Friday's Headlines: Trump says he was thinking of ‘this Russia thing’ when he decided to fire Comey

Rosenstein meets privately with key senators as Democrats seek answers about his role in Comey's firing; Onetime bodyguard now one of Trump's most trusted aides; How much power does a president have to affect an investigation?; Acting FBI director sharply at odds with White House on Comey, Russia probe; Homeland Security chief weighs changes to visa program that could hurt Kushner real estate company; As U.S. pulls back in Asia, China pitches an ambitious global plan;   Democracy Dies in Darkness     The morning's most important stories, selected by Post editors   Top Stories Trump says he was thinking of 'this Russia thing' when he decided to fire Comey On his decision to dismiss the FBI director, the president told NBC News: "I said to myself, I said, 'You know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story, it's an excuse by the Democrats." That contradicts the White House's initial version of events and undercuts aides' denials that his fury with the Russia probe influenced the move. By Devlin Barrett and Philip Rucker  •  Read more » Rosenstein meets privately with key senators as Democrats seek answers about his role in Comey's firing The meeting with leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee was set before James B. Comey was fired, but the Capitol Hill appearance by the deputy attorney general heightened the intrigue around him. By Karoun Demirjian, Ed O'Keefe and Paul Kane  •  Read more »   Onetime bodyguard now one of Trump's most trusted aides Keith Schiller, a retired New York police detective, has worked for Donald Trump for nearly two decades and is someone other White House officials look to for tips on the president's mood. This week, Trump dispatched Schiller to deliver the letter informing James B. Comey he had been "terminated." By Jenna Johnson and Rosalind S. Helderman  •  Read more »   'Can He Do That?' How much power does a president have to affect an investigation? As the fallout from Trump's decision to fire FBI Director James B. Comey continues, this episode of the podcast looks at the limitations of presidential power when it comes to investigations. Plus, Bob Woodward and Marc Fisher assess how history measures up. By Allison Michaels   •  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   Acting FBI director sharply at odds with White House on Comey, Russia probe Andrew McCabe rejected the administration's view of the Russian investigation as a low priority and defended the former FBI director in a hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee. He also vowed to tell Congress if the White House tried to interfere in the bureau's work. By Matt Zapotosky and Karoun Demirjian  •  Read more »   Homeland Security chief weighs changes to visa program that could hurt Kushner real estate company In an early test of how the administration will handle matters that could carry significant financial consequences for the president's extended family, Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly is considering changes that would make it difficult to attract foreign money to projects in prosperous areas. By Shawn Boburg  •  Read more »   As U.S. pulls back in Asia, China pitches an ambitious global plan Before an audience of world leaders at this weekend's Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to project himself as the leader of a new economic order and tout a vision for global trade and infrastructure development. By Simon Denyer  •  Read more »   Opinions   A political ax murder By Charles Krauthammer  •  Read more »   The real test of our tolerance for Trump comes now By Michael Gerson  •  Read more »   It's impossible not to compare today to Watergate. And our officials are falling short. By Philip Allen Lacovara  •  Read more »   Why getting rid of grades would help rich students — and hurt poor ones By Catherine Rampell  •  Read more »   Trump seems to be staging a coverup. So what's the crime? By Eugene Robinson  •  Read more »   A reporter's arrest after he asked Tom Price a question sends a chilling message By Editorial Board  •  Read more » ADVERTISEMENT   More News   Party of France's president-elect counts on political neophytes More than half of the 429 parliamentary candidates from Emmanuel Macron's party have never run for office. The June elections will go a long way in determining whether he can achieve his ambitious goals. By Michael Birnbaum  •  Read more » Trump blasts Navy's aircraft catapult The president described a new system for launching planes as "no good" and said the Navy should go back to "Goddamned steam," the method used on aircraft carriers for decades. A Pentagon official said that the comments caught defense officials off-guard and are inaccurate. By Dan Lamothe  •  Read more » @PKCapitol | Analysis Trump effect on full display as Senate approves critic of current trade deals Senators' broad confirmation of the president's nominee for trade representative also confirms that Congress now has a bipartisan majority opposing the global economic strategy that underpinned U.S. trade policy for the past 35 years. By Paul Kane  •  Read more » WorldViews | Analysis North Korea demands that U.S. hand over would-be assassins of Kim Jong Un The North Korean Ministry of State Security described in detail an alleged plot by U.S. and South Korean officials. South Korea called the claim "groundless," and the CIA declined to comment, as is customary. But North Korea isn't letting go. By Amanda Erickson  •  Read more » Stephen Colbert gleefully responds to Trump calling him a 'no-talent guy' It was the moment CBS's "Late Show" host has been waiting for ever since he started eviscerating the president. "Don't you know," Colbert asked, "I've been trying for a year to get you to say my name?" By Emily Yahr  •  Read more » This writer panned 'Sgt. Pepper' before learning his stereo was busted. He's still not sorry. Fifty years after the Beatles released the album now widely hailed as a masterpiece, the pioneering critic who savaged the work listened to it again. And this time, his stereo worked. By Geoff Edgers  •  Read more » Put through the wringer, they find salvation in the ring An exchange program between Northern Ireland and D.C. has given young pugilists the chance to box overseas for a decade. But its bigger goal is to get participants to see a wider world and envision a better future. By Joe Heim  •  Read more »         Share Today's Headlines:       Twitter      Facebook Trouble reading? Click here to view in your browser. You received this email because you are signed up for Headlines. For additional free newsletters or to manage your newsletters, click here. We respect your privacy. If you believe that this email has been sent to you in error or you no longer wish to receive email from The Washington Post, click here. Contact us for help. ©2017 The Washington Post, 1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071