Biden’s SCSU speech worth the wait for fans

Former Vice President Joe Biden was quickly forgiven by a crowd of more than 1,500 at Southern Connecticut State University on Friday night, after arriving more than an hour late for the lecture he was scheduled to deliver. Biden was in Annapolis, Md., earlier in the day, accepting the Naval Academy Alumni Association's Distinguished Graduate Award on behalf of Sen. John McCain, who was unable to attend the ceremony due to a battle with glioblastoma, the same aggressive brain cancer Biden's son Beau died from in 2015.

McCain presses Trump CIA nominee over her record on interrogations

Senator John McCain on Friday pressed President Donald Trump's nominee to be CIA director, Gina Haspel, for information about her ties to the agency's past use of harsh interrogation techniques, underscoring challenges she faces winning confirmation. FILE PHOTO: Gina Haspel, a veteran CIA clandestine officer picked by U.S. President Donald Trump to head the Central Intelligence Agency, is shown in this handout photograph released on March 13, 2018.

White House Rift Over Russia Deepens After Trump’s Putin Call

A battle within the White House over how to address Vladimir Putin is intensifying as U.S. President Donald Trump shows little desire to confront the Russian leader on the most controversial issues facing the two nations. The internal divisions flared this week after Trump congratulated Putin on his re-election without first reviewing written guidance for the phone call, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Trump ignored briefing materials in Putin call

US President Donald Trump congratulated Russian President Vladimir Putin on his re-election despite the warnings from multiple national security advisers and briefing materials that said "DO NOT CONGRATULATE," The Washington Post reported Tuesday evening. The Post, citing an unspecified number of officials familiar with the call, said Trump likewise did not listen to aides who gave him talking points to condemn a nerve agent poisoning in the UK, which the US has blamed on Russia.

Some in GOP alarmed as Trump tweets against Robert Mueller

President Donald Trump kept up his attack on the escalating Russia investigation, insisting in a new tweet Monday that it was "a total WITCH HUNT with massive conflicts of interest!" The comment came a day after a top White House lawyer tried to calm speculation that the president was considering firing the special counsel leading the probe. White House lawyer Ty Cobb offered a statement late Sunday after top congressional Republicans warned of repercussions if Trump fired special counsel Robert Mueller, who is looking into contacts between Trump's 2016 campaign and Russia and Russian meddling in the presidential election.

Tech backlash: a Maybe Silicon Valley needs to be taken down to sizea

Demonstrators at a rally Saturday in opposition to white supremacists and the postponed right-wing "March on Google" protest of James Damore's firing that was originally planned the same day. Once upon a time, there was a beautiful land filled with bright minds and gleaming prospects.

White House, Sen. Cotton blast Rand Paul for opposing CIA pick

Sen. Rand Paul's opposition to President Donald Trump's pick to head the Central Intelligence Agency drew fire Friday from both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue - first by a key Senate Republican colleague, then by the White House. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders accused Paul of conveying "incorrect information" about CIA nominee Gina Haspel and said the White House plans to set the record straight.

Profile of next CIA Director Gina Haspel

'A night with Harvey, that's the price you pay': Director Terry Gilliam hits out at #MeToo 'mob rule', claiming some women 'did very well' after meeting with Weinstein and revealing why he thinks Hollywood will never change Trump's pick for CIA boss wasn't in charge of black site when al Qaeda suspect was waterboarded 83 times and lost an eye: Website drops claim which threatened to derail confirmation 'Who's next?' Trump jokes about high-level staff firings as national security adviser and veterans secretary's jobs hang in the balance Stormy Daniels' lawyer says SIX MORE women have come forward with similar stories about Trump and reveals she was 'physically threatened to stay silent' over their affair Russia is hacking our energy grid, nuclear facilities and aviation systems says Trump administration - and cyber war has been going on for two years Moscow hits back at Trump: The Kremlin ... (more)

Trump’s picks for secretary of state, CIA hit potential roadblocks in Senate

President Donald Trump's picks for secretary of state and CIA director are running into potential roadblocks among Republicans in the Senate, suggesting a difficult confirmation process at a time when the administration wants to quickly fill the positions. Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, said Wednesday he will oppose Trump's decision to replace Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with CIA Director Mike Pompeo and to nominate Deputy CIA Director Gina Haspel to lead the nation's spy agency.

Baldwin searches for right path to keep key Senate seat Source: AP

Sen. Tammy Baldwin was back home in Wisconsin, talking about guns, health care and other issues before a politically minded luncheon crowd, when one of her Republican challengers rose to confront her. Why, state Sen. Leah Vukmir wondered, had Baldwin voted against the GOP tax overhaul that cut taxes for the middle class? Without a hint of irritation at the ambush, Baldwin quickly flipped the question, pointing out middle-class relief would be temporary and blaming the tax changes for a northeastern Wisconsin paper company laying off 600 workers.

US House OKs bill extending Amber Alerts to tribal lands

The House gave final approval Monday to a bill that will give tribes direct access to funds that will let them quickly post AMBER alerts over text messaging, radio and television to counties within reservation borders. The AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act was sparked by the May 2016 abduction of Ashlynne Mike, an 11-year-old Navajo girl.

GOP primary winner faces 2nd federal election law complaint

A second complaint alleging federal campaign finance law violations has been filed against the winner of this week's special Republican primary election to replace former U.S. Rep. Trent Franks. The complaint against former state Sen. Debbie Lesko was filed with the Federal Election Commission on Thursday by the Campaign Legal Center, a Washington-D.C.-based group that supports strong enforcement of the finance laws.

Meghan McCain Hits CPAC Head Matt Schlapp Over Comments About Her Father

Meghan McCain blasted American Conservative Union Chairman Matt Schlapp for excusing the "inexcusable" after suggesting her father, Sen. John McCain deserved to be booed because he cast the deciding vote that nixed an Obamacare repeal bill in the Senate last year. Schlapp's organization hosts the Conservative Political Action Committee Conference held this past week.

CPAC crowd boos John McCain over Obamacare vote

Attendees of the annual Conservative Political Action Conference booed Republican Sen. John McCain on Friday, as President Trump slammed him for voting against a bill last year that would have repealed Obamacare. "Remember, one person walked into a room, when he was supposed to go this way, and he said he was going this way, and he walked in, and he went this way and everyone said, 'What happened? What was that all about?' " Trump said, eliciting heavy boos from the CPAC crowd.