Mark Cuban, Pitbull step up, but Trump administration making Puerto Rico evacuees pay  —  Evacuees on U.S.-government-coordinated transport must sign IOUs for the cost — and give up their passports as collateral  —  A billionaire business shark and a “worldwide” pop star have donated the use …

Trump adviser 'can't guarantee' taxes won't go up for middle class  —  President Donald Trump's top economic adviser, Gary Cohn, said today that he can't guarantee that taxes won't go up for some middle-class families under the administration's sweeping tax overhaul.

With Tax Cuts on the Table, Once-Mighty Deficit Hawks Hardly Chirp  —  WASHINGTON — In 2001, when surging budget surpluses fueled hopes of extinguishing the national debt, a pitched battle broke out over President George W. Bush's proposed $1.6 trillion tax cut.

The Time Donald Trump Turned Away in Disgust While a Man Was Bleeding to Death in Front of Him … Howard Stern is the greatest celebrity interviewer alive, bar none.  He is possessed of an uncanny ability to induce self-revelation, stroking and feeding the ego until it swells up and bursts.

Hugh Hefner Did Not Live the Good Life  —  Overnight, we learned of the death of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner.  Hefner is the iconic figure who not only made pornography socially respectable (and even more lucrative), but also spent a life constructing a “playboy philosophy” …

Lindsey Graham on Obamacare Repeal: I Had No Idea What I Was Doing … Senate Democrats and their progressive allies spent the last week-and-a-half in a full-blown mobilization against an existential threat to the Affordable Care Act.  —  Now that it has fizzled out, the lead author of the measure …

Rep. Steve Scalise breaks his silence on shooting  —  In his first interview since being shot and critically wounded, Rep. Steve Scalise describes the extent of his injuries and how surgeons put him back together  —  In his first interview since sustaining a life-threatening gunshot wound …

Supreme Court poised to deal a sharp blow to unions for teachers and public employees  —  Labor experts have predicted many employees would stop supporting their union if given a choice.  —  The Supreme Court is set to deal a sharp blow to the unions that represent millions of teachers …

On Fox News, Trump uses racist dogwhistle to talk about NFL players who take a knee during anthem  —  During an interview on Fox & Friends that aired Thursday morning, President Trump said he thinks NFL owners are reluctant to take action against players who don't stand during the national anthem because they're afraid of them.

The GOP Loses Again—and Moore  —  Trump and leaders in Congress should find the latest Republican failure sobering.  —  It was a disastrous day for the whole GOP—President Trump, congressional Republicans, grass-roots activists and anyone who wants progress on the party's agenda.

Facing poverty, academics turn to sex work and sleeping in cars  —  Some, on the brink of homelessness, take desperate measures … here is nothing she would rather do than teach.  But after supplementing her career with tutoring and proofreading, the university lecturer decided …

Fake news rife on Twitter during election week, study from Oxford says  —  Russia bought Black Lives Matter ad on Facebook  —  Fake election news wasn't just for Facebook feeds.  Twitter had its share as well.  —  “Polarizing and conspiratorial junk news” was as prevalent on Twitter …

Ikea has bought TaskRabbit  —  The Swedish home goods giant is looking for some digital help from the contract labor marketplace  —  Swedish home goods giant Ikea has bought TaskRabbit, according to sources close to the situation.  —  The price of the deal could not be determined …