Exclusive: Rice told House investigators why she unmasked senior Trump officials  —  STORY HIGHLIGHTS  —  Washington (CNN)Former national security adviser Susan Rice privately told House investigators that she unmasked the identities of senior Trump officials to understand why the crown prince …

Martin Shkreli jailed after Facebook post about Hillary Clinton  —  NEW YORK — A federal judge on Wednesday revoked the $5 million bail of Martin Shkreli, the infamous former hedge fund manager convicted of defrauding investors, after prosecutors complained that his out-of-court antics posed a danger to the community.

Treasury Secretary Mnuchin requested government jet for European honeymoon  —  Secretary Steven Mnuchin requested use of a government jet to take him and his wife on their honeymoon in Scotland, France and Italy earlier this summer, sparking an “inquiry” by The Treasury Department's Office of Inspector General, sources tell ABC News.

Mike Flynn's Son Is Subject of Federal Russia Probe  —  WASHINGTON — Michael G. Flynn, the son of President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, is a subject of the federal investigation into Russian meddling in the presidential election and possible collusion between Moscow …

After Charlottesville, Black Republican Gives Trump a Lecture on Racism  —  WASHINGTON — Tim Scott, the lone black Republican in the Senate, delivered a pointed lecture on America's 300-year legacy of racism to President Trump on Wednesday in response to what he called Mr. Trump's “sterile” …

Hillary Clinton Looks Back in Anger  —  She talks about Trump, Comey, collusion, “deplorables,” and the power of sexism.  —  Hillary Rodham Clinton, who, as she puts it, won “more votes for President than any white man” in American history, is not the first candidate to capture the popular vote but lose the election.

Judge Considers Defying Trump Over Arpaio Pardon  —  Although President Donald Trump has issued a full pardon to former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio, and his lawyers have filed a motion seeking to have his conviction thrown out as a result, District Court Judge Susan Bolton has so far refused …

Deep Six: Jemele Hill and the Fight for the Future of ESPN  —  The new cohost of ‘SportsCenter’ and her partner, Michael Smith, have been blamed for the network's perceived liberal bias.  Should they embrace debate or block the trolls?  Hill shares her side.

Mueller Probe Has ‘Red-Hot’ Focus on Social Media, Officials Say  —  Facebook officials likely to face Congress, key lawmaker says  —  Russia still ramping up cyber espionage: intelligence chief  —  Follow @bpolitics for all the latest news, and sign up for our daily Balance of Power newsletter.

Two Ex-Googlers Want To Make Bodegas And Mom-And-Pop Corner Stores Obsolete  —  Called Bodega, this startup installs unmanned pantry boxes in apartments, offices, dorms, and gyms.  It promises convenience, but also represents competition for many mom-and-pop stores.

Trump Administration Launches Broad New Anti-Leak Program  —  The top US national security official has directed government departments and agencies to warn employees across the entire federal government next week about the dangers and consequences of leaking even unclassified information.

Flynn Promoted Nuclear-Plant Project While in White House  —  Then-Trump security adviser had his staff meet with those involved in Middle East proposal that once included Russian firms  —  As President Donald Trump's national security adviser, retired Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn promoted …

Bernie Sanders's Bill Gets America Zero Percent Closer to Single Payer  —  The sight of 15 Senate Democrats, including many of the party's likely presidential contenders, co-sponsoring Bernie Sanders's single-payer health-care bill may look like a momentous step.

Trump FEMA Nominee Withdraws After NBC Questions on Falsified Records  —  WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's nominee for the No. 2 spot at the Federal Emergency Management Agency withdrew from consideration on Wednesday after NBC News raised questions about a federal investigation that found …

U.S. bans use of Kaspersky software in federal agencies amid concerns of Russian espionage … The U.S. government on Wednesday banned the use of a Russian brand of security software by federal agencies amid concerns the company has ties to state-sponsored cyberespionage activities, according to U.S. officials.

Cruz on porn video ‘liked’ on his Twitter account: ‘It was not me’  —  Porn video ‘like’ removed from Cruz's Twitter  —  Washington (CNN)Sen. Ted Cruz denied Wednesday that he was the one who liked a pornographic video from his Twitter account.  —  “It was not me,” Cruz said in an interview …

Attorneys Suspect Motel 6 Calling ICE on Undocumented Guests … On a hot Wednesday in June, Manuel Rodriguez-Juarez, a 33-year-old landscaper, got into an argument with his live-in girlfriend.  —  While he waited for her to cool down, he decided to check into a $45-a-night room at a nearby Motel 6 …

Pelosi, Schumer to have dinner with Trump Wednesday  —  House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer will dine with President Donald Trump on Wednesday evening at the White House.  —  The discussion will include the DREAM Act — a proposal to provide long-term protection …

Trump ethics watchdog moves to allow anonymous gifts to legal defense funds  —  The U.S. Office of Government Ethics has quietly reversed its own internal policy prohibiting anonymous donations from lobbyists to White House staffers who have legal defense funds.

Frank Vincent Dead at 80 From Heart Surgery Complications  —  EXCLUSIVE DETAILS  —  Frank Vincent — veteran actor known for his roles on “The Sopranos” and several Martin Scorsese films — died in a New Jersey hospital Wednesday ... TMZ has learned.  —  We're told Vincent suffered …

GOP worries as state Dems outperform in special elections  —  Democrats looking for positive harbingers ahead of next year's midterms have found comfort in a string of special elections for vacant state legislative seats, ordinarily sleepy races in which their candidates are performing markedly better …

Have Colleges Completely Lost Their Minds?  —  The college meltdown continues.  The sharp decline in applications and new student enrollments that have taken place at the University of Missouri and Evergreen State College has spread to Oberlin College, which also saw the administration cater to radical students and deranged faculty.

Teflon Don confounds Democrats  —  Democrats tried attacking Donald Trump as unfit for the presidency.  They've made the case that he's ineffective, pointing to his failure to sign a single major piece of legislation into law after eight months in the job.  They've argued that Trump is using …

Kushner's White House role ‘crushed’ efforts to woo investors for NYC tower  —  Jared Kushner and his family company seemed close to striking a deal in 2016 to transform their aging, money-losing 41-story Manhattan office tower into a new and profitable Fifth Avenue skyscraper twice as tall.

Russian Trolls Promoted Trump While Trashing Black Lives Matter On Twitter  —  When a Russian troll farm was fishing for Trump supporters on Twitter, it baited the hook by targeting minority activists and public figures.  —  TPM has reviewed tweets and images from a pro-Trump Twitter account run …