Katty Kay

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It is tempting to dismiss the row between Donald Trump, President of the United States, and Mika Brzezinski, host of a US TV show, as a vaguely self-referential media story that most Americans care little about.

Tempting, but wrong.

Yes, this story risks making the media the story - rarely a good thing - and risks making the media look even more out of touch with average US voters who have more pressing economic concerns.

That doesn't mean it isn't serious. It tells us things about the man and about his presidency, things that are worth knowing.

Full disclosure: Mika Brzezinski is a friend of mine and we work together regularly on her show. But this story is really not about her at all. It is what it tells us about the president that matters.

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What if the Comey firing is nothing to do with the Russia probe or the Clinton email server but is actually just a result of the president's thin-skinned character?

And would that be more or less alarming than Comey being fired in order to impede the Russia investigation, which is the case Democrats are making this week?

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Autocrats are watching what's happening in Washington

I spent the evening after FBI Director James Comey's firing with a group of women from developing countries who work to ease conflicts. Their take on what had just happened here was salutary, and a reminder that the global impact of what happens in Washington should not be underestimated.

I was recently asked to write about resilience, in light of a new book on the subject by Facebook executive Sheryl Sandberg. These are my thoughts.

It wasn't that I wasn't good at my job, he assured me, it was just that I didn't have much personality.

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Donald Trump has not only normalised American foreign policy, he has arguably made it more effective.

With two high-profile, signal-sending bombing raids and a series of breathtaking policy reversals, President Trump has brought US foreign policy back in line with conventional thinking. But he has added to the equation a measure of force that gives Washington new clout.

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It's never clear to me why it's so hard for people to say sorry. It's a simple word, just two syllables and its positive impact is enormous.

But to be effective the "sorry" needs to come fast and be said sincerely. Take too long or add a caveat and your apology loses its power.

Former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor - a top Republican during the Obamacare fight - tells me he thinks it will be a "real difficult road" for the rest of the Republican agenda if the healthcare bill is not passed.

Despite that, Mr Cantor is convinced it will make it through Congress.

It's much better than it used to be, but female leadership in the United States - in politics and business - has still a long way to go to achieve parity.

Here's my take.

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The state of the union is broken. Or, at least, the state of the State of Union address is broken.

Audiences for this annual political tradition have been steadily declining for years.

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Four weeks. Twenty-eight days. It feels like 280 days. I feel 280. If Donald Trump is exhausting even the news-hungry political journalists, I wonder what he is doing to the rest of the world.

For the first three weeks I started the day repeating a mantra, "watch what he does, not what he says." I've discarded that notion. What Mr Trump says and how he says it is an important part of his presidency. His rhetoric, both in person and Twitter, appeals to his supporters. It's new and fresh and irreverent. But one day it could also be his undoing. He is increasingly losing respect among key Republicans, and he needs them to govern effectively.

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