Intercepted Russian Communications Part of Inquiry Into Trump Associates  —  WASHINGTON — American law enforcement and intelligence agencies are examining intercepted communications and financial transactions as part of a broad investigation into possible links between Russian officials …

Trump to be sworn in, marking a transformative shift in the country's leadership  —  Donald John Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States at noon on Friday, on a day that is expected to offer less ceremony and flourish than previous inaugurations …

Trump Sought Military Equipment For Inauguration, Granted 20-Plane Flyover  —  “It's very Red Square,” said Stephen Kerrigan, who oversaw the past two inaugurations.  —  Foreign Affairs Reporter, The Huffington Post  —  WASHINGTON Part of being a great president is showing off America's …

Robert De Niro, Alec Baldwin Address Crowd at Anti-Trump Rally in NYC  —  Baldwin assured the crowd that “there is hope.  Trump and Pence think you're going to lay down.  That's one thing about New Yorkers: You don't lay down.”  —  The anti-Trump demonstration held just a half-mile from Trump Tower kicks off Thursday.

Report: Trump has given up personal cellphone  —  Less than 24 hours before his inauguration, the Associated Press reports President-elect Donald Trump  —  has given up his personal cellphone.  —  Trump apparently told a friend on Thursday that he has given up the phone on the advice of security agencies.

Trump's Inaugural Concert Didn't Fill The National Mall  —  Here's the crowd outside the Lincoln Memorial on Thursday for a concert celebrating President-elect Donald Trump's upcoming inauguration. … The National Park Service declined to estimate how many people attended the concert.

It's time to relax about Trump  —  Hugh Hewitt hosts a nationally syndicated radio show and is author of the forthcoming “The Fourth Way: The Conservative Playbook for a Lasting GOP Majority.”  —  My wife and I welcomed Mike and Debbie for dinner at our California home Tuesday night.

Wright Under Consideration as Trump's Antitrust Chief, Source Says  —  Ex-FTC commissioner said in running for Justice Department job  —  Courts have countered Wright dissents in FTC enforcement cases  —  The Trump team is considering giving a top antitrust post to a former U.S. trade …

Dems blast Trump plans for deep spending cuts  —  Several Democratic senators harshly criticized spending cuts planned by the Trump administration during a confirmation hearing Thursday for Rick Perry, who is nominated to lead the Energy Department.  —  “This is absolutely nuts in terms …

Trump on Supreme Court pick: ‘I think in my mind I know who it is’  —  Washington (CNN)President-elect Donald Trump suggested to an audience on Thursday that he has a good sense of who he plans to nominate to the Supreme Court.  —  “I think in my mind I know who it is,” …

First on ABC: George W. Bush's Inauguration Day Letter to Barack Obama  —  Writing a letter to the next commander-in-chief has been a tradition for outgoing presidents.  —  As Barack Obama prepares to hand the baton to Donald Trump, ABC News has obtained an exclusive look at the missive …

Jim Brown backs Donald Trump  —  Who are the most formidable and iconic male African-Americans of the 1960s?  Martin Luther King and Cassius Clay/Muhammad Ali are surely the top two.  —  Who is third?  For me, it's Jim Brown (and not John Lewis).  —  Brown is as great an athlete as I've ever seen.

Wyden objection to Pompeo could push vote to Monday  —  Trump CIA pick backs intel on Russian hacking  —  (CNN)Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, a Democratic member of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a vocal privacy advocate, has formally objected to the Senate voting Friday on CIA director nominee …

Cornyn: No One Covered Under Medicaid Expansion Will Lose Coverage  —  A group of Republican governors met with Republican members of the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday, and some expressed concerns about the number of people who could lose insurance once GOP lawmakers repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Trump press secretary turns press conference into infomercial for Trump's D.C. hotel  —  Profiting off the presidency before he's sworn in.  —  During a pre-inauguration news conference on Thursday, Sean Spicer, President-elect Donald Trump's soon-to-be press secretary …

A Final Reminder: Here's Who ‘Owns’ the Trump Presidency and Who Will Get the Blame/Praise  —  As we all brace for the official start to a Donald Trump presidency which most of us never thought would happen, it is important to set down some markers.  Specifically, who will get the credit/blame …

Malia Obama's Secret Trip to Bolivia and Peru  —  The Bolivian guides were convinced it was the blonde.  It had to be the blonde.  American Embassy officials in November had told three brothers who led guided hikes across Bolivia's majestic Cordillera Real mountain range that they would soon be hosting an important American dignitary.

Trump's K Street Office Is Open for Business  —  Corey Lewandowski rebrands himself as a D.C. fixer peddling access to the White House.  —  by  —  Subscribe Reprints  —  “You see that window right there?  The one right next to the big arch?” says Corey Lewandowski, pointing at the second floor of the White House two blocks away.

Op-Ed How to stop Trump: Lessons from the tea party  —  Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin speaks to a crowd during the kickoff of the nationwide Tea Party Express bus tour in Reno, Nev. on Oct. 18, 2010.  (Scott Sady / Associated Press)  —  Gonzalo Martínez de Vedia, Jeremy Haile and Sarah Dohl

Congress moves to give away national lands, discounting billions in revenue  —  Though recreation on federal lands creates $646bn in economic stimulus and 6.1m jobs, Republicans are setting in motion a giveaway of Americans' birthright  —  n the midst of highly publicized steps …

Thank You  —  Editor's note: President Obama sent this final message to the White House email list this morning.  —  My fellow Americans,  —  It's a long-standing tradition for the sitting president of the United States to leave a parting letter in the Oval Office for the American elected to take his or her place.