- Congress reached a deal on sweeping sanctions to punish Russia for its election meddling and aggression toward its neighbors, creating a stark choice for President Trump: veto the bill or sign it.
The new legislation sharply limits the president’s ability to suspend or terminate the sanctions, which his administration abhors.
With the investigation deepening into whether associates of Mr. Trump and his campaign conspired with Russia, Mr. Trump claimed he has “the complete power to pardon” relatives, aides and possibly himself.
But it is not clear whether a U.S. president can pardon himself. None has ever tried.
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DOUG MILLS / THE NEW YORK TIMES
- The White House is restructuring its communications operation, with Sean Spicer’s colorful run as press secretary coming to an end. Sarah Huckabee Sanders will succeed him. Here are some of his memorable moments.
Mr. Spicer quit after telling President Trump that he greatly disagreed with the decision to make the financier Anthony Scaramucci communications director.
- Another relationship in the White House has grown increasingly strained: Jeff Sessions — who stoked the president’s ire by recusing himself from the Justice Department’s Russia investigation — said he would remain attorney general “as long as that is appropriate.”
In an interview with three of our reporters, President Trump criticized officials involved in the inquiry and said he would not have appointed Mr. Sessions had he known that he’d recuse himself. Here are excerpts and audio clips of the discussion.
U.S. spy agencies intercepted communications from Russia’s ambassador, Sergey Kislyak, in which he reported to Moscow that he’d spoken with Mr. Sessions in 2016 about issues relevant to the presidential campaign, The Washington Post reported.
Mr. Sessions initially failed to disclose conversations with Mr. Kislyak, then said they were not campaign related.
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PETER MORRISON / ASSOCIATED PRESS
- A Qaeda suspect, Ali Charaf Damache, above, is the first foreigner to be brought to the United States to face terrorism charges under President Trump. He will be tried in federal court.
The move breaks from the White House’s hard-line position that terrorism suspects should be sent to the naval prison in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
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AL DRAGO FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES
5. Senate Republicans are grappling with the prospect of losing one of their most respected leaders, Senator John McCain of Arizona, who has brain cancer.
The specific kind, glioblastoma, is extremely aggressive and difficult to treat.
Lawmakers have banded together in support of Mr. McCain.