White House briefs Senate amid tense times with North Korea

This photo distributed on Wednesday, April 26, 2017, by the North Korean government, shows what was said to be a "Combined Fire Demonstration" held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in North Korea. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the Korean Central News Agency via Korea News Service.

The Latest: 2 tales: Lawmaker was either corrupt or betrayed

Bishop Rudolph W. McKissick, Sr., left, escorts former Congresswoman Corrine Brown to the Bryan Simpson Federal Courthouse in Jacksonville, Fla,., Wednesday, April 26, 2017, for opening arguments in her trial. Brown was indicted in July on 22 counts involving conspiracy, mail and wire fraud, filing false tax returns and hiding income.

Manchin says Senate backing retired miners’ benefits

West Virginia's Democratic U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin says the Senate backs permanently extending health benefits for more than 22,000 retired miners and widows whose medical coverage is set to expire after April. Manchin says Wednesday the permanent fix will be included in the Senate measure to continue government funding with a vote likely Friday.

First on CNN: House Russia investigation chair sought reset, House Dems cool public criticism

The new leader of the House Russia investigation asked House Democrats to cool their barrage of criticism as part of a reset for the House intelligence committee that both sides hope will hold. Rep. Mike Conaway asked Democrats on the committee to curb their critiques for a bit while he got his footing as the new leader of the high-stakes probe, two sources familiar with the request told CNN.

Lawmakers: Former Trump aide Flynn may have broken US law

President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, appeared to violate federal law when he failed to seek permission or inform the U.S. government about accepting tens of thousands of dollars from Russian organizations after a trip there in 2015, leaders of a House oversight committee say. The congressmen also raised new questions about fees Flynn received as part of $530,000 in consulting work his company performed for a businessman tied to Turkey's government.

Trump wants a review of national monuments

President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order Wednesday directing his interior secretary to review the designation of tens of millions of acres of land as "national monuments," an action that could upend protections put in place in Utah and other states as Trump tries to rack up accomplishments in his first 100 days. The Antiquities Act of 1906 authorizes the president to declare federal lands as monuments and restrict how the lands can be used.

Lawmakers suggest former Trump aide Michael Flynn broke U.S. law

President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, appeared to violate federal law when he failed to seek permission or inform the U.S. government about accepting tens of thousands of dollars from Russian organizations after a trip there in 2015, leaders of a House oversight committee said Tuesday. The congressmen also raised new questions about fees Flynn received as part of $530,000 in consulting work his company performed for a businessman tied to Turkey's government.

Oregon timber execs hope new Canadian duty leads to better times

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, center, accompanied by White House press secretary Sean Spicer, left, smiles while speaking to the media about a new tariff on Canadian lumber during the daily press briefing at the White House, Tuesday, April 25, 2017, in Washington. Oregon timber executives said Tuesday they will consider adding jobs, instituting new shifts, and investing more in existing Northwest mills as a result of a new 20 percent duty on Canadian softwood lumber announced by the White House.

Rice farmer expresses confidence in Sites Reservoir

The long-proposed Sites Reservoir in Northern California is “going to get built” but it will be a challenge, according to Woodland-based rice farmer Fritz Durst. Durst was speaking to the Woodland Chamber of Commerce Water Committee Tuesday morning and while he remains confident the Maxwell-area reservoir will one day be completed, he said there are challenges.

Wisconsin AG: Undercover campaign videos reveal no crime

The Wisconsin Department of Justice has concluded that secretly recorded videos of a Democratic activist bragging about deploying troublemakers at Donald Trump presidential campaign rallies show no evidence that laws were broken. Conservative activist James O'Keefe and his investigative film group, Project Veritas, released secretly recorded and selectively edited video footage in October of Wisconsin -based liberal operative Scott Foval boasting about connections to the Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton 's campaign.

Lawmakers suggest former Trump aide Flynn broke US law

Former national security adviser Michael Flynn failed to comply with the federal law According to Rep. Elijah Cummings, documents show that Flynn did not report his earnings from speaking engagements in Russia and lobbying activities in Turkey. The Oversight Committee asked the White House for documents of Flynn's security-clearance applications, but the White House replied that the papers were not in its possession.

Trump may be relenting on demand for border walla

The White House appeared Tuesday to be backing off its demand for immediate funding to begin construction of a wall on the Southwest border, opting instead to fight for money in the 2018 budget and make it easier for Congress to avert a government shutdown this week. White House may be relenting on demand for immediate border wall funding The White House appeared Tuesday to be backing off its demand for immediate funding to begin construction of a wall on the Southwest border, opting instead to fight for money in the 2018 budget and make it easier for Congress to avert a government shutdown this week.

GOP special election candidates warn donors of Democratic surge

Greg Gianforte, right, is congratulated by a supporter in March 2017 after he won the Republican nomination for Montana's special House election. The candidates for open House seats in Georgia and Montana are taking a familiar, panicked tone in their donation emails, warning Republicans that the Democrats - so recently boxed out of power - are poised to make a comeback.

Chaffetz says Flynn may have broken law with Russian payments

Chaffetz says Flynn may have broken law with Russian payments White House denied a bipartisan request for more information about Flynn's brief tenure. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: http://usat.ly/2phLWpX WASHINGTON - Rep. Jason Chaffetz said Tuesday there is "no data to support the notion that complied with the law" related to payments he had received from Russian-linked entities.

Michael Flynn

President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, appeared to break U.S. law when he failed to seek permission or inform the government about accepting tens of thousands of dollars from Russian organizations after a trip there in 2015, leaders of a House committee investigating possible Russian ties with the Trump campaign said Tuesday. They congressmen also raised new questions about Flynn's consulting firm accepting $530,000 from a company tied to Turkey's government.

Negotiators make progress on bill to keep government open

By ALAN FRAM and ANDREW TAYLOR Associated Press WASHINGTON - Congressional and White House negotiators made progress Tuesday on a must-pass spending bill to keep the federal government open days ahead of a deadline as President Donald Trump indicated that U.S. funding for a border wall with Mexico could wait until September. But a big stumbling block remains, involving a Democratic demand for money for insurance companies that help low-income people afford health policies under former President Barack Obama's health law, or that Trump abandon a threat to use the payments as a bargaining chip.