Anthony Scaramucci Called Me to Unload About White House Leakers, Reince Priebus, and Steve Bannon  —  He started by threatening to fire the entire White House communications staff.  It escalated from there.  —  On Wednesday night, I received a phone call from Anthony Scaramucci, the new White House communications director.

From the Chief: Our Perspective on the Presidential Visit  —  In the last two weeks, we have celebrated the best of Scouting at our 20th National Jamboree with nearly 40,000 participants, volunteers, staff and visitors.  The 2017 National Jamboree has showcased and furthered the Scouting mission …

Senate Republicans hope their own Obamacare repeal won't become law  —  Updated, 5:45 p.m.: Three Republican senators said they will block the GOP's “skinny” Obamacare repeal bill without an ironclad guarantee from House Speaker Paul Ryan that the bill will go to conference committee …

US Joint Chiefs blindsided by Trump's transgender ban  —  STORY HIGHLIGHTS  —  Washington (CNN)The Joint Chiefs of Staff, including chairman General Joseph Dunford, were not aware President Donald Trump planned to tweet a ban on transgender service members, three US defense officials told CNN …

Michiko Kakutani, the Legendary Book Critic and the Most Feared Woman in Publishing, Is Stepping Down from The New York Times  —  Kakutani, who helped make the careers of writers from Foster Wallace to McEwan, and put fear in the hearts of Mailer and Vidal, will leave her post as one of the most formidable critics in the Times history.

Hillary Clinton lets her “guard down” in new memoir after stunning election defeat  —  For the first time since her stunning 2016 presidential election defeat to Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton reveals personal details of the unprecedented campaign through her tell-all book “What Happened.”

Look, It's Time to Collectively and Officially Give Up on Ivanka Trump  —  It was Groundhog Day, dystopia edition, yesterday morning when the president banned all transgender servicepeople from the U.S. military, unfurling yet another reversal of an historic Obama-era policy.

Norm Macdonald Sounds Off on SNL: 'I Think They're Playing Into Trump's Hands' … Norm Macdonald is stuck on a golf course.  “We have all these children in front of us, so we're not going anywhere,” the 57-year-old comedian tells me by phone as he waits to move on to the next hole.

Intelligence chairman accuses Obama aides of hundreds of unmasking requests  —  The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee is accusing top political aides of President Obama of making hundreds of requests during the 2016 presidential race to unmask the names of Americans in intelligence reports …

Trump administration signals that Murkowski's health care vote could have energy repercussions for Alaska  —  WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump isn't going to just let Sen. Lisa Murkowski's no vote on Tuesday's health care motion go.  —  Early Wednesday, Trump took to Twitter to express displeasure with Murkowski's vote.

Top Middle East Advisor Out On the National Security Council  —  National Security Advisor Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster has removed Derek Harvey, the top Middle East advisor on the National Security Council (NSC), from his post on Thursday, according to a source with knowledge of the personnel move.

Here's what's in ‘skinny repeal’  —  Senate Republicans are still editing their “skinny repeal” of the Affordable Care Act, but it's changed since yesterday to include slightly more than the law's mandates but no repeal of the law's industry taxes, per two senior GOP aides.  —  Here's what's now in it:

Sources: A top FBI lawyer is under an investigation for allegedly leaking classified information  —  EXCLUSIVE: FBI General Counsel James A. Baker is purportedly under a Department of Justice criminal investigation for allegedly leaking classified national security information to the media …

Palin to subpoena two dozen reporters in defamation suit  —  Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin plans to subpoena close to two dozen New York Times reporters, editors and other workers as part of her defamation lawsuit against the newspaper, it was revealed in court documents Wednesday.  —  SEE ALSO

Pakistani village elders order retaliatory rape of 17-year-old girl  —  (CNN) Village elders in Pakistan ordered the rape of a 17-year-old girl after her brother was accused of raping another girl.  —  Twenty people have been arrested by police following the two assaults …

Democratic Rep. Delaney eyes 2020 presidential run  —  Rep. John Delaney (D-Md.) plans on bypassing runs for governor and reelection and has told associates he is seriously considering a bid for president in 2020, according to two Democratic sources.  —  Five Democratic sources in the state …

Steve Bannon has a shadow press office.  It may violate federal law.  —  Private publicist, not White House spokespeople, flacking for top Trump aide  —  In an arrangement prominent ethics experts say is without precedent and potentially illegal, the White House is referring questions …

House Dems to call on Trump to fire Kushner  —  A small group of House Democrats are circulating a letter to send to President Trump urging him to dismiss his son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, over his contacts with Russian officials during the campaign.

Wasserman Schultz kept paying tech expert suspected of stealing House computers  —  When a computer expert who worked for congressional Democrats was accused of stealing computers and data systems in February, members of Congress cut him loose within days, leaving Imran Awan with no supporters five months later.

Justice Dept. Weighs In Against Protections for Gays in the Workplace  —  The Department of Justice has filed court papers arguing that a major federal civil rights law does not protect employees from discrimination based on sexual orientation in a case now being considered by a New York appeals court.

Trump urged to use recess appointment to replace Sessions — is that possible?  —  STORY HIGHLIGHTS  —  (CNN)Is President Donald Trump trying to force out Jeff Sessions as attorney general so he can “recess appoint” someone to the job who would fire Justice Department Special Counsel Robert Mueller?