Trump Attorneys Lay Out Arguments Against Obstruction-of-Justice Probe to Mueller  —  In meetings and memos, lawyers argue president didn't obstruct justice by firing former FBI Chief Comey  —  WASHINGTON—Lawyers for Donald Trump have met several times with Special Counsel Robert Mueller …

Manafort Notes From Russian Meet Contain Cryptic Reference to ‘Donations’  —  WASHINGTON — Paul Manafort's notes from a controversial Trump Tower meeting with Russians during the 2016 presidential campaign included the word “donations,” near a reference to the Republican National Committee …

Trump expected to halt Obama's program but allow some Dreamers to stay temporarily  —  WASHINGTON  —  President Donald Trump is expected to end an Obama-era program that shielded young people from deportation, but he will likely let the immigrants known as Dreamers stay in the United States until …

Kushners' China Deal Flop Was Part of Much Bigger Hunt for Cash  —  Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law and top adviser, wakes up each morning to a growing problem that will not go away.  His family's real estate business, Kushner Cos., owes hundreds of millions of dollars on a 41-story office building on Fifth Avenue.

The CEO of Laura Ingraham's LifeZette Won't Stop Talking About His Employees' ‘Boobs and Butts’ … LifeZette, the politics and culture website founded by prominent ally of President Donald Trump and longtime talk-radio host Laura Ingraham, is in trouble.  —  Traffic to the site …

Freedom Caucus leader warns: Don't attach Harvey aid to debt-ceiling increase  —  The leader of an influential group of House conservatives warned GOP leaders Thursday not to attach aid for victims of Hurricane Harvey to an increase in the federal debt limit, a stance that could constrain Speaker Paul D. Ryan …

This is the best photo Trump could find for “witnessing” hurricane devastation “first hand”  —  Donald Trump said he witnessed the devastation of Hurricane Harvey “first hand.”  —  He did not.  —  He did not even come close.  —  His Tuesday trip to Texas took him to Corpus Christi, several hundred miles away from Houston.

RNC chief of staff resigns amid rash of departures  —  Sara Armstrong, the top staffer at the Republican National Committee, is departing, according to three people familiar with the move — the latest in a string of exits from the committee.  —  Armstrong, the RNC's chief of staff …

Trump is slashing Obamacare's advertising budget by 90%  —  The White House will also cut the in-person outreach program by $23 million.  —  The Trump administration plans to deeply cut Obamacare outreach and advertising, officials announced Thursday.  They will reduce Obamacare advertising …

Mnuchin: Treasury could scrap plans to replace Jackson on $20 bill  —  said Thursday that the Treasury Department could scrap plans finalized under President Barack Obama  —  to replace President Andrew Jackson on the front of the $20 bill with Harriet Tubman.

Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke has resigned  —  Watch County Executive Chris Abele's reaction to Sheriff Clarke's resignation below.  Remarks are scheduled for 4:30 p.m.  —  MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke resigned Thursday, TODAY'S TMJ4 has learned.

Was Barack Obama President During Hurricane Katrina?  —  Twitter users tried to pin the blame for Katrina relief issues on Obama, though he wasn't even president when it hit New Orleans. … CLAIM  —  Barack Obama was president when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005.  —  RATING  —  FALSE

CONFIRMED: Comey Decided He Wasn't Going to Refer Hillary For Prosecution Long Before FBI Investigation Was Over  —  According to new transcripts released by the Senate Judiciary Thursday afternoon, former FBI Director James Comey made the decision not to refer then Democrat presidential …

Owners must surgically ‘debark’ loud dogs, court rules  —  Gallery: Owners must debark dogs, court rules  —  The Oregon Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday that a southern Oregon couple must quiet their incessantly barking dogs by sending them to the vet to have their voices surgically squelched.

Explosions reported at flooded Crosby chemical plant  —  A fire broke out at the Arkema plant in Crosby early Thursday, following chemical explosions overnight that sent plumes of black smoke into the air.  —  Arkema officials warned that more explosions are likely because there are eight additional box vans …

Officer to woman during traffic stop: ‘We only kill black people, right?’  —  COBB COUNTY, Ga. - Exclusive dash-cam video obtained by Channel 2 Action News caught an officer's interaction with a woman who said she was afraid to move her hands during a traffic stop.

Trump Energy official who said controversial comments were result of hacking resigns  —  STORY HIGHLIGHTS  —  (CNN)William C. Bradford, a Trump administration appointee who heads the Energy Department's Office of Indian Energy, resigned Thursday after claiming this week inflammatory comments …

A message from Glenn Beck: A heavy heart and the road ahead  —  What happened?  My heart is heavy today.  —  You might have noticed that recently something has been bothering me.  —  Today, we said goodbye to just over 20 percent of the combined workforce of Mercury Radio Arts and TheBlaze …

SPLC Says Army Bases Are Confederate Monuments That Need To Come Down  —  The Southern Poverty Law Center has declared three of America's largest Army bases Confederate monuments “with the potential to unleash more turmoil and bloodshed” if activists don't “take down” the Army bases.

Gov. Abbott Disses Trump: VP Pence Has Shown ‘Genuine Lord-Empowered Leadership’  —  Governor Greg Abbott threw some shade on Trump's visit to Texas during Hurricane Harvey by introducing Mike Pence as “a man who's shown genuine Lord-empowered leadership as the Vice President of the United States.”