FBI Agent Removed From Russia Probe Held Dim Views of Holder, Sanders  —  Texts between agent and FBI lawyer reveal harsh words for several prominent figures  —  Two FBI employees who used to work for Special Counsel Robert Mueller have already been criticized by Republicans for texts they shared insulting President Donald Trump.

Mueller Sought Emails of Trump Campaign Data Firm  —  Special counsel asked Cambridge Analytica to hand over employees' emails, in sign of investigators' interest in campaign data operation  —  Special Counsel Robert Mueller has requested that Cambridge Analytica, a data firm that worked …

Trump allies say Tillerson has ‘not learned his lesson’ and cannot continue in job for long … Secretary of State Rex Tillerson seemed focused this week on rebooting his image as a beleaguered Cabinet member on the outs with his boss and his own employees — holding a rare town hall with employees …

This Tax Bill Is a Trillion-Dollar Blunder  —  Congress and President Trump put politics ahead of smart reform.  —  Last month a Wall Street Journal editor asked a room full of CEOs to raise their hands if the corporate tax cut being considered in Congress would lead them to invest more.

Trump judicial nominee fumbles basic questions about the law  —  Nomination hearings for U.S. district judges tend to be dry affairs that offer little in the way of mass entertainment — in other words, they're not typically the stuff of viral videos.  —  But a clip of one of President …

Dustin Hoffman Accused of Exposing Himself to a Minor, Assaulting Two Women (EXCLUSIVE)  —  Cori Thomas was in high school when she says Dustin Hoffman exposed himself to her in a hotel room.  Melissa Kester was a recent college graduate when Hoffman allegedly sexually assaulted her while recording audio for the film “Ishtar.”

U.S. Accuses Iran of U.N. Violation, but Evidence Falls Short  —  WASHINGTON — The Trump administration tried to mount a case on Thursday that Iran violated an international agreement to limit its arms dealing, but American officials failed to show how an array of weaponry presented as evidence proved the charges.

Good Riddance to the Biggest Fake in American Politics  —  Paul Ryan makes noises about going back to Janesville.  —  Ring and run, you wretched cur.  —  In what passes for a genuine scoop  —  , Tim Alberta and Rachael Cade broke the news in  —  Politico  —  o

At ESPN, the problems for women run deep  —  When ESPN canceled its new program with Barstool Sports this fall after just one episode, the network tried to distance itself from the men's blog that has stoked criticism for everything from calling Rihanna fat to saying girls wearing skinny jeans deserve to be raped.

The Internet Is Free Again  —  Killing Obama-era rules will remove the FCC as political gatekeeper.  —  The Editorial Board  —  Disney's deal announced Thursday to buy some premium 21st Century Fox properties for $52.4 billion underscores how technology is remaking the media landscape.

Homeland Security senior adviser promoted birtherism, said Obama knew ‘nothing about the black American experience’  —  STORY HIGHLIGHTS  —  (CNN)A White House senior adviser at the Department of Homeland Security previously promoted conspiracy theories about former President Barack Obama's birthplace …

Trump's Numbers Near a Tipping Point … Public opinion can take off like a runaway train once it gets going.  President Donald Trump, already polling lower than any of his predecessors in his first year, might soon be hearing the hoofbeats of history.  —  At 32 percent in the most recent Pew …

Farewell  —  To Our Readers:  —  When I turned 80 three years ago, I retired my weekly PBS series and have since focused on the web with a small, dedicated team as the avenue for our journalism.  Your response rewarded our efforts, and we have been pleased and grateful for your interest and attention.

The EPA Hired a Major Republican Opposition Research Firm to Track Press Activity  —  It promises “war room” style media monitoring. … Using taxpayer dollars, the Environmental Protection Agency has hired a cutting-edge Republican PR firm that specializes in digging up opposition research …

Betsy DeVos hit with two lawsuits in one day over backlog of student debt relief claims  —  Pressure is mounting on Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to take action on thousands of federal student loan forgiveness applications languishing at the U.S. Department of Education.

The Memo: Omarosa's exit is headache for White House  —  Team Trump is bracing for negative revelations from Omarosa Manigault Newman after she resigned from the White House in disputed circumstances on Wednesday.  —  “She is a total press hog, so we will certainly see her say horrible things …

Head of Congressional Ethics Office Sued for Abusing Position, Accused of Assaulting Women  —  A key official involved in House investigations faces a federal lawsuit alleging misconduct.  —  A top congressional ethics official who oversees investigations into misconduct by lawmakers …

Death of Man in Skyscraper Fall in China Puts a Spotlight on ‘Rooftopping’  —  For months, Wu Yongning had climbed towers and buildings high above the streets of cities in China, turning a camera on himself as he teetered on ledges or clutched an antenna with one hand.

Deutsche Bank Had Flagged Manafort-Related Transactions  —  Transfers reflect bank's role as global money conduit  —  Deutsche Bank AG earlier this year flagged around $30 million in potentially suspicious transactions as part of an internal investigation into its role as a conduit …

With Billions at Stake in Tax Debate, Lobbyists Played Hardball  —  WASHINGTON — As the largest tax rewrite in decades powered through Congress, lobbyists found themselves sprinting to keep up and find ways to persuade, influence or cajole the small group of lawmakers empowered to tweak language …