Politics

The Hill reports: Democrats hold a 15-point lead over Republicans on a generic House ballot, according to a poll released Thursday by Suffolk University and USA Today. This survey is at least the third in recent days to have found Democrats with a double-digit lead as voters look to the 2018 midterms. Forty-seven percent of respondents said that they would …

Talking Points Memo reports: A spokesperson for the Department of Housing and Urban Development told TPM Thursday that Secretary Ben Carson had ordered the agency to rescind an order for $31,561 worth of dining room furniture. “At the request of the Secretary, the agency is working to rescind the order for the dining room set,” HUD spokesperson Raffi Williams told …

The Washington Post reports: In March 2001, she was granted a green card in the elite EB-1 program, which was designed for renowned academic researchers, multinational business executives or those in other fields, such as Olympic athletes and Oscar-winning actors, who demonstrated “sustained national and international acclaim.” “We called it the Einstein visa,” said Bruce Morrison, a former Democratic congressman …

The Washington Post reports: Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III has been investigating a period of time last summer when President Trump seemed determined to drive Attorney General Jeff Sessions from his job, according to people familiar with the matter who said that a key area of interest for the inquiry is whether those efforts were part of a months-long …

TMZ reports: Donald Trump Jr. is “one and done” when it comes to his civic duty, and looks pretty damn happy about it. We got Trump Jr. outside the Manhattan criminal courthouse where he reported Wednesday morning for jury duty. The President’s son was actually selected as a potential juror in an attempted robbery case, but obviously didn’t make the …

USA Today reports: President Trump said he favored taking guns away from people who might commit violence before going through legal due process Wednesday, one of many startling comments he made in a rambling White House meeting with a bipartisan group of lawmakers. Trump also called some of his fellow Republicans afraid of the NRA, said “we must harden our …

The BBC reports: A nomination made for US President Donald Trump to receive the Nobel Peace Prize was potentially fraudulent, according to the awarding committee. The Norwegian committee has filed a report with police over its concerns. Mr Trump was reportedly nominated for his “ideology of peace by force” by an anonymous American. The director of the Nobel Institute said …

The Independent reports: President Donald Trump has mounted a fresh attack on his attorney general, questioning his judgement on a federal investigation in a rambling tweet. The president lashed out at Attorney General Jeff Sessions over his decision to appoint the Department of Justice inspector general to probe allegations of FBI surveillance abuse. Mr Sessions had announced the day before …

The Hill reports: The Trump campaign store is now selling an “American Dreamer” hat for $50, monetizing one of President Trump’s signature lines from his State of the Union speech last month. The hat reads “American Dreamer” across the front, has an American flag stitched onto the side and “#MAGA” stitched onto the back. The hat is “proudly made in …

People Magazine reports: There’s only one thing that could make Oprah Winfrey run for president in 2020. Amid calls for her to consider a run for the White House — from fans as well as her closest friends — “I went into prayer,” she tells PEOPLE in the magazine’s new cover story. “ ‘God, if you think I’m supposed to …

Axios reports: The Trump family — and the president’s oldest son, Don Jr., in particular — was angry about the overwhelmingly negative TV coverage about Jared Kushner last night, and feels White House Chief of Staff Kelly is hanging Jared out to dry, a source familiar with the situation tells Axios. Why it matters: Over the past few weeks I’ve …

Yesterday the father of Parkland student Colton Haab admitted that he “accidentally” doctored the email which he had claimed showed that CNN “scripted” the questions for last week’s town hall on gun control. Last night Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson both issued brief “corrections” to their claims, which had inflamed right wing sites. Carlson said, “For the sake of honesty …

Politico reports: Presidential son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner has had his security clearance downgraded — a move that will prevent him from viewing many of the sensitive documents to which he once had unfettered access. Kushner is not alone. All White House aides working on the highest-level interim clearances — at the Top Secret/SCI-level — were informed in a memo …

Mediaite reports: President Donald Trump boarded Air Force One tugging an umbrella close to protect himself from the intense wind and rain. Barron Trump, the president’s 11-year-old son, is seen just feet behind him, unprotected by an umbrella or a raincoat. Trump, seeing his son, continues to keep the umbrella for himself. Then, Melania Trump arrives on the scene a …

CNBC reports: President Donald Trump will announce that he is running for re-election, and already has chosen a campaign manager, a new report said Tuesday. The Drudge Report in a blaring announcement on Tuesday morning said that Trump will tap “digital guru Brad Parscale” to run his campaign to win the 2020 election. Parscale was digital director of Trump’s successful …

The Guardian reports: A senior career official in the US Department of Housing and Urban Development has alleged that she was demoted and replaced with a Donald Trump appointee after refusing to break the law by funding an expensive redecoration of Ben Carson’s office. Helen Foster said she was told “$5,000 will not even buy a decent chair” after informing …

The Hill reports: Former Trump campaign aide Carter Page praised Fox News host Sean Hannity for his coverage regarding the Russia investigation. “You have been the Edward R. Murrow of this whole process,” Page told Hannity during an interview late Monday. “It’s been so completely out of control, going back, really a year-and-a-half now.” Hannity, a strong support of President …

The Washington Post has the quote: “There’s a lot in there that I doubt, but the part that I really don’t believe is that he can run,” Colbert said. “Sir, we already know how you react to combat situations. You got five deferments from Vietnam. What are you going to do, run in there and stab them with your bone …

The New York Times reports: The first lady, Melania Trump, has parted ways with an adviser after news about the adviser’s firm reaping $26 million in payments to help plan President Trump’s inauguration. Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, who has been friends with Mrs. Trump for years, had been working on a contract basis as an unpaid senior adviser to the office …

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports: The Georgia Senate blocked a lucrative tax break bill on Monday that would benefit Delta Air Lines after the Atlanta-based company severed ties with the National Rifle Association. Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle [photo] said he would not support tax legislation that helped the airline “unless the company changes its position and fully reinstates its relationship with …