Friday's Headlines: Trump decides to remove national security adviser, and others may follow

House Democrats say they have proof State Dept. staff was pushed out over disloyalty to Trump; New sanctions are Trump's strongest move against Russia but fall short of what...

Democracy Dies in Darkness     The morning's most important stories, selected by Post editors   Trump decides to remove national security adviser, and others may follow In yet another jolt to the senior ranks of his administration, President Trump is ready to remove H.R. McMaster but is willing to take his time to ensure that the three-star Army general is not humiliated and that he has a strong successor lined up, according to people familiar with the plans. By Ashley Parker, Josh Dawsey, Philip Rucker and Carol D. Leonnig  •  Read more » House Democrats say they have proof State Dept. staff was pushed out over disloyalty to Trump Whistleblower documents suggest several career personnel were targeted as part of a "cleaning" initiative. Some emails refer to staffers as "turncoat" or "associated with previous policy," Reps. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.) and Eliot L. Engel (D-N.Y.) said. By Karoun Demirjian and Carol Morello  •   Read more »   New sanctions are Trump's strongest move against Russia but fall short of what Congress wanted The sanctions were the first such actions taken under legislation passed nearly unanimously last year and follow months of criticism that the White House has been slow to counter Russian aggression. But the steps taken Thursday focused on a narrow list of targets. By Anne Gearan and Ellen Nakashima  •   Read more »   Russia confirms it will match London's move, expel British diplomats Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov did not specify how many diplomats or disclose any other measures, choosing instead to remain coy about Russia's response to the punitive moves by Britain. By Matthew Bodner  •   Read more »   As Fla. shooting victims seek an explanation, here's what we can learn about motive from previous attacks The suspect in the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School was indicted last week on 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder. But investigators haven't declared a motive — and that's not unusual. By William Wan and Mark Berman  •   Read more »   Death toll rises to six after pedestrian bridge under construction collapses, crushing cars The bridge at Florida International University injured multiple people when it fell, and survivors were transported to area hospitals, officials said. By Francisco Alvarado, Susan Svrluga, Faiz Siddiqui and Aaron C. Davis  •   Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT Opinions   A second-grader once pointed a gun at me. I'm glad I wasn't armed. By Jennifer Rich  •   Read more »   Putin has finally gone too far By David Ignatius  •   Read more »   Get ready. Republicans want to cut taxes again. By Catherine Rampell  •   Read more »   Russia's been waging war on the West for years. We just haven't noticed. By Max Boot  •   Read more »   Trump is editing democracy out By Christine Emba  •   Read more »   Why was a 7-year-old separated from her mother for four months? DHS won't say. By Editorial Board  •   Read more » ADVERTISEMENT More News   U.S. helicopter ferrying troops into Syria crashes in western Iraq Seven people were believed to be on board, and at least some of them are feared killed in the incident near the border with Syria. By Missy Ryan  •  Read more »     Amid onslaught by Syrian forces, thousands stream out of Damascus suburb Clutching luggage and sacks of flour, throngs of people fled the Eastern Ghouta suburb, foreshadowing the chaos that may lie ahead as loyalist forces advance into the remaining rebel-held areas. As the scenes on Thursday demonstrated, the war that already has claimed the lives of as many as half a million people is far from over. By Liz Sly and Louisa Loveluck  •   Read more »   CBS tentatively sets March 25 for airing '60 Minutes' interview with Stormy Daniels The porn actress is expected to reveal new details of her alleged 2006 affair with President Trump. By Frances Stead Sellers and Sarah Ellison  •   Read more »   Trump's personal aide apparently lost White House position over gambling habit An investigation found that John McEntee bet tens of thousands of dollars at a time, making him unsuitable for a sensitive position close to the president, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. By Carol D. Leonnig and Josh Dawsey  •   Read more »   It's a bracket-busting upset: No. 13 Buffalo stuns No. 4 Arizona in rout Arizona was widely thought to be a strong contender to emerge from the South region, but the Wildcats got run off the floor by the Bulls, 89-68. Elsewhere, No. 11-seed Loyola Chicago knocked off No. 6-seed Miami with a buzzer-beating three-pointer to secure a 64-62 win. By Cindy Boren, Jacob Bogage, Des Bieler and Matt Bonesteel  •   Read more »   Duke's Grayson Allen, on being one of the most hated players in college basketball: 'I own it now' The senior is also owning his role as a leader, which was display in a win over Iona in Duke's NCAA tournament opener. By Roman Stubbs  •   Read more »   Humans bred with this mysterious species more than once, new study shows "This is a breakthrough paper," one expert in ancient DNA says of the new findings, which identified Denisovan genes in Southeast Asia. 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 signed up for Today's Headlines or because it is included in your subscription. Manage my email newsletters and alerts | Unsubscribe from Today's Headlines Privacy Policy | Help ©2018 The Washington Post  |  1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071