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 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 …

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 …

Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke resigns  —  Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke resigned from his position on Thursday.  Milwaukee County Clerk George Christenson said that he received a resignation letter from Clarke but that no reason for the move was provided.

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.

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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

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.

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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.

Southern Poverty Law Center Transfers Millions in Cash to Offshore Entities  —  Left-wing nonprofit pays lucrative six-figure salaries to top management  —  The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a liberal, Alabama-based 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization that has gained prominence …

I criticized Google.  It got me fired.  That's how corporate power works. … I've studied monopolies for about 20 years.  I got into this line of work back in 1999, when an earthquake in Taiwan resulted the shutdown of factories all over the United States.  How?

Let's Stop the Hysterical Rhetoric About the Opioid Crisis  —  President Trump held a meeting earlier this summer with the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), and other advisers to take a deep dive into solving the nation's worsening opioid overdose problem.

Trump Can Say Whatever He Likes: He's Made Rebuilding a Safe Houston Much, Much Harder  —  He weakened an important federal standard 10 days before the storm.  —  Harvey's toll is already immense.  Thousands are still stranded, and the death toll is 39.  Many Houston streets are lakes …

Teen says juvenile detention center used inmates as ‘sex slaves’ … An 18-year-old Bronx resident claims in a new lawsuit that workers at a juvenile detention center have been using their teen jailbirds as “sex slaves.”  —  Franklin Maldonado, who turns 19 in a few weeks …