By ERIC TUCKER and CHAD DAY , Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge Tuesday abruptly postponed the sentencing of President Donald Trump’s first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, declaring himself disgusted and disdainful of Flynn’s crime of lying to the FBI and raising the unexpected prospect of sending the retired Army lieutenant general…
By LISA MASCARO, MATTHEW DALY and CATHERINE LUCEY , Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The fight over President Donald Trump’s $5 billion wall funds has deepened, threatening a partial government shutdown in a standoff that has become increasingly common in Washington. It wasn’t always like this, with Congress and the White House at a crisis…
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Auditor Nicole Galloway has agreed to help the secretary of state’s office investigate whether Attorney General Josh Hawley illegally used public resources to help his political campaign. Galloway, a Democrat, said Friday in a letter to Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, a Republican, that her office would review the…
By JONATHAN LEMIRE , Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke (ZIN’-kee), who’s facing federal investigations into his travel, political activity and potential conflicts of interest, will leave the administration at year’s end. Trump tweets that Zinke “accomplished much during his tenure” and that a replacement would be announced…
By JIM MUSTIAN , Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump offered a simple defense Thursday to accusations he broke campaign finance law by directing attorney Michael Cohen to orchestrate hush-money payments to conceal Trump’s alleged affairs: He was following terrible advice from a bad lawyer. “I never directed Michael Cohen to break…
By JIM SALTER , Associated Press Democrat Claire McCaskill had stern words for her soon-to-be former colleagues in the Senate in a farewell speech on Thursday, saying that polarization and fear of political consequences have rendered the body ineffective and unwilling to take on difficult issues. The two-term senator lost to Republican Attorney General Josh…
By ERIC TUCKER, LARRY NEUMEISTER and CHAD DAY , Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The surprise plea agreement with President Donald Trump’s former lawyer made clear that prosecutors believe Michael Cohen was continuing to pursue the Trump Tower Moscow project weeks after his boss had clinched the Republican nomination for president and while investigators believe…
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The chief prosecutor in one of Missouri’s largest counties says she wants to be the next chairwoman of the Missouri Democratic Party. The Kansas City Star reports that Jackson County prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said Wednesday that she would stay on as prosecutor if she’s picked to lead the Democrats.…
By GARY FINEOUT and BRENDAN FARRINGTON , Associated Press TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A hand recount began Friday in Florida’s acrimonious U.S. Senate contest after an initial review by ballot-counting machines showed Republican Gov. Rick Scott and Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson separated by fewer than 13,000 votes out of more than 8 million cast. Under…
By COLLEEN LONG, ZEKE MILLER and CATHERINE LUCEY , Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is weighing an administration-wide shakeup as he looks to prepare his White House for divided government, with Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen expected to be among the next to go, perhaps as soon as this week. Trump has…