Nation

State Department orders embassies to ramp up visa screening

By Matthew Lee, Associated Press

The State Department has ordered American embassies and consulates around the world to draw up criteria for "population sets" needing extra scrutiny before receiving visas to travel to the United States, according to a recent diplomatic cable.

US probe of ex-Trump aide Manafort extends to Cyprus

By Jack Gillum, Menelaos Hadjicostis and Eric Tucker, Associated Press

Manafort, in a statement to the AP Thursday when asked about the Cyprus transactions, characterized them as a normal practice.

What Kentucky's religious freedom bill could mean for LGBTQ students

By Iman Smith

A new bill out of Kentucky protects the religious expression of students in public schools and universities, a move LGBTQ advocates say could allow them to discriminate against fellow students based on their sexual orientation.

In stinging setback for Trump and Ryan, House GOP leaders delay vote on health care repeal bill

By Erica Werner and Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press

House Republicans plan to meet behind closed doors Thursday night to consider their next steps.

VA urges 'hiring surge' to reduce veterans' appeals backlog

By Hope Yen, Associated Press

The Department of Veterans Affairs is warning of a rapidly growing backlog for veterans who seek to appeal decisions involving disability benefits, saying it will need much more staff even as money remains in question due to a tightening Trump…

Senate votes to undo privacy rules that protect user data

By Tali Arbel and Richard Lardner, Associated Press

The Republican-led Senate moved Thursday to undo Obama-era regulations that would have forced internet service providers to ask customers' permission before they could use or sell much of their personal information.

WATCH LIVE: Sean Spicer to address Republican health care bill in news briefing

By News Desk and Associated Press

Spicer is expected to start his remarks around 1:30 p.m. Watch live on this page.

Top Senate Democrat opposes Neil Gorsuch, Trump's pick for Supreme Court

By Mark Sherman, Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press

The top Democrat in the Senate said Thursday he will oppose the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to serve on the Supreme Court and encouraged other Democrats to reject President Donald Trump's choice, setting up a showdown with majority Republicans.

Photo: Hitching a ride on the back of a turtle

By News Desk

Take a walk on the wild side with today's photo.

WATCH: FBI Director James Comey speaks at national security symposium

By News Desk

FBI Director James Comey spoke Thursday at a symposium at the The University of Texas at Austin designed to discuss national security challenges in fighting terror attacks in the U.S.