The Latest: 13 Days in July shaped Trump White House

The two-week span between July 19-31 laid bare the splintering of Trump's relationships with two influential Cabinet members, foreshadowed the reach of the Russia probe into the interior of his orbit; saw the dramatic, last-minute defeat of one of the president's signature campaign promises and featured a senior staff shake-up that reset the rhythms of this presidency. From the outside, it was an unruly stretch that threatened to turn the White House into a sideshow.

President Donald Trump speaks on the phone with children as they…

President Donald Trump speaks on the phone with children as they track Santa Claus' movements with the North American Aerospace Defense Command Santa Tracker on Christmas Eve at the president's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., Sunday, Dec. 24, 2017. less President Donald Trump speaks on the phone with children as they track Santa Claus' movements with the North American Aerospace Defense Command Santa Tracker on Christmas Eve at the president's ... more PALM BEACH, Fla.

Donald Trump predicts new health care plan will happen after repealing Obamacare mandate

President Trump predicted Tuesday that the parties will come together on a new health care plan after repealing part of Obamacare in the tax bill last week. "Based on the fact that the very unfair and unpopular Individual Mandate has been terminated as part of our Tax Cut Bill, which essentially Repeals ObamaCare, the Democrats & Republicans will eventually come together and develop a great new HealthCare plan!" Mr. Trump tweeted .

Trump’s security strategy falls short, but not in the way his critics say

Niall Ferguson is not surprised by the outright condemnation of Trump's security strategy, given how polarised the world has become, but says its more muscular posture is to be welcomed. Where it falls short is its inattention to non-state threats As 2017 draws to a close, the world has seldom been so binary.

State VA sets Vietnam War event

The Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs next year is joining a network of groups across the U.S. remembering Vietnam veterans and the 50th anniversary of the war. The agency plans to use the March 29 commemoration ceremony as a springboard to increase its focus on Vietnam veterans next year, Director Nate Todd said.

Why Trump isn’t getting the credit he thinks he deserves

President Donald Trump is probably right: he doesn't get due credit for the volume of achievements he's stacked up during a tumultuous political year. But to judge his presidency so far simply on bills passed, regulations slashed, executive orders signed and campaign promises kept would be to paint a skewed picture of the most divisive and controversial new administration in generations.

Trump lawyers looking forward to end Russia probe

Washington, Dec 26 : US President Donald Trump's legal team is standing by its prediction that a central part of the probe into Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 presidential election will conclude quickly, the media reported. Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow reasserted in an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Monday that the parts of special counsel Robert Mueller's probe involving Trump would end soon, though he did not mention specific dates, reports The Hill magazine.

Trump lawyers looking forward to ‘expeditious’ end to Russia probe

Donald John Trump House Democrat slams Donald Trump Jr. for 'serious case of amnesia' after testimony Skier Lindsey Vonn: I don't want to represent Trump at Olympics Poll: 4 in 10 Republicans think senior Trump advisers had improper dealings with Russia MORE 's legal team is standing by its prediction that a central part of the probe into Russia's election meddling will conclude quickly. Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow reasserted in an interview Monday with The Wall Street Journal that the parts of special counsel Robert Mueller's probe involving Trump would end soon, though he did not mention specific dates.

Trump Effect: Record Holiday Sales Near $600 Billion; Expert:…

Retailers are reporting record holiday sales this season of $598 billion as of Christmas Eve, fueled by confidence in the pro-business, pro-jobs economic polices of President Donald Trump of cutting Obama-era regulations and enacting major tax cuts and reforms. Yet media reports by CBS, AP and the Wall Street Journal all failed to mention President Trump in their reports on the record sales.

Echoes of Watergate in Trump White House

In the days before Christmas a dangerous new tone crept into the ongoing political combat surrounding the investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and suspected Russian efforts to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Just over a week ago the high profile Fox News host Jeanine Pirroa , an old friend of Donald Trump, said on her program there was a "criminal cabal" against Mr Trump inside senior federal law enforcement circles and called for "a cleansing a in our FBI and Department of Justice ... it needs to be cleansed of individuals who should not just be fired, but who need to be taken out in cuffs".

Forget E Pluribus Unum: Trump goes with a MAGAa

DECEMBER 21: John Wertman, a coin collector, with his Trump "challenge coin" on December, 21, 2017 in Burke, VA. The flip side of President Donald Trump's "challenge coin", bottom, along with those of, from left, Vice President Mike Pence, Joe Biden and Barack Obama.

Trump dines on world leaders’ dime, yet to reciprocate gesture

Donald Trump makes a toast during a state dinner hosted by his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. But Trump has yet to reciprocate, making him the first president in almost a century to close his first year in office without welcoming a visiting counterpart to the US with similar trappings.

GOP tax plan makes these states a lot better for retirees

Now that the GOP tax bill sharply limits the deduction for state and local taxes, pre-retirees in high-tax states may ponder: Should I stay or should I go? President Donald Trump said the tax legislation he signed today will get a boost in popularity when Americans begin seeing their paychecks rise in February, and he said he thinks Democrats regret not supporting it. Now that the GOP tax bill sharply limits the deduction for state and local taxes, pre-retirees in high-tax states may ponder: Should I stay or should I go? The final version of the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act," which was released Friday, places a cap of $10,000 on the deduction filers can take for a combination of state and local income, sales and property taxes.

CNN analyst shoots down Trump’s McCabe attack: ‘What he…

CNN political analyst and Spectrum News anchor Errol Louis said that President Donald Trump's attacks on Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe - who was contemporaneously informed by former FBI Director James Comey about Trump's attempts to halt investigations into disgraced ex-national security adviser Mike Flynn - are nonsensical because Trump has gotten the timeline wrong. "It is the Trump style to strike back if anyone says anything bad about him," said Louis, "and the fact that Deputy Dir.