Politics

WASHINGTON — If even the Pentagon does not know whether it is coming or going in Iraq, it might be hard to blame the rest of the world for being a little confused about President Trump’s strategy for the Middle East. As Iranian missiles fell on American bases on Tuesday in retaliation for the drone […]

WASHINGTON — Under increasing pressure to defend the killing of a top Iranian general in Iraq, senior Trump administration officials offered new justifications but little detail on Tuesday, citing threats to the American Embassy in Baghdad and intelligence suggesting other imminent attacks that helped prompt the strike. Democrats stepped up their criticism of intelligence that

A single word has become a focal point of concerns about President Trump’s decision to kill Iran’s top general: assassination. There is no fixed, formal definition of assassination. But, as with many politically charged labels, the word has taken on significance broader than any one meaning, shorthand for concerns that Mr. Trump’s decision to kill

“When the training is able to resume, the military personnel can be reinstated,” the letter said. Croatia has moved seven of its contingent of 14 soldiers to Kuwait and sent the rest home, its Defense Ministry said. Slovakia has removed its seven soldiers. The Pentagon, for its part, has directed about 4,500 additional American troops

WASHINGTON — Last week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was the loudest voice in the administration pushing President Trump to kill Iran’s most important general. This week, he is back in his role as the nation’s top diplomat, trying to contain the international crisis the general’s death created. True to form, Mr. Pompeo is not

Joseph R. Biden Jr. on Tuesday delivered a forceful and detailed critique of the Trump administration’s aggression toward Iran as he sought at every turn to highlight his own commander-in-chief credentials and to evoke the stature of a president. The former vice president, speaking from Pier 59 in New York against a backdrop of American

WASHINGTON — Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, informed Republicans on Tuesday that he planned to move forward with President Trump’s impeachment trial without committing to additional witnesses or admitting new evidence, over the objections of Democrats who are insisting on both. Mr. McConnell shared his intentions with senators over lunch in the Capitol, declaring

The allegations of sexual misconduct against the movie producer Harvey Weinstein, who goes on trial this week and is facing new sexual abuse charges in Los Angeles, motivated more people to report sex crimes, experts said. Still, perception of crime rarely matches reality. Criminologists say the rise in murders and other violent crimes could be

Michael R. Bloomberg’s presidential campaign has secured a 60-second advertising slot that will air nationally during this year’s Super Bowl telecast, an ad buy that will most likely cost at least $10 million and potentially one-up President Trump’s campaign, which has advertised during other recent sports events. Bloomberg campaign officials confirmed the buy on Tuesday

Senator Elizabeth Warren on Tuesday announced a plan to roll back provisions in a 2005 bankruptcy law, reviving a debate she had 15 years ago with Joseph R. Biden Jr., a United States senator at the time, over consumer protections and the credit card industry. Bankruptcy is a critical part of the political origin story