First Run News

WASHINGTON — Vice President Mike Pence is pushing back his long-planned trip to the Middle East, his office confirmed Monday, citing the vote on the tax overhaul legislation this week. “The largest tax cut in American history is a landmark accomplishment for President Trump and a relief to millions of hardworking Americans,” said Alyssa Farah, Mr. Pence’s press secretary. “The vice president is committed to seeing the tax cut through to the finish line.” She added that Mr.

For every change in tax law, there are scores of people who want to outrun it and beat the system. Especially when it happens with less than three weeks left in the year. Since the final federal tax bill appeared on Friday, many people have had questions about prepaying taxes, a wide-ranging strategy that encompasses various efforts to save money by paying some taxes early. It seems counterintuitive, but sometimes, if you pay taxes in one year instead of another, you can come out ahead financially.

Mile for mile, rail travel is much safer than road travel, but it depends crucially on keeping the trains on the tracks — and on keeping those tracks clear and in good repair. Amtrak is not always great at that. Federal Railroad Administration statistics show that in recent years Amtrak has had an average of about two derailments a month, accounting for about one-quarter of all the accidents it reports.

DUPONT, Wash. — A passenger train on a newly opened Amtrak route jumped the tracks on an overpass south of Tacoma on Monday, slamming rail cars into a busy highway, killing at least three people and injuring about 100 others, officials said. The derailment of Amtrak Train No. 501, making the inaugural run of a new service from Seattle to Portland, dropped a 132-ton locomotive in the southbound lanes of the Northwest’s busiest travel corridor, Interstate 5.

Mount Everest is the tallest and most famous mountain in the world — a global beacon and metaphor wrapped in awe and mystery. It is also one of the most accessible big mountains in the world, bringing hundreds of climbers and thousands to its base camp in a typical season. At 29,029 feet (8,848 meters), Everest is the world’s tallest mountain. It straddles Nepal and Tibet. Most climb Everest from the Nepal side. From Kathmandu, Nepal’s bustling capital, mountaineers take a short flight to Lukla, then trek about 10 days to Everest Base Camp (17,500 feet).

A lawyer for Robert Mueller's team investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Counsel for Trump for America Kory Langhofer told ABC News in a statement Saturday, "This morning we sent a letter to the House and the Senate concerning unauthorized disclosure of private and privileged transition emails with the special counsel's office." The letter from Langhofer to the House and Senate Oversight committees, obtained by ABC News, accuses the special counsel's office of obtaining thousands of emails through the

The Democrat who heads the party's senatorial campaign committee said Republicans need to end what he called a “concerted effort” to undermine the credibility of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. “I think Republicans should end their concerted effort to undermine the credibility of the Mueller investigation,” Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman George Stephanopoulos

The number two Senate Republican said it would be a "mistake" for the Trump administration to fire Robert Mueller. ABC News Chief Anchor presidential election and possible collusion with Trump associates. Cornyn responded, "I read that the president’s own lawyer says that’s not going to happen.

Robert Mueller. Upon returning to the White House from ABC News' Alexander Mallin and Benjamin Siegel contributed to this report.

The TAKE with Rick Klein This is what political warfare looks like. President Donald Trump is getting loads of help from his party apparatus on at least one front. White House allies are building a case against Robert Mueller's investigation as quickly as Mueller himself does his work – or so it would appear from the limited visibility offered by the special counsel's office. Lawyers for the presiden