Trump promised to shrink the trade deficit.  Instead it exploded.  —  BREAKING NEWS: U.S. posted record-breaking $891.2 billion merchandise trade deficit in 2018, despite Trump's ‘America First’ policies  —  President Trump's tariffs and tough policies have failed to shrink a trade gap …

President pressured staff to grant security clearance to Ivanka Trump  —  Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump pressured his then-chief of staff John Kelly and White House counsel Don McGahn to grant his daughter and senior adviser Ivanka Trump a security clearance against their recommendations …

In the Middle of His Official Business, Trump Took the Time to Send Checks to Michael Cohen  —  WASHINGTON — On a busy day at the White House, President Trump hosted senators to talk about tax cuts, accused a Democratic congresswoman of distorting his condolence call to a soldier's widow …

Former Trump adviser says he does not plan to cooperate with House Judiciary inquiry  —  A former campaign aide for President Trump, one of 81 people to receive a request for documents this week from the House Judiciary Committee, has already informed the committee that he has no records responsive …

‘I think you mean that, too’: Trump's aides struggle to defend, explain his foreign policy statements  —  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo grew testy in a recent newspaper interview when asked to explain why President Trump would take North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “at his word” …

Trump in trouble in Florida poll  —  Donald Trump is in trouble in Florida, a state that's crucial to his reelection hopes.  —  Just 40 percent of Florida voters said they believed the president should be reelected, while 53 percent were opposed to a second term, according to a new Bendixen & Amandi International poll.

Americans, but Not Liberal Democrats, Mostly Pro-Israel  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — The majority of Americans remain partial toward Israel in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with 59% saying they sympathize more with the Israelis whereas 21% sympathize more with the Palestinians.

Payments to corporation owned by Ocasio-Cortez aide come under scrutiny  —  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.)'s chief of staff helped establish two political action committees that paid a corporation he ran more than $1 million in 2016 and 2017, federal campaign finance records show.

The Mueller report no one's talking about  —  Most people don't know it, but there's another Mueller report coming.  —  Around the same time the special counsel sends his Russia investigation findings to the Justice Department, Attorney General William Barr must give Congress an account …

Senate Confirms 37-Year-Old To Lifetime Seat On U.S. Circuit Court  —  Every Democrat opposed Trump nominee Allison Jones Rushing, who is going to be a federal judge for a long, long time.  —  WASHINGTON The Senate voted Tuesday to confirm Allison Jones Rushing, 37, to the U.S. Court …

Our Highest Office, My Deepest Obligation  —  I'm not running for president, but I am launching a new campaign: Beyond Carbon.  —  I've never made any secret of my belief that Donald Trump is a threat to our country.  At the 2016 Democratic National Convention, I said: “New Yorkers know a con when we see one.”

Fox News Quietly Ditched Trump-Loving Sheriff David Clarke  —  The infamous firebrand hasn't appeared on Fox in more than a year and he no longer works for the pro-Trump super PAC that hired him to do media.  —  For years, Sheriff David A. Clarke was a fixture on Fox News …

Trump Fussed Over Tablecloths and Rockettes for the Inauguration  —  It was Christmas Day 2016, and President-elect Donald Trump had the Rockettes on his mind.  —  A few days earlier, James Dolan, chief executive officer of Madison Square Garden, had announced that the famous New York dance troupe …

Does John Hickenlooper Have a Secret Weapon?  —  Maybe nice guys finish Trump.  —  John Hickenlooper's boots weren't made for hiking.  —  Were they even boots?  We couldn't decide.  They occupied some limbo between boots and shoes and were all wrong for the trek that our group of six was taking …

China Won't Make Big Concessions on Trade Deal, Ex-Minister Says  —  China won't make big concessions to the U.S. in order to seal a trade deal, former finance minister Lou Jiwei said in Beijing on Wednesday, calling some U.S. demands for change “unreasonable.”

‘Grab that record’: How Trump's high school transcript was hidden  —  In 2011, days after Donald Trump challenged President Barack Obama to “show his records” to prove that he hadn't been a “terrible student,” the headmaster at New York Military Academy got an order from his boss: Find Trump's academic records and help bury them.

R. Kelly breaks his silence on sexual abuse claims: “I have been assassinated”  —  In an explosive interview, R. Kelly is breaking his silence about the sexual abuse charges that landed him in jail last month.  The embattled R&B singer spoke with “CBS This Morning” co-host Gayle King for nearly 80 minutes Tuesday.

‘Vengeful’ Trump Is Blackballing Disloyal Conservative Operatives Like Rick Tyler  —  The White House pressured Republican candidate Chris McDaniel to drop Rick Tyler as an adviser—an example, say Trump's critics, of petty vengeance triumphing over sound strategy.  —  Lloyd Grove

Trump Organization's Insurance Policies Under Scrutiny in New York  —  New York State regulators have issued an expansive subpoena to the Trump Organization's longtime insurance broker, the first step in an investigation of insurance policies and claims involving President Trump's family business …

House Dems delay vote on resolution rebuking Omar over Israel remarks  —  House Democratic leaders are delaying a vote on a resolution condemning anti-Semitism that had been slated to take place on Wednesday, according to a Democratic aide.  —  Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) …

Power Up: Despite Trump's efforts, Senators won't let Khashoggi killing go  —  Good morning, Power People.  We're halfway there.  Tips, comments, recipes?  Reach out and sign up.  Thanks for waking up with us.  —  Global Power  —  COVERING UP KHASHOGGI: Five months have passed since the …

Shakeup possible in federal case against ex-congressman Aaron Schock … Aaron Schock, a Peoria Republican, has been fighting federal corruption charges since leaving office four years ago.  —  WLS  —  CHICAGO (WLS) — There is a mystery concerning the corruption case against former downstate Illinois Congressman Aaron Schock.

Democrats Plan to Grill Kirstjen Nielsen on Perjury Allegations  —  According to staffers, Nielsen should expect harsh questioning on child deaths in detention, Trump's emergency declaration, and the veracity of her own past statements to Congress.  —  Scott Bixby