Wednesday's Headlines: Coats told associates Trump asked him if he could intervene with Comey on Russia probe

Sessions offered to resign after tensions grew with Trump; Trump's aides are quickly learning they speak for the president at their own peril; Trump, furious and frustrated, gears up to punch back at Comey's testimony; All eyes will be on James Comey this Thursday — again; Rare double attack hits Iran's capital, targeting parliament and mausoleum; The 'Paris of the Appalachians' isn't buying Trump's climate talk; 'Coal country is a great place to be from.' But does the future match Trump's optimism?;   Democracy Dies in Darkness     The morning's most important stories, selected by Post editors   Top Stories Coats told associates Trump asked him if he could intervene with Comey on Russia probe The interaction with Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats suggests President Trump tried to enlist top officials to have then-FBI Director James B. Comey curtail the bureau's focus on former national security adviser Michael Flynn amid its probe of whether Trump's campaign coordinated with Russian officials during the 2016 election. By Adam Entous  •  Read more » Sessions offered to resign after tensions grew with Trump The strain began after the attorney general recused himself in March from the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election, according to two people close to the White House. By Robert Costa and Sari Horwitz  •  Read more »   Trump's aides are quickly learning they speak for the president at their own peril From the travel ban to the FBI director's firing to new conflict in the Middle East, Trump has undercut his aides and Cabinet secretaries by contradicting their statements. By Abby Phillip and Jenna Johnson  •  Read more »   Trump, furious and frustrated, gears up to punch back at Comey's testimony Alone in the White House in recent days, President Trump has been spoiling for a fight, according to his confidants and associates. And on Thursday, he will come screen-to-screen with the former FBI director he fired, James B. Comey, who has haunted Trump ever since he oversaw a Russia probe that the president slammed as a "witch hunt." By Robert Costa, Ashley Parker and Philip Rucker  •  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   All eyes will be on James Comey this Thursday — again Even before the ex-FBI director has uttered a word, some predict the Senate hearing will be historic — a moment in which a former senior official has a nationally televised platform to repudiate a president who has lashed out at the government he leads. By Devlin Barrett and Ellen Nakashima  •  Read more »   DEVELOPING Rare double attack hits Iran's capital, targeting parliament and mausoleum The attacks, which took place at the tomb of the Islamic Republic's founder and parliament, were possibly coordinated and unusual in Tehran, which is highly secure. By Paul Schemm  •  Read more »   The 'Paris of the Appalachians' isn't buying Trump's climate talk The president's "Pittsburgh, not Paris" remark revealed a deeper misunderstanding about which regions are flourishing in the new economy and how they got there. By Todd C. Frankel  •  Read more »   'Coal country is a great place to be from.' But does the future match Trump's optimism? The towns scattered through the coal-rich Appalachian Mountains of southern Pennsylvania embrace President Trump, but many doubt that the industry is headed for a renaissance. By Ana Swanson  •  Read more »   Opinions   'President Pence' is sounding better and better By Dana Milbank  •  Read more »   If Trump stops tweeting, how will we know who he really is? By Kathleen Parker  •  Read more »   Putin's campaign of personal revenge against the United States By David Ignatius  •  Read more »   I advised Bill Clinton. Here's how Trump should manage his crises. By Doug Sosnik  •  Read more »   State Department distances itself from Trump, creating an alternate foreign policy By Josh Rogin  •  Read more »   On appointments, Trump is his own biggest obstructionist By Editorial Board  •  Read more » ADVERTISEMENT   More News   What life inside the Islamic State looks like for new recruits Terror suspects almost never testify, but Mohamad Khweis, 27, who was born and raised in Virginia and captured in Iraq, took the stand in federal court, where he is accused of supporting the Islamic State. Khweis's tale of how he snuck both into and out of ISIS territory offers an unusual view of the terrorist organization's inner workings. By Rachel Weiner  •  Read more » Two students fatally shot inside car on eve of high school graduation in Maryland Both victims were set to graduate Tuesday from Northwest High School in Germantown, officials said. More than 22 rounds were fired as the teens sat in a car in a suburban cul-de-sac, but police have not released details about what may have led to the shootings. By Dan Morse, Donna St. George and Victoria St. Martin  •  Read more » What we know about the contractor accused of leaking an NSA document "I never thought this would be something she would do," said the mother of Reality Winner, the 25-year-old Air Force veteran charged in the case. By Mark Berman and Lindsey Bever  •  Read more » Congress clears Trump-backed bill to fast-track firing of VA workers The legislation, which now heads to President Trump's desk, would allow the Department of Veterans Affairs to take swift action to fire and discipline problem employees, overhauling long-guaranteed job protections that Republicans would like to change across the federal workforce. By Lisa Rein  •  Read more » United Airlines tried to get a musician to check her 17th-century violin. A 'wrestling match' ensued. Classical violinist Yennifer Correia told the gate agent that checking her instrument, which cost more than her car, wasn't an option. By Cleve R. Wootson Jr.  •  Read more » The Fix | Analysis Sean Spicer just settled it: We should all pay attention to Trump’s tweets "The president is the president of the United States, so they are considered official statements by the president of the United States," the press secretary said in response to a reporter's question. By Amber Phillips  •  Read more » Tyrant chicken? Not likely: T. rex had scales and wasn't covered in feathers, a new study says. Despite ferociously fluffy concept art and feathered dinosaur ancestors, skin samples suggest Tyrannosaurus rex was not covered in plumage. By Ben Guarino  •  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