Consumer bureau's top lawyer sides with Trump in leadership clash  —  The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's top lawyer sided with the Justice Department over President Donald Trump's appointment of Mick Mulvaney to lead the CFPB as a leadership battle over the controversial watchdog agency escalated.

Al Franken on Whether He's Ever Groped a Woman's Butt: 'I Can't Say I Haven't' Done That'  —  Sen. Al Franken, who is currently plagued by a number of sexual misconduct accusations, received a tough grilling in a 30-minute interview with WCCO on whether he has ever grabbed a woman's backside.

“She Didn't Want This Come Hell or High Water”: Inside Melania Trump's Secretive East Wing  —  Understanding the most enigmatic First Lady—and unusual marriage—in modern political history.  —  I. “NOT MY THING”  —  Back in 2014, when Donald Trump was considering yet again a run for president …

Senate GOP tax bill hurts the poor more than originally thought, CBO finds  —  The Senate Republican tax plan gives substantial tax cuts and benefits to Americans earning more than $100,000 a year, while the nation's poorest would be worse off, according to a report released Sunday by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

Tax reform hangs in balance in critical week for GOP  —  It's do-or-die time for Senate Republicans on tax reform.  —  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) doesn't appear to have locked down 50 votes for his party's tax overhaul, with at least half a dozen GOP senators showing varying levels …

Bharara compares Trump to Jan Brady after Russia tweet  —  For U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara invoked the classic sitcom “The Brady Bunch” after President Trump lamented coverage of the Russia investigation, comparing Trump's “Russia, Russia, Russia” comment to Jan Brady's famous “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia” line.

THE LAST DETAIL  —  When Donald Trump won the presidency, many Americans hoped John McCain would live up to his maverick image and resist his agenda.  But after the senator was diagnosed with brain cancer in July, his contrarian resolve revealed itself in unexpected ways that may shape his legacy—and our future.

The case for Roy Moore  —  ANALYSIS/OPINION:  —  Whence goeth that Yellow Dog?  —  Once upon a time, even a Yellow Dog could get elected in places like Alabama — so long as he was a Democrat.  —  That dog done run off and nowadays a Democrat can't hardly win, even when running against an accused pedophile.

CBS boss told me to sleep with coworkers to get ahead: suit  —  It's another black eye for Black Rock.  —  A week after CBS host Charlie Rose was outed as an alleged serial sex harasser, one of the network's former producers says she was told by a boss that she would have to sleep with coworkers to get anywhere in the company.

More Than 180 Women Have Reported Sexual Assaults at Massage Envy  —  Across the US, people go to Massage Envy spas in search of a soothing, affordable escape.  More than 180 people say what they got instead was sexual assault.  But the billion-dollar company says that's not its problem to solve.

Meredith Corporation To Acquire Time Inc. To Create Premier Media And Marketing Company Serving Nearly 200 Million American Consumers  —  Meredith Adds Leading Media Brands to Already Strong Portfolio of National and Local Media Properties, Creating Media Powerhouse With $4.8 Billion in Revenues …

Trump White House ethics lawyer exits  —  The ranks of former White House ethics lawyers available to comment on the ongoing controversies engulfing President Donald Trump's administration has just grown by one — an attorney who's certain to offer a much different perspective …

Congress races to fix secret hush money system as “a lot more” revelations expected  —  Capitol Hill veterans expect that “a lot more” sexual-harassment settlements by lawmakers will be uncovered.  So now there's a race to strengthen workplace rules that are scandalously archaic.

Tufts postpones Scaramucci event after he threatens to sue student, paper  —  Tufts University postponed a Monday event featuring Anthony Scaramucci, a former Trump White House spokesman, after he threatened to sue a student and the school newspaper for defamation following the publication of an op-ed column criticizing him.

Michael Flynn's role in Middle Eastern nuclear project could compound legal issues  —  In June 2015, retired lieutenant general Michael Flynn took a little-noticed trip to Egypt and Israel, paid for by a U.S. company he was advising.  The company hoped to build more than two dozen nuclear plants …

Bernie makes moves pointing to 2020 run  —  Bernie Sanders is taking steps to address longstanding political shortcomings that were exposed in 2016, ahead of another possible presidential bid in 2020.  —  From forging closer ties to the labor movement to shoring up his once-flimsy foreign policy credentials …

Readers Accuse Us of Normalizing a Nazi Sympathizer; We Respond  —  The Reader Center is a newsroom initiative that is helping The Times build deeper ties with our audience.  —  We have asked our national editor, Marc Lacey, to respond to feedback on our recent profile of a white nationalist.