Here's a roundup of news trending across the nation and world today.
What to know now:
1. FBI monitored Page: According to The Washington Post, the FBI obtained a FISA court order last summer to monitor the communications of Carter Page, a one-time adviser to President Donald Trump. According to the story, the FBI believed Page had engaged in intelligence activities on Russia's behalf, including meeting with a Russian intelligence operative in 2013. Page told CBS News he was "happy" to hear that the FBI surveillance had been reported by the Post. "It shows how low the Clinton/Obama regime went to destroy our democracy and suppress dissidents who did not fully support their failed foreign policy," Page said in the statement.
2. Manafort ledger: Entries from a ledger found in August that appears to show payments from a pro-Russian political party to former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort match payments received by Manafort's consulting firm in the United States, The Associated Press is reporting. Manafort, who worked for the pro-Russia party in the Ukraine, has questioned the ledger's authenticity. The AP discovered the financial records that appear to match ledger entries.
3. Estes wins Kansas seat: Republican Ron Estes defeated Democrat James Thompson to win a U.S. House seat on Tuesday. The special election was held to fill the Kansas seat made vacant when Mike Pompeo was named to Trump's cabinet. The election was seen by many as a test of Republican electoral strength.
4. Spicer apologizes: White House press secretary Sean Spicer has apologized for suggesting that Adolf Hitler did not use chemical weapons during World War II. Spicer, when comparing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to the German dictator, said, "You had someone as despicable as Hitler who didn't even sink to using chemical weapons. So you have to, if you are Russia, ask yourself: Is this a country and a regime that you want to align yourself with?" Hitler used gas chambers to kill millions of German Jews during the war. Spicer said he was not trying to be dismissive of the Holocaust but merely misspoke.
5. O'Reilly taking a vacation: Fox News host Bill O'Reilly announced Tuesday he is taking a couple of weeks of vacation from his show. The announcement came as 60 companies have said they will no longer advertise on the show amid allegations of sexual harassment by O'Reilly. O'Reilly said the vacation had been booked since late last year and "should be terrific." He said he will return to the show on April 24.
And one more
Dorothy Mengering, the mother of comedian David Letterman, died Tuesday. Mengering became a celebrity after appearing on Letterman's show in various bits, including the popular "Guess Mom's Pies," and serving as a correspondent to three Olympics for "The Late Show." Mengering was 95. Another celebrity, J. Geils, founder of the J.Geils Band, was found dead in his home on Tuesday. Authorities say they believe his death was from natural causes. Geils is probably best remembered for the hits "Centerfold," and "Freeze Frame." He was 71.
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