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

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.”

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 …