Barzani: Iraqi Kurds to vote on independence in September

Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region has called a referendum on independence to be held on September 25, an official said on Wednesday, moving ahead with a plan for full statehood that is likely to be opposed by Baghdad. Wednesday's announcement comes just two months after Iraqi Kurdistan released a roadmap for a referendum, with Kurdish leaders stating at the time that a vote is a " natural right of the nation of Kurdistan to decide on its political and administrative path in a referendum and an entity of an independent state ".

Mr. Nunes Went To Washington

Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., the now-controversial chair of the House Intelligence Committee, is a bit different from what Washington expects in its politicians. He grew up in the agricultural cornucopia of the Central Valley of California -- fruits, vegetables, beef, dairy products and fibers -- the concrete expression of a myriad of hard-working ethnic groups.

U.S. intelligence chiefs decline to discuss contacts with president

Lawmakers verbally sparred with top intelligence chiefs on Wednesday after they staunchly refused to answer questions about conversations they had with President Donald Trump regarding probes into Russian activities during the election. Members of the Senate intelligence committee wanted to know about news reports claiming Trump had asked Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and Adm.

Rep. Chris Collins: Trump Was Trying To Protect Flynn As A Friend, Not Stop An Investigation

GOP Rep. Chris Collins of New York said he believes President Donald Trump wasn't asking then-FBI Director James Comey to stop investigating former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Rather, he was acting out of loyalty to protect his friend from further public scrutiny.

Graham: Mueller Wouldn’t Let Comey Testify If There Were Obstruction Of Justice [VIDEO]

Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said Wednesday the "best evidence" to date that President Trump did not commit obstruction of justice is that James Comey is being allowed to testify in front of the Senate. Graham told Fox News' Martha MacCallum that no prosecutor would let their "star witness" testify in front of the Senate if they felt they had a decent case.

Congress needs to reassert itself on use of force

The Trump Administration, like its predecessors, has shown an apparent appetite for the use of force overseas. The "mother of all bombs" dropped on Syrian troops, saber-rattling toward North Korea, deployments of U.S. forces in 10 or more countries -- all of this suggests a growing comfort with the idea of putting our troops in dangerous places.

CNN: Sen. McCain ‘Disturbed’ by Trump Asking Comey for Loyalty

Sen. John McCain reportedly said Wednesday he was "disturbed" by former James Comey's statement to Congress that President Donald Trump pressured him to drop the probe into Michael Flynn's alleged Russia ties and Sen. Chuck Grassley said he might subpoena the former FBI director to testify before his committee. The comment by McCain, the six-term Arizona Republican, was reported by CNN's Manu Raju , who said "he would not go there" when the senator was asked whether Trump's actions constituted obstruction of justice.

Comey Testimony: Trump Told Me ‘I Need Loyalty. I Expect Loyalty’

Former FBI Director James Comey will tell the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday that President Donald Trump asked him to pledge his loyalty and to end the agency's investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, according to his prepared remarks posted online Wednesday. "I need loyalty, I expect loyalty," Comey said Trump told him in his prepared remarks, posted on the website of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Kansas governor denounces legislature’s action to raise taxes

Republican Governor Sam Brownback of Kansas, speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, U.S., February 23, 2017. Kansas Governor Sam Brownback on Wednesday criticized the state legislature for overriding his veto of a bill that hikes income tax rates to plug budget holes, saying it will hurt the state's efforts to spur economic growth.

Ryan won’t commit to Treasury timetable for debt increase

House Speaker Paul Ryan won't commit to holding a vote to increase the government's borrowing authority this summer. The Wisconsin Republicans instead says the House will vote on such debt legislation before the government defaults - but not necessarily by an August deadline requested last month by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin .

The Latest: Coats refuses to discuss Trump conversations

The directors of national intelligence and the National Security Agency say they are in discussions with the White House about whether their conversations with President Donald Trump are protected by executive privilege. NSA Director Mike Rogers says he has not yet received an answer from the White House about whether the president intended to invoke the authority afforded to him to withhold certain communications from the public.

Top intel officials Coats and Rogers say they’ve never been ‘pressured’ on Russia investigations

The Senate Intelligence Committee's witnesses on Wednesday included top officials from the FBI, NSA, Justice Department and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Top intel officials Coats and Rogers say they've never been 'pressured' on Russia investigations The Senate Intelligence Committee's witnesses on Wednesday included top officials from the FBI, NSA, Justice Department and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

U.S. Sen. John Kennedy returns from overseas trip highlighting NATO

U.S. Sen. John N. Kennedy has returned from an overseas trip with a bipartisan group of members of the U.S. House and Senate. Kennedy, R-Madisonville, traveled to Belgium, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland and France on a trip that focused on NATO and defense spending.

White House touts the ACA’s demise even as insurers seek help in stabilizing its marketplace

President Trump, flanked by Vice President Mike Pence and Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, signed an executive order targeting the Affordable Care Act as one of his first official acts in office on Jan. 20. The event Monday in the Roosevelt Room of the White House was just the latest "health-care listening session" hosted by an administration that for months has repeatedly sought to undercut a law it officially must carry out.