Trump, Schumer agree to pursue plan to repeal the debt ceiling  —  President Trump and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have agreed to pursue a deal that would permanently remove the requirement that Congress repeatedly raise the debt ceiling, three people familiar with the decision said.

Trump Jr. Says He Wanted Russian Dirt to Determine Clinton's ‘Fitness’ for Office  —  WASHINGTON — Donald Trump Jr. told Senate investigators on Thursday that he set up a June 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer because he was intrigued that she might have damaging information about Hillary Clinton …

Democrats dread Hillary's book tour  —  President Donald Trump may be the only person in politics truly excited about Hillary Clinton's book tour.  —  Democratic operatives can't stand the thought of her picking the scabs of 2016, again — the Bernie Sanders divide, the Jim Comey complaints …

Betsy DeVos: The Era of Weaponized Title IX in Campus Rape Cases Is Over  —  In a major speech assailing the deprivation of due process protections under the Obama administration, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos will vow to rein in the federal guidance compelling colleges to adjudicate sexual assault disputes between students.

Steve Bannon says Catholic Church has “economic interest” in “unlimited illegal immigration”  —  In his first extensive interview since leaving the Trump administration, former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon is speaking out about President Trump's decision to end the DACA program.

The First White President  —  It is insufficient to state the obvious of Donald Trump: that he is a white man who would not be president were it not for this fact.  With one immediate exception, Trump's predecessors made their way to high office through the passive power of whiteness …

The Fake Americans Russia Created to Influence the Election  —  Sometimes an international offensive begins with a few shots that draw little notice.  So it was last year when Melvin Redick of Harrisburg, Pa., a friendly-looking American with a backward baseball cap and a young daughter …

The UN ambassador is the breakout star of Trump's Cabinet.  But will she succeed?  —  Nikki Haley was under consideration to become Donald Trump's secretary of state when she flew to New York to meet the President-elect for the first time since his election victory.  —  The South Carolina governor was torn.

Graydon Carter to End 25-Year Run as Vanity Fair's Editor  —  Graydon Carter, the editor of Vanity Fair, plans to step down from the magazine in December after a 25-year tenure, leaving the role that established him as a ringmaster of the glittery spheres of Hollywood, Washington and Manhattan media.

Gingrich or Santorum as speaker?  House conservatives plot mischief for the fall … Several influential House conservatives are privately plotting ways to use the legislative calendar this fall to push their hard-line agenda — including quiet discussions about possibly mounting a leadership challenge to House Speaker Paul D. Ryan.

Amazon Announces Plans for Huge New North America Offices  —  Amazon said on Thursday that it was searching for a second headquarters in North America, a huge new development that would cost as much as $5 billion to build and run, and would house as many as 50,000 employees.

Hurricane Irma Skirts Puerto Rico, Leaves 1 Million Without Power  —  Hurricane Irma carved a merciless path of destruction through the Caribbean, killing at least nine and leaving thousands homeless before plunging more than 1 million residents of Puerto Rico into darkness.

Kid Rock gets political during electric show at Van Andel Arena  —  Gallery: Kid Rock talks politics from the stage at Van Andel  —  GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Amid accusations of campaign finance violations and protests calling for his Michigan concerts to be cancelled, Kid Rock didn't shy away …

Bribery case against Sen. Bob Menendez and friend an ‘attack’ on Hispanics, defense says  —  NEWARK, N.J. - The federal government's bribery case against U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez and a Florida doctor is an “attack” on Hispanic-Americans, a defense attorney said Thursday in court here.