BREAKING: Explosions reported at flooded Crosby chemical plant  —  The Harris County Emergency Operations Center reported two explosions and black smoke coming from the Arkema chemical plant in Crosby early Thursday, according to a statement from the company.

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.

Fox News Poll: Voters' mood sours, 56 percent say Trump tearing country apart  —  Voter satisfaction with the direction of the nation is down by double digits, as a majority says President Donald Trump is tearing the country apart.  —  That's according to the latest Fox News Poll.

Russian lobbyist testifies to Mueller grand jury  —  Rinat Akhmetshin, the lobbyist and former Soviet army officer who met senior Trump campaign aides at a controversial meeting last year, has given evidence before a grand jury investigation, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Mueller teams up with New York attorney general in Manafort probe  —  Special counsel Robert Mueller's team is working with New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman on its investigation into Paul Manafort and his financial transactions, according to several people familiar with the matter.

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.

Federal Judge Blocks Texas' Ban on ‘Sanctuary Cities’  —  HOUSTON — A federal judge in San Antonio on Wednesday blocked Texas from enforcing its ban on so-called sanctuary cities, questioning the constitutionality of a law that has pitted Republican state leaders against several Democratic-leaning cities.

'I'm a g*ddamn human being': Crying white supremacist Cantwell stuck in jail — and really hates his nickname  —  Christopher “Crying Nazi” Cantwell gave his first post-arrest interview to The Daily Beast's Hawes Spencer and said that his new nickname really upsets him.

GOP lawmaker: Trump can't bully senators, 'this isn't the Apprentice'  —  Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) on Wednesday pushed back on President Trump's recent criticisms of members of his own party ahead of the president's meeting with congressional leaders next week.

Cernovich Sources: White House ‘Coup’ Underway, Trump ‘Under House Arrest’  —  Breitbart News Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow spoke to journalist Mike Cernovich on Breitbart News Daily this morning discussing the Trump presidency, Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump's influence, and the possibility …

Sen. Kamala Harris announces support for ‘Medicare-for-All’ bill  —  OAKLAND — U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris announced Wednesday that she intends to support a congressional effort to expand Medicare to all Americans.  —  “I intend to co-sponsor the Medicaid-for-All bill,” California's junior …

The Cheap Prosperity Gospel of Trump and Osteen  —  Before it began to rain in Houston last week, the spectacularly wealthy pastor Joel Osteen could have opened up his megachurch to serve as a logistics center.  He could have announced that evacuees were welcome to take shelter there when Hurricane Harvey landed.

Trump Dumped U.S. Ambassador to Amman at Request of King  —  Jordan's monarch had clashed with the U.S. diplomat over disagreements with Obama administration policies.  —  Soon after taking office, President Donald Trump pushed out the U.S. ambassador to Jordan after complaints from the country's king …

Push to simplify taxes is on but don't touch some deductions  —  President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans have pledged to overhaul the nation's complex tax code.  To slash taxes, they say they'll curb a web of expensive deductions and credits to allow more revenue to flow to the government.

Poll: Most Oppose Trump's Pardon for Ex-Sheriff Arpaio, Booting ‘Dreamers’  —  More than half of Americans disapprove of President Donald Trump's decision to pardon former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio, while nearly two-thirds said they support a program allowing “Dreamers” to stay in the U.S. …

The Sordid Double Life of Washington's Most Powerful Ambassador  —  T  —  he women were brought into the Abu Dhabi apartment in abayas.  —  “Pick who you want,” the men were told, and she would be theirs until noon the next day.  —  Roman Paschal recalled about seven women to choose from.

FBI fights public release of Trump dossier info  —  Senate investigators have had problems getting the FBI to reveal information about the Trump dossier.  They're not the only ones.  Outside groups filing Freedom of Information Act requests are running up against a stone wall when it comes to the dossier.

How Trump's Texas disaster relief visit turned into an impromptu rally  —  CORPUS CHRISTI, Tex. — The call from a friend rang in on Mark Crider's line at around 10:00 a.m. Tuesday: President Trump was going to be in Corpus Christi at the firehouse across the way.

Harvey Wasn't Just Bad Weather.  It Was Bad City Planning  —  Houston exulted in sprawling, hands-off growth.  That's no way to prepare for natural catastrophes.  —  Houston has been wet since birth.  In the 1840s, the German explorer Ferdinand von Roemer described the Brazos River prairie …

Trump faces CEO, staff pressure on immigration plan  —  President Trump could trigger a furious response from corporations and some members of his own staff if he green-lights a plan under consideration at the White House to end DACA, the Obama-era policy that suspends deportation of some undocumented workers who arrived as children.

On Voting Reforms, Follow Illinois, Not Texas  —  In the face of America's abysmal voter participation rates, lawmakers have two choices: They can make voting easier, or they can make it harder.  —  Illinois made the right choice this week, becoming the 10th state, along with the District of Columbia …