in a plan that comes as the administration has made bringing down drug costs a top priority. In budget documents, the administration said its proposals strike a balance between improving the popular "Part D" prescription benefit for the 42 million seniors enrolled, while correcting design flaws that increase program costs for taxpayers.

Midterm vote Russia’s prey, senators told

The nation's top intelligence chiefs were united Tuesday in declaring that Russia is continuing efforts to disrupt the U.S. political system and is targeting the 2018 midterm election, after its successful operation to sow discord in the most recent presidential campaign. The assessment stands in contrast to President Donald Trump, who has mocked the very notion of Russian interference in the 2016 election and lashed out at those who have suggested otherwise.

Trump wants to fund veterans cemetery in Queens

Tucked into President Trump's budget is funding to construct a cemetery in Queens for at least 50,000 veterans as part of a new effort to expand burial options in densely populated cities for families of service members. Unlike a traditional cemetery, the site in St. Albans would be an outdoor columbarium only for the cremated remains of New York City area service members and their spouses.