Tuesday's Headlines: House GOP unveils health plan that replaces subsidies with tax credits

White House aides struggle to defend Trump's wiretap claim; This former British lawmaker is at the heart of Trump's wiretap allegations; Sessions insists he was 'correct' to deny speaking with Russians during campaign; How 'The Americans' stars learned to love their characters' chilly fates; North Korea bans Malaysians from leaving country in sharp escalation after killing of Kim Jong Nam; North Korea says it was practicing to hit U.S. bases in Japan with missiles;   Democracy Dies in Darkness     The morning's most important stories, selected by Post editors   Top Stories House GOP unveils health plan that replaces subsidies with tax credits The Republican proposal to replace the Affordable Care Act would offer income-based aid to help Americans afford health coverage, an approach the party had long criticized. It would scrap a penalty for the uninsured but allow insurers to impose a surcharge for those who have a gap between health plans. By Amy Goldstein, Mike DeBonis and Kelsey Snell  •  Read more » White House aides struggle to defend Trump's wiretap claim Days after President Trump's unfounded allegation that former president Barack Obama wiretapped Trump Tower, the normally media-hungry White House went largely dark. While several officials gave TV interviews, press secretary Sean Spicer did not allow cameras into his daily briefing, and Trump signed his revamped travel ban in private. By Ashley Parker and Jenna Johnson  •  Read more »   This former British lawmaker is at the heart of Trump's wiretap allegations Louise Mensch, who emphasized that her reporting does not back up President Trump's claim, wrote an article that was among the sources cited by the White House to justify the allegations. By Karla Adam  •  Read more »   Sessions insists he was 'correct' to deny speaking with Russians during campaign The attorney general said he did not tell lawmakers sooner about meetings with the Russian ambassador because he thought he had fully answered a question he was asked at his confirmation hearing. By Matt Zapotosky  •  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   How 'The Americans' stars learned to love their characters' chilly fates Viewers of the FX drama that returns Tuesday night for its penultimate season know that things are going to get messy for co-stars Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys, who portray covert Russian spies Elizabeth and Phillip, and perhaps for viewers themselves who have warmed to the complicated Cold War couple despite the fact that they're "the enemy." By Hank Stuever  •  Read more »   North Korea bans Malaysians from leaving country in sharp escalation after killing of Kim Jong Nam Malaysia's prime minister accused North Korea of "effectively holding our citizens hostage" and responded to the exit ban in kind, saying North Korean diplomats would not be allowed to leave Malaysia. By Anna Fifield  •  Read more »   North Korea says it was practicing to hit U.S. bases in Japan with missiles With the latest barrage, North Korea appears to be trying to outsmart a new American antimissile battery being deployed to South Korea by firing multiple rockets at once. By Anna Fifield  •  Read more »   Opinions   It's the truth according to Trump. Believe it. By Dana Milbank  •  Read more »   Can Trump weather the storms of his own making? By Eugene Robinson  •  Read more »   Trump's gift to Americans: Making it easier to cheat on their taxes By Catherine Rampell  •  Read more »   'President for a Day,' starring Donald Trump By Richard Cohen  •  Read more »   Walking the Edmund Pettus Bridge with John Lewis By Jonathan Capehart  •  Read more »   Trump's new travel ban is as arbitrary and senseless as the first By Editorial Board  •  Read more » ADVERTISEMENT   More News   Ahead of pivotal European elections, rightist websites grow in influence The sites — some registered in Russia, some supported by Americans with ties to Donald Trump — focus on the perils of open borders, immigration and international alliances, aiming to harness Trump's energy and elect anti-immigrant leaders in the Netherlands, France, Germany and elsewhere. By Michael Birnbaum  •  Read more » Trump’s new travel ban raises the same Silicon Valley objections President Trump signed a new, seemingly softened travel ban, but the reaction from tech companies sounded very much the same. By Todd C. Frankel and Tracy Jan  •  Read more » Pentagon: Iranian vessels harass Navy ship, as Iran tests missile defense system Two incidents involving the USS Invincible in the Strait of Hormuz could push Washington and Tehran toward a more direct confrontation. By Carol Morello  •  Read more » Iraqi forces capture Mosul government compound in major step to retake key city As government forces advanced into the heart of the city that the Islamic State has controlled for the past three years, an Iraqi police official compared it to the symbolic victory of the U.S. reaching Firdous Square during the 2003 invasion, when a statue of Saddam Hussein was pulled down. By Mustafa Salim and Loveday Morris  •  Read more » National Park Service photos show Obama's inauguration crowd was bigger than Trump's The newly released photos are the official record of the federal government and contradict President Trump's claim that more than 1.5 million supporters were crowded on the National Mall for his inauguration. By Lisa Rein  •  Read more » The White House was on the same page as ExxonMobil — literally Within an hour after the oil giant touted a $20 billion effort that began in 2013, the White House put out its own statement claiming credit that included wording nearly identical to the company's release. By Chris Mooney and Steven Mufson  •  Read more » Ben Carson compares slaves to immigrants coming to 'a land of dreams and opportunity' The Housing and Urban Development secretary's comments, made in his first official address, were broadcast live to all of HUD's regional field offices as well as to the public. By Tracy Jan and Jose A. 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