U.S. May Launch Strike If North Korea Reaches For Nuclear Trigger  —  The U.S. is prepared to launch a preemptive strike with conventional weapons against North Korea should officials become convinced that North Korea is about to follow through with a nuclear weapons test, multiple senior U.S. intelligence officials told NBC News.

If Trump Fired Bannon, Would He Seek Revenge?  —  When Steve Bannon vacated a home in Florida in 2015, his landlord complained that an entire Jacuzzi had apparently been coated in acid.  After conservative media star Dana Loesch left Bannon's employ at Breitbart News in 2012 …

36 ISIS fighters killed by US ‘mother of all bombs’: Afghan official  —  (CNN)In its second major display of military might in one week, the US dropped its most powerful non-nuclear bomb on ISIS positions in a remote part of Afghanistan.  —  Afghan officials said 36 militants were killed …

For Trump, a Steep Learning Curve Leads to Policy Reversals  —  WASHINGTON — For President Trump, the road to changing his mind on China included a discussion with corporate executives in the State Dining Room of the White House in February.  When the conversation turned to China's currency …

Jeff Sessions, Unleashed at the Border  —  Attorney General Jeff Sessions went to the border in Arizona on Tuesday and declared it a hellscape, a “ground zero” of death and violence where Americans must “take our stand” against a tide of evil flooding up from Mexico.

Free speech is not violated at Wellesley  —  Many members of our community, including students, alumnae and faculty, have criticized the Wellesley community for becoming an environment where free speech is not allowed or is a violated right.  Many outside sources have painted us as a bunch …

Detroit emergency room doctor charged with child genital mutilation  —  (WXYZ) - A Henry Ford Hospital emergency room doctor has been arrested and charged in connection to performing female genital mutilation on young girls.  —  Jumana Nagarwala, 44, of Northville Michigan is accused …

Trump Shifts Back to Health Care  —  President says his plan to change the tax code will have to wait  —  WASHINGTON—After losing a fight to revamp the health-care system, President Donald Trump said last month he was prepared to put the setback behind him and move on to the next challenge, rewriting the tax code.

Sen. Jeff Flake weathers brutal, 2 1/2-hour Mesa town hall  —  The Arizona senator was battered with questions about Trump's proposed border wall; internet privacy; taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood; and his opposition to ‘Obamacare.’  —  U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake endured a brutal face …

Pompeo mocks microwave surveillance claims  —  CIA Director Mike Pompeo on Thursday mocked those who fear intelligence officials conduct surveillance through microwaves, saying the agency tries to ignore such claims.  —  While White House counselor Kellyanne Conway suffered blowback last month …

The Great Japan Potato-Chip Crisis: Panic Buying, $12 Bags  —  Companies halt sales of some chip brands after bad potato crop  —  Calbee says it doesn't know when chips supply will be restored  —  Demand for potato chips has surged in Japan this week, with products on offer for 6 times …

Assad Says Videos of Dead Children in Syria Chemical Attack Were Faked  —  Syria's president intensified on Thursday a propaganda counterattack against Western accusations that he had ordered a lethal chemical weapons bombing last week on civilians, asserting that videos of victims …

Sexual Abuse at Choate Went On for Decades, School Acknowledges  —  Choate Rosemary Hall, an elite boarding school in Wallingford, Conn., acknowledged decades of sexual abuse by former teachers against the students entrusted to their care in a report on Thursday.

Mélenchon: Far-leftist surges in French polls, shocking the frontrunners  —  In a presidential campaign with more twists than a French braid, Jean-Luc Mélenchon's sudden play to become France's third man — or better — is shaking up the race.  —  With ten days to go before April 23's …

For Neil Gorsuch, Supreme Court job may seem subordinate  —  WASHINGTON — Newly minted Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch will take his place Thursday inside the storied conference room where his eight colleagues have labored shorthanded for the past 14 months.  But he'll likely have one eye on the door.

How many American atheists are there really?  —  “There's a lot of atheists in the closet” — why most polls on religious belief are probably wrong.  —  Here's a simple question: How many Americans don't believe in God?  —  Pew and Gallup — two of the most reputable polling firms in America — both come to a similar figure.

The Magic Disappearing $100 Billion Climate Fund  —  Shocking news—the magic $100 billion climate fund appears not to be taking shape!  Even optimistic estimates sat the fund is $40 billion short, and developing countries say that understates the problem.  The Financial Times:

The Charging Bull Sculptor Is Right.  Fearless Girl Should Go.  —  Wall Street's Fearless Girl statue has weathered more than her fair share of mischief since she was erected the night before International Women's Day.  Just two days after her arrival in the Big Apple, she got humped by a man in a suit miming child rape.

Overseas Adoptions by Americans Continue to Decline  —  They have spent thousands of dollars in fees, scaled a mountain of paperwork and waited nearly five years, but Caroline and Jason Lankford have yet to be matched with the Ethiopian child they long to adopt.

Trump Nominates Salesman To Run Military Draft  —  Don Benton has a long record of controversies, but no record of military service.  —  Late Monday night, when many Americans were in bed, President Donald Trump quietly announced his intention to nominate former Washington state senator Don Benton …