Special Counsel Examines Possible Role Flynn Played in Seeking Clinton Emails From Hackers  —  Mueller probe of potential link between Trump campaign and Russia follows trail of GOP operative's correspondence  —  WASHINGTON—Special counsel Robert Mueller is examining what role, if any …

OPINION |  Michael Brown: Mr. President, don't let Hurricane Harvey be your Katrina  —  Dear Mr. President:  —  Theodore Roosevelt once stated, “I suppose my critics will call that preaching, but I have got such a bully pulpit!”  You know quite well the power of that bully pulpit.

Gary Cohn, Trump's Adviser, Said to Have Drafted Resignation Letter After Charlottesville  —  WASHINGTON — A prominent Jewish member of President Trump's administration said that the White House “can and must do better” in consistently condemning hate groups.

Trump officially bans transgender people from military  —  President Trump signed a presidential memo Friday instructing the Defense Department to stop accepting transgender people who want to enroll in the military.  —  The memo details Trump's previous Twitter announcement last month …

Trump Likely to End DACA Immigrant Program  —  WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump appears likely to pull the plug on DACA, the Obama-era program allowing young people who came to the U.S. illegally as children to remain here, several government officials said Friday.

Mnuchin viewed the solar eclipse atop $200B of gold  —  Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin flew to Kentucky with his wife and viewed the solar eclipse atop $200 billion of gold at the Fort Knox US Bullion Depository Kentucky, it was revealed Thursday. … The watchdog group Citizens …

Kasich, Hickenlooper eye joint 2020 bid  —  Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) and Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) — “the Johns,” as insiders are calling them — have been making a flurry of joint appearances to talk about state-driven improvements to health care.

“There's Been a Slightly Hysterical Tone About Race”  —  Author Mark Lilla thinks Democrats' focus on identity politics is destroying the party.  —  On this week's episode of my podcast, I Have to Ask, I spoke with Mark Lilla, a professor of the humanities at Columbia University and the author …

At CIA, a watchful eye on Mike Pompeo, the president's ardent ally  —  As CIA director, Mike Pompeo has taken a special interest in an agency unit that is closely tied to the investigation into possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign, requiring the Counterintelligence Mission Center to report directly to him.

Trump Saves Citgo, Repped by His Ex-Aides, From New Sanctions … The White House on Friday announced a new round of sanctions against Venezuela that explicitly exempt the U.S. arm of the country's state-owned oil company.  That company, Citgo, donated six-figure sums to Trump's inauguration …

Jim Brown Gives Us ‘The Real Deal’ On Colin Kaepernick, Flag, Activism  —  Jim Brown says he can appreciate Colin Kaepernick's desire to fight for a righteous cause, but the Pro Football Hall of Famer and iconic social activist disagrees with his method.  —  “I want to be in his corner …

Trump considers backing away from Strange in heated Alabama Senate runoff … President Trump is considering backing away from Sen. Luther Strange in a heated Republican primary runoff in Alabama, according to multiple Republicans close to the White House, underscoring the deteriorating relationship between …

San Anselmo's San Domenico School creates stir by removing Catholic statues  —  Removal of a number of statues and other smaller Catholic icons from the campus of San Domenico School in San Anselmo has raised concerns among some parents.  —  In an email to the school's board of directors …

GOP floats condemning Charlottesville violence  —  Republicans are floating a resolution to condemn the recent white supremacist protests in Virginia — a measure quickly hammered by Democrats who say the language echoes the equivocal response from President Trump.

Trump Hotel at Night: Lobbyists, Cabinet Members, $60 Steaks  —  WASHINGTON — It was nearing midnight at the Trump International Hotel, and the president's son was eating macaroni and cheese.  —  Enveloped in the smooth tones of jazzy hotel music, soft light from a million tiny chandelier crystals …

The real reason Trump is not a Republican … John C. Danforth was a Republican U.S. senator from Missouri from 1976 to 1995.  —  Many have said that President Trump isn't a Republican.  They are correct, but for a reason more fundamental than those usually given.

The Bride, the Groom and the Elephant in the Room  —  Dr. Marc Wallack and his new wife, Cynthia Zhou, were just out of earshot up the sandy stairs to the Westhampton Bath and Tennis Hotel on their way to their wedding reception when the violinist who played their processional struck up the Beatles' “When I'm 64.”

The U.S. needs to prepare for the possibility that Trump won't leave office peacefully  —  There's been a lot of talk in recent weeks about whether Donald Trump will survive four years—or even one year—of his disastrous presidency.  —  The internet and cable news are full of voices speculating …

Group asks Sen. Marco Rubio to stop tweeting Bible verses  —  WASHINGTON — Marco Rubio likes to tweet Bible verses.  —  Almost every day for the past three months, the Republican senator from Florida slips a pithy message from The Good Book into his Twitter feed for his nearly 3 million followers to digest.

Facebook has hired former NYT public editor Liz Spayd as a consultant in a ‘transparency’ effort  —  She has also worked at the Washington Post and Columbia Journalism Review as a top editor.  —  Facebook has recently hired former New York Times public editor Liz Spayd on a consulting basis …