The Hill reports: President Trump said Wednesday it is “unlikely” he will have to sit down with special counsel Robert Mueller for an interview, arguing that there was “no collusion” between his campaign and Russia. Trump repeatedly dodged whether he would submit to an interview with Mueller by citing his claim there was no collusion during the 2016 presidential election. …

Michael Lavers reports at the Washington Blade: Virginia state Del. Danica Roem (D-Manassas) was sworn in on Wednesday. Roem last November defeated former state Del. Bob Marshall, an anti-LGBT Republican who had represented the 13th District since 1992. Roem, a former journalist, is the first openly transgender person ever seated in a state legislature in the U.S. Roem is among …

Patch.com reports: President Trump will hold a joint press conference with Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg at about 3:20 p.m. Eastern on Thursday. Reporters will likely take the opportunity to ask the president about the ongoing negotiations to avoid a government shutdown and pass a bipartisan deal on immigration. On Tuesday night, the courts blocked Trump’s repeal of the Obama-era …

Just in from Monica Cole: Everyone is familiar with Scholastic Inc. Their book fairs are popular fundraisers at your child’s school. However, Scholastic is not safe for your child and parents should be warned. Scholastic Inc., the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books, is using its platform to promote pro-homosexual and pro-transgender books for children. The corporation, for …

“Maybe somehow, Kim Jong Un, you are watching this. If you are, turn your heart to the Lord Jesus. There are people praying for you and if you will completely change, God is going to help you on a path that will not be destructive. So you can choose, Kim Jong Un; you choose who you serve. If you serve …

Reuters reports: President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that his administration will examine whether U.S. libel laws can be strengthened after a new book questioned his mental fitness to serve as president. “Our current libel laws are a sham and a disgrace and do not represent American values or American fairness so we’re going to take a strong look at …

The Associated Press reports: U.S. immigration agents descended on dozens of 7-Eleven stores before dawn Wednesday to open employment audits and interview workers in what officials described as the largest operation against an employer under Donald Trump’s presidency. Agents targeted about 100 stores nationwide, broadening an investigation that began with a 4-year-old case against a franchisee on New York’s Long …

Via the right-leaning Rasmussen: TV personality Oprah Winfrey is the likely winner over President Trump if the 2020 election were held today, but there are a lot of undecideds. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 48% of Likely U.S. Voters would opt for Winfrey, while 38% would choose Trump. But a sizable 14% are undecided. …

The Daily Beast reports: On an afternoon in late April 1994, a young woman was raped in broad daylight in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. Two days later, the biggest columnist in New York City’s biggest newspaper called her a liar. The woman—black, a lesbian, and an activist—became the target of a vicious smear campaign by a Daily News columnist and sources …

CNBC reports: Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Ca., will not seek re-election later this year, opening up another battleground in the deep blue state as Republicans and Democrats spar for control of the House. Issa’s decision to leave Congress follows the announced retirement of Rep. Ed Royce, R-Ca., earlier this week. He announced the move in a statement on Wednesday. His decision …

Vox reports: Yesterday Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) ignored the objections of her Republican colleagues on the Senate Intelligence Committee and released the full transcript of Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson’s extensive congressional testimony about Christopher Steele’s famous dossier on Donald Trump and Russia. Today, President Trump woke up angry and tweeting about the situation — pretending that there’s something illegal …

The Knoxville News Sentinel reports: Dolly Parton’s Pigeon Forge dinner attraction, Dixie Stampede, has a new name. It’s now known as Dolly Parton’s Stampede, according to a news release from World Choice Investments. It also has a location in Branson, Missouri. Parton explained in the press release that the change streamlines the name of the show, will remove any confusion …

And his first year isn’t even over yet. The Washington Post reports: President Trump has broken 2,000. With just 10 days before he finishes his first year as president, Trump has made 2,001 false or misleading claims in 355 days, according to our database that analyzes, categorizes and tracks every suspect statement uttered by the president. That’s an average of …

USA Today reports: President Trump’s companies sold more than $35 million in real estate in 2017, mostly to secretive shell companies that obscure buyers’ identities, continuing a dramatic shift in his customers’ behavior that began during the election, a USA TODAY review found. In Las Vegas alone, Trump sold 41 luxury condo units in 2017, a majority of which used …

The Associated Press reports: The death toll from the mudslides that struck Southern California climbed to 15 on Wednesday as rescue crews searched for anyone trapped, injured or dead in the onslaught that smashed homes and swept away cars. The torrential rainstorm that set off the disaster cleared out and was no longer a hindrance as searchers made their way …

The Hill reports: The White House called it “outrageous” that a federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. “We find this decision to be outrageous, especially in light of the President’s successful bipartisan meeting with House and Senate members at the White House on the same day,” the …

Politico reports: Former Maricopa County, Arizona, Sheriff Joe Arpaio dismissed criticism from Sen. Jeff Flake Wednesday morning, telling Fox News that “at least I got the guts to face” voters in this year’s midterm elections. “I know he doesn’t like me. But who cares? He’s not running. He’s saying that I’m not going to last more than a month. That …

The International Business Times reports: The Trump administration has waived part of the punishment for five megabanks whose affiliates were convicted and fined for manipulating global interest rates. One of the Trump administration waivers was granted to Deutsche Bank — which is owed at least $130 million by President Donald Trump and his business empire, and has also been fined …

The BBC reports: The Inter-American Court Of Human Rights has ruled that same-sex marriages should be recognised. The court’s rulings apply to countries which have signed the American Convention on Human Rights. Some of the signatories already recognise same-sex marriages while others recognise same-sex civil unions. But others, such as Bolivia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Paraguay and Peru do not …

CBS News reports: A former Republican state lawmaker from Idaho who was facing a sexual abuse investigation has shot and killed himself, authorities said Tuesday. Brandon Hixon died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head at his home, the Canyon County Coroner’s office told CBS affiliate KBOI. A family member discovered his body. Officials have released no details about …