First Run News

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is again directing former employees not to cooperate with a congressional investigation, this time instructing former aides Hope Hicks and Annie Donaldson to defy subpoenas and refuse to provide documents to the House Judiciary Committee. The letters from the White House to the Judiciary panel are the latest effort by the White House to thwart congressional investigations into President Donald Trump .

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration on Tuesday imposed major new travel restrictions on visits to Cuba by U.S. citizens, banning stops by cruise ships and ending a heavily used form of educational travel as it seeks to further isolate the communist government. The Treasury Department announced that the U.S.

Republican senators warned Trump administration officials Tuesday they were prepared to block the president’s effort to impose tariffs on Mexican imports, promising what would be GOP lawmakers’ most brazen defiance of the president since he took office. During a closed-door lunch, at least a half-dozen senators spoke in opposition to the tariffs, while no one spoke in support, according to multiple people present who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private meeting. Senators told officials from the White House and Department of Justice that the

WASHINGTON — Democrats shunned a White House veto threat and muscled legislation through the House Tuesday that would bestow a chance for citizenship on an estimated 2 million-plus migrants, a bill that stands virtually no chance of enactment but lets them showcase their efforts on one of their highest-profile priorities. The measure is just one skirmish in Democrats’ multi-front battle against most congressional Republicans over immigration, an issue that has deadlocked the two parties for decades but intensified under the harsh policies and rhetoric of President Donald Tru

NEW YORK — Lawyers for President Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign asked a judge Tuesday to penalize the Democratic National Committee for alleging in a lawsuit a conspiracy between the campaign and Russia, saying special counsel Robert Mueller’s findings revealed the ‘‘doomed effort to prove a falsehood.’’ But lawyers for the Democratic Party responded by saying Mueller’s report confirms and bolsters their claims by detailing the campaign’s repeated suspicious interactions with Russian agents, proving the campaign participated in Russia’s election interference.

The Trump administration told migrant shelters this week to wind down services — such as legal aid, English classes and recreational activity — that are not directly related to children's safety. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said it began instructing grantees this week to begin scaling back or discontinuing awards for activities "that are not directly necessary for the protection of life and safety, including education services, legal services, and recreation." Federal officials said the administration's refugee office is running out of the necess

Early swing state polls suggest President Trump will have his work cut out for him to win reelection to a second term. Trump's upset victories in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin propelled him to the White House in 2016.

Former Vice President only Democratic presidential candidate to hold that position. Biden's support of the Hyde amendment puts him at odds with party leaders, congressional Democrats and his 2020 competitors amid growing momentum to repeal the federal prohibition. "Differentiating himself from the field this way will not earn Joe Biden any political points and will bring harm to women who are already most vulnerable," said Ilyse Hogue, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America.  For other abortion rights advocates, Biden’s support of Hyde illustrates what they say has been his weakness throu

  MORE said Wednesday that “not nearly enough” progress was made in negotiations with Mexican officials over curbing illegal migration, adding the U.S. plans to go ahead with punitive tariffs starting Monday. The talks at the White House were a part of a last-ditch effort by Mexico to avert the tariffs, which are set to begin at 5 percent and could increase to 25 percent by October if the Trump administration deems Mexico has not done enough to crack down on migration and criminal gangs.

Senate Republicans say MORE should postpone tariffs set to be imposed on Mexican exports Monday, and allow more time for negotiators to reach a deal. The senators say further negotiations could help prevent an escalating trade fight they say would damage the U.S.