White House reacts to killing of Srinivas Kuchibhotla

The White House has sought to dispel concerns that the fatal shooting of an Indian engineer and the wounding of two other men was inspired by President Donald Trump's rhetoric. Addressing the killing that occured in the US state of Kansas this week, Sean Spicer, the White House spokesperson, said on Friday any loss of life is tragic but it would be absurd to link the action to Trump's stance on immigrants.

Vulnerable Dems lay low as town hall angst rages

From Montana to West Virginia, the nation's most vulnerable Senate Democrats are avoiding town hall meetings as their Republican counterparts get pummeled by an energized electorate frustrated with President Donald Trump's early agenda. Some Democrats prefer to connect with constituents over the telephone or using social media.

One month in, anti-Trump movement shows signs of sustained momentum

People chant outside of The Stonewall Inn during a protest against the Trump administration's move to rescind guidance allowing transgender students to use the bathrooms of their choice, in Manhattan, New York, U.S., February 23, 2017. People listen during a protest against the Trump administration's move to rescind guidance allowing transgender students to use the bathrooms of their choice, in Manhattan, New York, U.S., February 23, 2017.

Duffy and Johnson Targets of Town Hall

Citizen Action of Wisconsin held the meeting focused on the Affordable Care Act and invited both Rep. Sean Duffy and Sen. Ron Johnson at their offices in Wausau and Milwaukee, but neither chose to attend. Jeff Smith is an organizer for Citizen Action and he said that since there weren't any town halls scheduled on the issue, they made one themselves.

White House adviser asked FBI to dispute Russia reports

White House chief of staff Reince Priebus asked a top FBI official to dispute media reports that President Donald Trump's campaign advisers were frequently in touch with Russian intelligence agents during the election, a White House official said late Thursday. The official said Priebus' request came after the FBI told the White House it believed a New York Times report last week describing those contacts was not accurate.

White House says it will step up enforcement of marijuana laws

Oregon lawmakers have repudiated a White House statement suggesting the U.S. Justice Department will enforce the federal prohibition on recreational marijuana in states that have legalized it. When Oregonians legalized recreational pot in 2014, they knew there was a risk of a federal crackdown with future presidential administrations, said Senate Majority Leader Ginny Burdick, D-Portland.

Pricey tickets, lots of police, swank hotel and still McConnell endures protesters

Hundreds of protesters gather outside the Hotel Covington in Covington, Kentucky, to greet Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell before he gives remarks to a group of local business leaders on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017. Scott Goebel, of Fort Thomas, Kentucky, and Claire Robinson, of Union, Kentucky, came to greet Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell when he arrived for a lunchtime speech at the Hotel Covington in Covington, Kentucky, on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017.

Senate Democrats seek answers about a Trump higher ed task force

Betsy DeVos greets Sen. Patty Murray before her confirmation hearing on Jan. 17. DeVos took office as education secretary on Feb. 7. Senate Democrats are asking Education Secretary Betsy DeVos for details on a higher education task force that the president of Liberty University says the Trump administration has asked him to lead. In a letter to DeVos released Thursday, six lawmakers said they are concerned that there has been no public explanation by the president or the administration about the purview of the task force.

McCain makes secret trip to Syria to meet US military, Kurds

"Senator McCain traveled to northern Syria last week to visit U.S. forces deployed there and to discuss the counter-ISIL [another acronym for ISIS] campaign and ongoing operations to retake Raqqa," a McCain spokesperson said in an emailed statement on Wednesday, referring to ISIS' Syrian capital. "Senator McCain's visit was a valuable opportunity to assess dynamic conditions on the ground in Syria and Iraq."

McConnell allies label Bannon a white supremacist, angering Jewish conservatives

As former White House strategist Stephen Bannon declares war on the Republican establishment, a faction linked to the Senate GOP leadership is firing back with the kind of charges previously heard from Democrats and Never-Trumpers when Bannon ran Trump's campaign and sat in the White House. Namely: that the head of Breitbart News and self-described "economic nationalist" is, in fact, an anti-Semite and a white supremacist.

McCain makes secret trip to Syria to meet with US troops

In this Wednesday Feb. 22, 2017, photo released by Emirates News Agency, WAM, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, right, meets with John McCain, Senator of the United States of America and Chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee at Al Shati Palace, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The fight for the future of the Democratic Party is about to…

Democrats vying to become the next chair of the Democratic National Committee are set to face off for the final time before the organization's election on Saturday. At 10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, CNN is set to broadcast a debate between eight candidates for the position.