Putin-backing ‘London professor’ in Trump case often traveled to Russia, little known in U.K.

In this handout photo taken in 2016 and released on Tuesday by the Valdai Club foundation, Joseph Mifsud, a politics professor, attends the Valdai Discussion Club Conference following the results of the closed-door Iran-Russia discussion in Moscow. Mifsud is suspected of being a key link between the Russian government and the Donald Trump campaign, but Mifsud, identified solely as 'the London professor' in court documents, has kept a low profile in London academic circles.

In Closing Words at Trial of Robert Menendez, Debate Over What Bribery ‘Looks Like’

As the trial of Senator Robert Menendez neared its end on Thursday, the prosecution focused on three flights he took years ago on a private plane owned by his friend Dr. Salomon Melgen, and on a $58,500 payment the senator made for the three flights after they became public. "Senator Menendez never intended to write that check," J.P. Cooney, a federal prosecutor, said in court here.

Trump nominates Fed’s Powell to lead U.S. central bank

President Donald Trump on Thursday tapped Fed Governor Jerome Powell to become head of the U.S. central bank, promoting a soft-spoken centrist to replace Janet Yellen when her term expires in February 2018. U.S. President Donald Trump looks on as Jerome Powell, his nominee to become chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, speaks at the White House in Washington, U.S., November 2, 2017.

President Trump’s Reactions to Las Vegas and New York Attacks Were Dramatically DifferentTime

The month of October was bookended by two national tragedies: the mass shooting in Las Vegas, which left 59 dead and over 500 injured , and a lone wolf terror attack in New York City, where a 29-year-old male barreled down a popular New York City bike path, killing eight and injuring over a dozen . The cause of the incidents differed.

Democratic lawmakers sue over Trump Administration secrecy

The Trump International Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington. Democratic members of the House Oversight committee have filed suit over the Trump Administration's refusal to turn over information about the Trump family's lease of the Trump Hotel in Washington.

Kushner turned over documents to special counsel in Russia investigation

Jared Kushner has turned over documents in recent weeks to special counsel Robert Mueller as investigators have begun asking in witness interviews about Kushner's role in the firing of FBI Director James Comey, CNN has learned. Mueller's investigators have expressed interest in Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a White House senior adviser, as part of its probe into Russian meddling, including potential obstruction of justice in Comey's firing, sources familiar with the matter said.

Bob Mercer, a prominent Trump backer, leaving hedge fund

Republican mega-donor Robert Mercer, a billionaire with close ties to President Donald Trump, is stepping down from his position as chief executive officer of the New York investment firm Renaissance Technologies. The 71-year-old Mercer is also selling his personal stake in the pro-Trump website Breitbart News to his daughters.

GOP tax plan would slash corporate rate, help wealthiest

House Republicans on Thursday unveiled a tax cut plan that would slash the corporate rate and lower the personal taxes of most Americans but also limit a cherished deduction for homeowners, as President Donald Trump and the GOP seek to deliver on the first tax revamp in three decades. The proposal would add $1.5 trillion to the nation's debt over the next decade as Republicans largely abandoned fiscal discipline in a plan that could secure a legislative achievement for Trump and score a political win ahead of next year's midterm elections.

The Kickoff To Obama’s Foundation Just As Weird, Culty As You’d Guess

The Obama Foundation Summit offered Democrats a chance to escape the realty of Donald Trump's presidency but doing yoga and writing down their hopes for the country in sidewalk chalk. The summit, held in Chicago Wednesday to commemorate the launch of the Obama Foundation, attracted prominent Democratic politicians, fundraisers and celebrities, some of whom told Politico the event was "therapeutic" and represented a "sanity bubble."

The AP: Trump to announce Jerome Powell as next Fed chairman

In this Sunday, Oct. 15, 2017, file photo, U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen speaks during the G30 International Banking Seminar, at Inter-American Development Bank headquarters in Washington. On Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017, the Federal Reserve releases its latest monetary policy statement after a two-day meeting.

Other Views: Wisconsin judicial pick violated fair process

Michael Brennan's nomination for a lifetime appointment as a judge on a federal appellate court whose jurisdiction includes Wisconsin is tainted in ways that should make Wisconsinites wary. The U.S. Constitution grants the president power to nominate federal judges "by and with the advice and consent of the Senate."

At least five people close to Trump engaged with Russian Twitter trolls from 2015 to 2017

President-elect Donald Trump is applauded by his children, from left, Eric, Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr. ahead of a news conference in Trump Tower in Manhattan on Jan. 11, 2017. On Wednesday, Rep. Adam B. Schiff , the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, released a list of Twitter accounts identified as being linked to Russians seeking to meddle in the 2016 election.

House GOP tax overhaul keeps retirement rules

President Donald Trump listens during a meeting on tax policy with business leaders in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Tuesday in Washington. WASHINGTON >> House Republicans would preserve the popular retirement account for middle-class Americans while limiting a cherished deduction for homeowners in a sweeping tax cut plan unveiled Thursday that would add $1.5 trillion to the nation's debt.

Sam Clovis, former Trump campaign official now linked to Russia…

Sam Clovis, a former Trump campaign official who is now linked to special counsel Robert Mueller's federal probe into Russia's interference in the presidential election, is withdrawing his nomination to be the Agriculture Department's chief scientist. Clovis's decision comes just days after court filings indicate that he may have encouraged President Trump's campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos to set up meetings with Russians for the Trump campaign.

Chance The Rapper & Nas Perform At Obama Foundation Summit

Attendees at The Obama Foundation Summit were treated to an array of performances at the conclusion of the event that was put on by former president Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama. With the two-day leadership summit taking place in Chicago, Chance The Rapper was among those to grace the stage on Wednesday .