Russian ambassador told Moscow that Kushner wanted secret communications channel with Kremlin  —  Jared Kushner and Russia's ambassador to Washington discussed the possibility of setting up a secret and secure communications channel between Trump's transition team and the Kremlin …

The attack occurred in the Hollywood District.  “He said, 'Get off the bus, and get out of the country because you don't pay taxes here.'”  —  A man riding the MAX in Northeast Portland fatally stabbed two passengers who tried to stop him from hurling racial and anti-Muslim insults at women on the train …

Zbigniew Brzezinski, National Security Adviser to Jimmy Carter, Dies at 89  —  Zbigniew Brzezinski, the hawkish strategic theorist who was national security adviser to President Jimmy Carter in the tumultuous years of the Iran hostage crisis and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the late 1970s …

Russian Once Tied to Trump Aide Seeks Immunity to Testify Before Congress  —  Oleg V. Deripaska, a Russian oligarch once close to President Trump's former campaign manager, has offered to cooperate with congressional committees investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election …

Inside Hillary Clinton's Surreal Post-Election Life  —  The surreal post-election life of the woman who would have been president.  —  When I walk into the Chappaqua dining room in which Hillary Clinton is spending her days working on her new book, I am greeted by a vision from the past.

Trump Pushing Big White House Changes as Russia Crisis Grows  —  President Trump is actively discussing major changes, including a shakeup of his senior team, after spending much of his free time during his overseas trip weighing the Russia investigation and the political crisis it poses for him.

LEAKED DOCUMENTS REVEAL COUNTERTERRORISM TACTICS USED AT STANDING ROCK TO “DEFEAT PIPELINE INSURGENCIES”  —  A shadowy international mercenary and security firm known as TigerSwan targeted the movement opposed to the Dakota Access Pipeline with military-style counterterrorism measures …

Leaders issue G7 declaration with U.S. a holdout on climate change  —  TAORMINA, Sicily — Leaders of the G7, the world's most exclusive geopolitical club, issued their 2017 declaration Saturday, with U.S. President Donald Trump refusing to join his counterparts in pledging commitment to the 195-nation Paris accord on climate change.

How Team Obama tried to hack the election  —  MORE FROM: … New revelations have surfaced that the Obama administration abused intelligence during the election by launching a massive domestic-spy campaign that included snooping on Trump officials.  —  The irony is mind-boggling …

U.S. Quietly Lifts Limit on Number of Refugees Allowed In  —  WASHINGTON — Despite repeated efforts by President Trump to curtail refugee resettlements, the State Department this week quietly lifted the department's restriction on the number of refugees allowed to enter the United States.

Democrats Aren't Winning  —  The Republican triumph in Montana punctuates how difficult the climb back will be for the out-of-power party in the hyperpartisan Trump era.  —  Democrats still aren't winning.  —  Four months into his administration, President Donald Trump registers the approval of barely 40 percent of the country.

White House Backs Down on Keeping Ethics Waivers Secret  —  WASHINGTON — The White House unexpectedly backed down Friday in a confrontation with the government's top ethics officer, announcing it will publicly disclose waivers that have been quietly handed out since January to let certain former lobbyists work in the administration.

Suddenly There's Another Littoral Ship in Trump's Budget Plans  —  White House, Navy rush to add an extra ship and funding for it  —  Adding a ship would guarantee one each for Lockheed, Austal  —  The White House budget office and the Navy are rushing to find an extra $600 million to buy …

White House correspondent bolts Sputnik over the obvious  —  Andrew Feinberg, a correspondent for Sputnik, has announced on Twitter that he's no longer working for the Russian “global wire, radio and digital news service.”  And he's intent upon doing so with as much detail as possible:

Sources: Comey acted on Russian intelligence he knew was fake  —  Washington (CNN)Then-FBI Director James Comey knew that a critical piece of information relating to the investigation into Hillary Clinton's email was fake — created by Russian intelligence — but he feared that if it became public …

Stop Making Excuses for Greg Gianforte's Assaulting a Reporter  —  Greg Gianforte in a March campaign ad (via YouTube)  —  None of this is a gray area.  —  The first question you have to wonder about concerning the assault and battery allegedly committed by Montana congressional candidate Greg Gianforte …