Peter Strzok fiasco wrecks the GOP’s bogus conspiracy theory

There are times when you watch what's happening in American politics and come to believe you've fallen through the rabbit hole, to a place where everything is upside down. Today was one of those times, as FBI agent Peter Strzok testified in a public hearing before the House Judiciary Committee, the latest chapter in the saga of Republican attempts to prove that any and all investigation into Russia's attempt to manipulate the 2016 election and the Trump campaign's eager cooperation with that effort is a "witch hunt."

Helsinki: How About a Fresh START?

As US President Donald Trump heads to Helsinki for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump's critics continue to inveigh against what they consider an illicitly close relationship between the two, a perspective stemming from the "Russiagate" scandal drummed up by supporters of Hillary Clinton to explain her defeat in the 2016 presidential election. Russiagate or not, this summit may represent the two countries' last, best opportunity to halt or even reverse a decade of backsliding toward frigid Cold War relations.

Trump’s Brexit intervention is perfectly reasonable, says Rees-Mogg

Donald Trump's explosive Brexit intervention has received a markedly different response from Leavers to Barack Obama's dalliance in the debate. In the months before the referendum, the then US president faced an angry backlash when he warned that Britain would be at "the back of the queue" for American trade deals if it quit the EU.

FBI agent who sent anti-Trump texts defiantly fends off GOP attacks

Peter Strzok, the FBI agent who sent anti-Trump texts, engaged in angry exchanges with House Republicans Thursday as he testified for the first time in public at a joint hearing before the House Judiciary and Oversight committees. One of the first exchanges began when Rep. Trey Gowdy, A South Carolina Republican, said he "didn't give a damn" as Strzok tried to explain the "context" around the texts including one that said "we will stop it," referring to then-candidate Donald Trump.

Abolish Mandatory License for Shampooing Hair? California Lawmakers Will Consider It.

One of my favorite Ronald Reagan quotations illustrates the problem of an ever-growing government: "Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this Earth!" In my decades covering public agencies, I can think of only a handful of rollbacks-and they usually ended up perversely expanding government power.

Senate Democrats blast former Trump attorney for ‘selling access’ to White House

Michael Cohen's relationship with the Swiss drug company Novartis was more extensive than the company previously disclosed, as shown in newly uncovered emails exchanged by President Donald Trump 's former lawyer and the company's former top executive. Add Donald Trump as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Donald Trump news, video, and analysis from ABC News.

Movie Review: Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot

If you're already a dead-end alcoholic, probably the last thing you need is a booze-fueled highway crash that severs your spine and leaves you a quadriplegic, right? Like, what next? This is what happened to the late cartoonist John Callahan, who subsequently adopted a harsh, jokey tone in dealing with physical impairment in his work. In Gus Van Sant's new movie, Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot , we see Callahan, played by Joaquin Phoenix, as a young wastrel shuffling around Portland, Oregon, in never-ending search of a drink.

‘Constitutional Conservatives’ Lose Interest in Holding Trump Accountable

When Rep. Jim Jordan , Rep. Mark Meadows , Rep. Justin Amash , and six other colleagues co-founded the House Freedom Caucus in January 2015, there was ample reason for libertarians to cheer. Unlike the soft-spined conservatism of the larger Republican Study Committee, the Freedom Caucus promised to be much more hardcore about spending, war, constitutionalism, and oversight of the executive branch.

Congress takes a baby step on reclaiming trade powers

On Wednesday, the United States Senate took what Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tennessee, called a "baby step" towards reasserting congressional authority over U.S. trade policy. By an 88-11 vote, the Senate approved a nonbinding resolution requesting that language expressing the need for a congressional role in tariffs imposed on national security grounds be included in an appropriations bill currently being negotiated.

Democratic candidate says he won’t back Pelosi for Speaker

A Democrat seeking to flip Ohio's 1st Congressional District in November says he won't support U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi for Speaker if the party regains control of the House of Representatives. Cincinnati's Aftab Pureval has joined a growing list of Democratic congressional candidates who are distancing themselves from the House minority leader from California.

Hearing on Russia probe devolves into shouting match

An embattled FBI agent whose anti-Trump text messages exposed the Justice Department to claims of institutional bias vigorously defended himself at an extraordinary congressional hearing that devolved into shouting matches, finger-pointing and veiled references to personal transgressions. Peter Strzok on Thursday testified publicly for the first time since being removed from special counsel Robert Mueller's team following the discovery of texts last year that were traded with an FBI lawyer in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election.

5 takeaways from FBI agent’s explosive congressional hearing

In an explosive, hourslong congressional hearing Thursday, FBI agent Peter Strzok was defiant as Republicans unleashed blistering attacks, saying his anti-Trump sentiment - captured in personal text messages - is evidence of bias at the Justice Department. Democrats threw their support behind Strzok with gusto.

Better relations with Russia are a worthy goal. But at what price?

As the Helsinki summit approaches, President Trump appears to be on the verge of acquiescing to parts of the belligerent strategy and behavior that Moscow has been pursuing for decades. The summit will be a culmination of Trump's often-proclaimed eagerness for better relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.