Inside Hillary Clinton's Secret Takeover of the DNC  —  Before I called Bernie Sanders, I lit a candle in my living room and put on some gospel music.  I wanted to center myself for what I knew would be an emotional phone call.  —  I had promised Bernie when I took the helm …

Sam Clovis, Trump's nominee for USDA's top scientist, confirms he has no hard science credentials  —  The U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientist nominee, Sam Clovis, who now serves as the agency's senior White House adviser, confirmed in an Oct. 17 letter obtained by The Washington Post …

Republicans Stick With Big Corporate Tax Cuts in House Bill  —  The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act seeks the biggest transformation of tax code in more than 30 years; leaves top individual tax rate at 39.6%  —  WASHINGTON—House Republicans, seeking the biggest transformation of the U.S. tax code …

Prosecutors Consider Bringing Charges in DNC Hacking Case  —  At least six Russian government officials are identified as part of ongoing investigation  —  The Justice Department has identified more than six members of the Russian government involved in hacking the Democratic National Committee's computers …

Russia hackers had targets worldwide, beyond US election  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The hackers who upended the U.S. presidential election had ambitions well beyond Hillary Clinton's campaign, targeting the emails of Ukrainian officers, Russian opposition figures, U.S. defense contractors …

Rick Perry suggests fossil fuels help prevent sexual assault  —  suggested Thursday that expanding the use of fossil fuels could help prevent sexual assault.  —  Speaking during an energy policy discussion about energy policy with “Meet the Press'” Chuck Todd and Axios CEO and founder Jim VandeHei …

Robert Mercer to Step Down as Head of Renaissance Technologies  —  Robert Mercer, a billionaire investor who is a big backer of many conservative causes and a patron of former White House adviser Steve Bannon, is stepping down as co-chief executive of Renaissance Technologies, the giant hedge fund.

Michael Flynn Followed Russian Troll Accounts, Pushed Their Messages in Days Before Election … Former White House National Security Adviser Michael Flynn followed five Twitter accounts based out of the Russian-backed “troll factory” in St. Petersburg—and pushed their messages at least three times …

The Trumpification of Ed Gillespie  —  It would be hard to find a better example of the “corrupt Washington establishment” that President Trump calls “the swamp” than Ed Gillespie.  —  The Republican nominee in Virginia's gubernatorial election, Gillespie is an insider's insider …

“A Different Level of Crazy”: Is Civil War Breaking Out in The Wall Street Journal Over the Editorial Board's Coverage of Mueller?  —  A series of virulent anti-Mueller editorials has reporters worried about their paper's credibility.  —  “The editorial page has been doing crazy s**t for a long time …

Russian ads, now publicly released, show sophistication of influence campaign  —  Lawmakers on Wednesday released a trove of ads that Russian operatives bought on Facebook, providing the fullest picture yet of how foreign actors sought to promote Republican Donald Trump …

In Call With Times Reporter, Trump Projects Air of Calm Over Charges  —  President Trump projected an air of calm on Wednesday after charges against his former campaign chief and a foreign policy aide roiled Washington, insisting to The New York Times that he was not “angry at anybody” …

Mueller Reveals New Manafort Link to Organized Crime … Buried deep in Robert Mueller's indictment of Paul Manafort is a new link between Donald Trump's former campaign and Russian organized crime.  —  The indictment (PDF), unsealed on Monday, includes an extensive look into Paul Manafort's byzantine financial dealings.

Hours after Trump calls US justice system ‘a laughingstock,’ White House denies he ever did  — The White House on Wednesday flatly denied that President Donald Trump had ever called the American criminal justice system “a joke and a laughingstock.”  — Reporters were stunned …

Why the Latino Victory Fund ad is so damaging  —  Before we talk about the most controversial ad thus far in Virginia's governor's race, let's once again express our amazement that people pay attention to political ads at all.  —  If Pepsi said such hyperbolically bad things about Coke, would anyone believe it?

Condé Nast to Cease Teen Vogue in Print, Cut 80 Jobs and Lower Mag Frequencies  —  The publisher continues to slash costs as it builds up its digital business.  —  Condé Nast is expected to complete its final round of cuts by next Thursday, WWD has learned.

Jake Tapper, of CNN, Defends ‘Allahu Akbar’ as ‘Beautiful’ After New York City Terror Attack  —  CNN anchor Jake Tapper said the Islamic phrase “Allahu akbar” can be said “under the most beautiful of circumstances” just minutes after a terrorist attack in New York City.

Former MI6 Officer Steele Was Paid $168,000 For Dossier, Fusion GPS Says  —  Former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele's company was paid $168,000 for its work creating a dossier on Donald Trump, Reuters reported Thursday.  —  Citing a statement from the research firm that paid Steele's company …

James Comey book title: “A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership”  —  Remember the time that fired FBI Director James Comey testified that during a private White House dinner, President Trump had told him: “I need loyalty, I expect loyalty”?  —  Well, Axios can reveal …

Clinton ‘still ready’ to be president  —  Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton  —  said late Wednesday that she is “still ready” to be president of the United States.  —  Clinton made the comments during an appearance on Comedy Central's “The Daily Show” …

Trump super PAC launches $100 million blitz  —  The group, dubbed America First Action, could face competition for cash with another group backed by Steve Bannon.  —  President Donald Trump's super PAC is drawing up plans to spend $100 million on an all-out push to sell tax reform and elect pro-Trump Republicans in 2018.

Trump's Female Accusers Feel Forgotten.  A Lawsuit May Change That.  —  While allegations of sexual misconduct against powerful men in recent weeks have drawn wide public support and prompted quick response, women who came forward during the presidential race with accusations against Donald J. Trump …

Trump Abandons Idea of Sending Terrorism Suspect to Guantánamo  —  WASHINGTON — President Trump on Thursday backed off his threat to send the suspect in this week's New York terrorist attack to the American military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, but once again called for the man …