Lawmakers release thousands of Russian Facebook ads

Democrats on the House intelligence committee have released more than 3,500 Facebook ads that were created or promoted by a Russian internet agency, providing the fullest picture yet of Russia's attempt to sow racial and political division in the United States before and after the 2016 election. Most of the ads are issue-based, pushing arguments for and against immigration, LGBT issues and gun rights, among other issues.

Haspel Is the Most Qualified to Run the CIA – That’s Why She’s a Terrible Choice

Gina Haspel is a consummate professional who has served the U.S. intelligence community with distinction for more than 30 years. As the Trump administration's nominee to head up the Central Intelligence Agency, Haspel has received endorsements from six former CIA directors, three former directors of national intelligence, and two former secretaries of state.

Trump’s Iran move reminds some of run-up to Iraq war

Agencies, Washington , Fifteen years after invading Iraq over weapons of mass destruction and ties to al Qaeda that both proved non-existent, the United States is again steering toward a possible confrontation with a Middle East power for suspected work on nuclear weapons and support for terrorism. U.S. President Donald Trump's Iran policy sounds hauntingly familiar to some current and former U.S. officials who witnessed the buildup to the March 2003 invasion of Iraq, where sectarian and ethnic fractures and some 5,000 U.S. troops still remain.

Stephen Colbert Breaks Down All the Scandals Surrounding Michael Cohen

It's a difficult task keeping up with the mounting legal troubles engulfing Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's longtime personal lawyer. There's last month's FBI raid into Cohen's offices , Rudy Giuliani's baffling statements confirming the president reimbursed Cohen for money to silence adult film star Stormy Daniels, and documents this week that reportedly show a firm connected to a Russian oligarch paid Cohen $500,000 .

Trump Says NK Was ‘Excellent’ To Detainees, Pence Hints Otherwise

In a made-for-TV ceremony in the dead of night, President Donald Trump on Thursday welcomed home three Americans freed by North Korea and declared their release a sign of promise toward his goal of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula. With the former detainees by his side on a dark air base tarmac, Trump called it a "great honor" to welcome the men to the U.S., but said "the true honor is going to be if we have a victory in getting rid of nuclear weapons."

Trump: North Korea a excellenta to detainees, Pence hints otherwise

In a made-for-TV ceremony in the dead of night, President Donald Trump on Thursday welcomed home three Americans freed by North Korea and declared their release a sign of promise toward his goal of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula. With the former detainees by his side on a dark air base tarmac, Trump called it a "great honor" to welcome the men to the U.S., but said "the true honor is going to be if we have a victory in getting rid of nuclear weapons."

Texas Lawsuit Could Speed DACA’s Path To SCOTUS

Three judges have ordered the Trump administration to continue a program that has shielded hundreds of thousands of young immigrants from deportation. Now, a lawsuit filed last week in Texas seeks to shut down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and may create a legal clash that could speed the issue's path to the Supreme Court.

CIA nominee says she doesn’t believe torture works

President Donald Trump's CIA nominee said during her confirmation hearing that she doesn't believe torture works as an interrogation technique and that her "strong moral compass" would prevent her from carrying out any presidential order she found objectionable. Under questioning Wednesday by members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, acting CIA Director Gina Haspel said she would not permit the spy agency to restart the kind of harsh detention and interrogation program it ran at black sites after Sept.

Senate Democrats force vote to reinstate net neutrality

More than a dozen Democratic senators called publicly Wednesday for reinstating net neutrality protections, and moved to force a vote on the proposal. The issue galvanizes Democrats and is poised to pass the Senate, but it faces an uphill battle in the House and would likely be vetoed by President Donald Trump if it somehow gets to his desk.

Trump is returning to campaign roots with rally in Indiana Source: AP

Taking the reins as party leader, President Donald Trump is returning to his campaign roots with big-stage events allowing him to target vulnerable Senate Democrats and mobilize his most fervent supporters on behalf of Republicans. Trump was set to rally supporters in Elkhart, Indiana, on Thursday night, two days after state Republicans nominated former state lawmaker Mike Braun to challenge vulnerable Democratic U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly.

Families tell EPA chief of deaths linked to paint stripper

Director of the Office of Management and Budget Mick Mulvaney, left, and Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt listen to President Donald Trump speak during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Wednesday, May 9, 2018, in Washington. less Director of the Office of Management and Budget Mick Mulvaney, left, and Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt listen to President Donald Trump speak during a cabinet meeting at the White ... more WASHINGTON - Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt has met with families of two men whose deaths were linked to a toxic compound in a widely sold paint stripper, weeks after lawmakers pressed him about an Obama-era rule that would limit sales to consumers.

Texas suit could get DACA on faster track to Supreme Court

Three judges have ordered the Trump administration to continue a program that has shielded hundreds of thousands of young immigrants from deportation. Now, a lawsuit filed last week in Texas seeks to shut down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and may create a legal clash that could speed the issue's path to the Supreme Court .

Two Democratic senators want Senate committee to investigate Cohen payments

Two Democratic senators have sent a letter to telecom company AT&T demanding information on payments the company made to a consulting firm owned by Michael Cohen, Donald John Trump McConnell trolls Blankenship on Twitter: 'Thanks for playing, Don' Pittenger loses GOP primary fight Blankenship concedes GOP Senate primary in W. Va. MORE FCC chair meets Sprint, T-Mobile execs This week: Senate tees off net neutrality showdown Dem senators urge FDA to remove powerful opioids from the market MORE and Richard Blumenthal wrote to AT&T on Wednesday requesting information on the deal, which Blumenthal says could have been used to influence President Trump on his administration's policies favoring the abandonment of net neutrality.

Russian tycoon known for Faberge eggs tied to Cohen payment

Outside the rarified sphere of the super-rich, tycoon Viktor Vekselberg is mostly known in Russia for spending more than $100 million to bring cultural artifacts back to their homeland, including an array of Faberge eggs glittering with gold and jewels. By Vekselberg's standards, the money he laid out wasn't all that much: His fortune has been estimated at about $14.6 billion.

Russian firm pleads not guilty to election meddling charge

A Russian company accused of funding a conspiracy to meddle in the 2016 presidential election pleaded not guilty Wednesday in federal court in Washington. The court appearance was the first by any of the Russian defendants accused by special counsel Robert Mueller of participating in a covert social media campaign aimed in part at helping Donald Trump defeat Hillary Clinton.