Trump Pressed Top Republicans to End Senate Russia Inquiry  —  WASHINGTON — President Trump over the summer repeatedly urged senior Senate Republicans, including the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, to end the panel's investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election …

Have We Been Lied to About the Kate Steinle Case?  —  The illegal immigrant who killed Kate Steinle in 2015 was found not guilty of her murder by a San Francisco jury today.  Outrageous, right?  —  Before the killing, Garcia Zarate had been released from a San Francisco jail despite a standing federal deportation order.

Trump tells confidants that a government shutdown might be good for him … President Trump has told others that a government shutdown could be good for him politically and is focusing on his hard-line immigration stance as a way to win back supporters unhappy with his outreach to Democrats this fall …

Inspector general launches inquiry into whether Treasury hid Republican tax bill analysis  —  The Treasury Department's inspector general has launched an inquiry into whether the department hid an analysis of the Republican tax bill — or even did one at all.

Trump White House Faces Prospect of More Senior Departures  —  Secretary of State Tillerson is most likely to leave as first anniversary approaches, say officials  —  WASHINGTON—The White House is facing the prospect of another round of senior departures in the coming weeks …

Graphic, Disturbing Details of Matt Lauer's Alleged Sexual Misconduct  —  A bombshell Variety report alleges Lauer gave one female colleague a sex toy, and more.  —  Shocking new allegations have emerged about the sexual misconduct scandal that is quickly enveloping Matt Lauer.

Senate Bill Hits Obstacle Over Deficit Concern  —  'It doesn't look like the trigger's going to work,' Sen. John Cornyn says  —  WASHINGTON—Senate Republicans hit a significant stumbling block Thursday in their efforts to overhaul the tax code, forcing them to contemplate walking back their plan …

Conservative Megadonor Robert Mercer Funded Project Veritas  —  The Mercers, secretive billionaires who are among President Trump's most powerful donors, also helped to fund Project Veritas, the controversial activist organization, tax filings obtained by BuzzFeed News show.

Exclusive — Roy Moore Campaign to Jimmy Kimmel: If You Want to ‘Mock Our Christian Values,’ ‘Come Down Here’ to Alabama to ‘Do It Man to Man’  —  THEODORE, Alabama — The U.S. Senate campaign of Judge Roy Moore is firing back at Jimmy Kimmel and his paid trickster Rich Barbieri—also known as …

Special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation tops $5 million  —  Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into the Russian government's efforts to interfere with the 2016 election has cost more than $5 million, ABC News has learned.  —  Those expenses include money for a staff …

Donald Trump's ‘working visit’ to UK dropped as tensions with Theresa May grow over president's far-Right retweets  —  US diplomats have dropped plans for Donald Trump to conduct a visit to Britain in January amid a war of words between the two countries' leaders.

Congress secretly paid near $100,000 to settle harassment claims against disgraced congressman  —  The Congressional Office of Compliance secretly paid close to $100,000 in taxpayer funds to settle sexual harassment claims from at least two young male staffers who worked for disgraced former …

Why Twitter didn't delete anti-Muslim tweets  —  Outrage after Trump retweets anti-Muslim videos  —  President Trump has been heavily criticized for his decision to retweet three graphic anti-Muslim videos.  —  But why did Twitter allow them in the first place?

Vice fires three employees amid investigations into sexual harassment  —  Vice Media fired three employees on Thursday amid a probe into sexual harassment and improper workplace conduct, according to a memo obtained by CNNMoney.  —  Vice did not name the employees.

Mulvaney: Authority I have at consumer bureau ‘should frighten people’ … White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney  —  said Thursday that the authority wielded by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) chief “should frighten people” days after he assumed the role of acting director.

Cotton to CIA?  The move would say a lot about how the GOP star views his party's future  —  A 40-year-old icon among conservatives, Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) seems to have limitless potential in the Senate.  Not yet finished his third year in the upper chamber, Cotton is an in-demand figure …

Erik Prince details Seychelles meeting with Russian banker  —  Erik Prince: ‘Exploring options’ on Senate run  —  STORY HIGHLIGHTS  — Prince informed the House Intelligence Committee that he met in the Seychelles with Kirill Dmitriev  —  Washington (CNN)Blackwater founder Erik Prince testified …

Trump draws embarrassingly tiny crowd for National Christmas Tree lighting  —  As Donald Trump nears the end of his first year in office, it is clear that nothing about the man has changed since the election.  —  His holiday party was marred by the awkwardness of his petty exclusion of prominent black and LGBT journalists.

The Trump Administration Is Mulling A Pitch For A Private “Rendition” And Spy Network  —  A private company has proposed that the US government pay it millions to undertake intelligence and covert operations.  —  Reporting From Washington, DC  —  WASHINGTON — The White House and CIA …

GOP may have no choice but to try health care again after taxes  —  Republicans have been asking themselves what they'll turn to next, after their tax overhaul wraps up.  If they repeal the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate, there's a good chance the answer will be health care — whether they like it or not.