Woman says Franken inappropriately touched her in 2010  —  STORY HIGHLIGHTS  —  (CNN)A woman says Sen. Al Franken inappropriately touched her in 2010, telling CNN that he grabbed her buttocks while taking a photo at the Minnesota State Fair.  —  It is the first allegation of improper touching by Franken …

Exclusive: NYT White House correspondent Glenn Thrush's history of bad judgment around young women journalists  —  Several women told Vox about their experiences with the star reporter, and the Times has suspended him pending an investigation.  —  Sexual harassment claims against yet another powerful man …

Special counsel sends wide-ranging request for documents to Justice Department  —  Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team investigating whether President Donald Trump sought to obstruct a federal inquiry into connections between his presidential campaign and Russian operatives has now directed …

Sources: McMaster Mocked Trump's Intelligence In a Private Dinner  —  National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster mocked President Trump's intelligence at a private dinner with a powerful tech CEO, according to five sources with knowledge of the conversation.  —  Over a July dinner …

Moore accuser refuses to appear on ‘Hannity’  —  A woman who accused Republican Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore of inappropriate behavior is refusing to be interviewed by Sean Hannity.  —  Paula Cobia, an attorney for Gloria Thacker Deason, wrote in an email to a “Hannity” …

Why evangelicals are again backing a Republican despite allegations of sexual misconduct  —  WASHINGTON — Allegations that Roy Moore sexually assaulted teenage girls decades ago have turned many Republicans against their party's Senate candidate in Alabama, but one bloc of conservative leaders is standing by their man: evangelicals.

The Bizarre True Story of the Neighborhood Scuffle That Left Rand Paul with Six Broken Ribs  —  How did a United States Senator—just out mowing his lawn—wind up in an altercation that put him in the hospital?  Was it a politically-motivated attack?  Or was it something far more petty?

Donald Trump criticizes Marshawn Lynch for anthem protest in Mexico  —  MEXICO CITY — President Donald Trump took to Twitter early Monday morning to criticize Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch for standing during the Mexican national anthem but sitting during the anthem …

Trump announces designation of North Korea as state sponsor of terrorism  —  President Donald Trump announced Monday that the U.S. will designate North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism, saying the move would ratchet up sanctions against the repressive state to “the highest level.”

Keystone XL pipeline wins green light in Nebraska  —  Nebraska regulators approved the Keystone XL pipeline Monday, clearing the last big regulatory hurdle for the controversial oil project after nearly a decade of bitter protests from environmentalists and landowners and delivering a win …

After border agent is killed and partner injured in Texas, Trump renews call for wall  —  Authorities were searching southwest Texas for suspects or witnesses after a U.S. Border Patrol agent was killed and his partner injured Sunday while on patrol in the state's Big Bend area, officials said.

The Treasury Secretary's Wife  —  She's not good at being inconspicuous, which is a shame  —  First ladies are bad enough, and the recent habit of referring to the wife of the vice president as “the second lady” is nauseating.  The first Mrs. Trump does have a point: From a certain point of view, Melania is the third lady.

Make Nepotism Great Again: 20 Families Got Jobs in Trump Administration … Most people have heard of Ivanka and Jared, but the first family is far from the only group of relatives staffing the Trump administration.  —  A Daily Beast examination of public records reveals that there are at least 20 families …

Charles Manson Dies at 83; Wild-Eyed Leader of a Murderous Crew  —  Charles Manson, one of the most notorious murderers of the 20th century, who was very likely the most culturally persistent and perhaps also the most inscrutable, died on Sunday in Kern County, Calif. He was 83 and had been behind bars for most of his life.

Lerner, Paz say they fear physical harm from enraged public, want IRS testimony sealed permanently  —  Former IRS executive Lois G. Lerner told a federal court last week that members of her family, including “young children,” face death threats and a real risk of physical harm if her explanation …

EXCLUSIVE: 30 Sources Expose Sexually Explicit Evidence of Harassment by Ohio GOP Rep Wes Goodman  —  Note: This article contains graphic content.  —  Disgraced Ohio State Representative Wes Goodman — a Republican — in the wake of the lawmaker's recently-revealed sex scandal and resignation …

Roy Moore is not a pedophile  —  Rachel Hope Cleves is a professor of history at the University of Victoria.  Nicholas L. Syrett is a professor of women, gender and sexuality studies at the University of Kansas.  —  The hashtags #RoyMoorePedophile and #RoyMooreChildMolester have trended on Twitter over the past week.

Opening for Romney Senate bid gets wider  —  Utah Republican Boyd Matheson is forgoing a 2018 Senate campaign, a decision that further opens the door for Mitt Romney to run.  —  Matheson, a former chief of staff to Utah Sen. Mike Lee and the president of the conservative Sutherland Institute think tank …