Trump predicts exoneration in Russia investigation as allies fear a ‘meltdown’  —  STORY HIGHLIGHTS  —  Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump is privately striking a less agitated tone on the Russia investigation, sources say, even insisting he'll soon be cleared in writing.

Franken urged to reverse his resignation  —  At least four senators are urging Al Franken to reconsider resigning, including two who issued statements calling for the resignation two weeks ago and said they now feel remorse over what they feel was a rush to judgment.

A Tax Plan to Turbocharge Inequality, in 3 Charts  —  The Republican tax bill is an audacious attempt to accelerate the economic trends of the last half-century.  —  If you're a fan of these trends — rapidly rising inequality and stagnant middle-class incomes — you should love the bill.

Sources: Jerry Richardson, Panthers Have Made Multiple Confidential Payouts for Workplace Misconduct, Including Sexual Harassment and Use of a Racial Slur  — SI has learned that at least four former Panthers employees have received ‘significant’ monetary settlements due to inappropriate workplace comments …

Rebelling Republican Suburbs Offer Democrats Path to House Control  —  HOUSTON — As she sat with a glass of sauvignon blanc waiting for a women-focused Democratic fund-raiser to begin, Nancy Sharp let loose in a Texas-seasoned drawl why she and so many other onetime supporters of the Bush family were abandoning the Republicans.

Trump will drop climate change from US National Security Strategy  —  The Trump administration will drop climate change from a list of global threats in a new National Security Strategy the president is due to unveil on Monday.  —  Trump says he is not planning to fire Mueller as Republican attacks increase

Federal appeals judge announces immediate retirement amid investigation prompted by accusations of sexual misconduct  —  Alex Kozinski, the powerful judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit who was facing a judicial investigation over allegations that he subjected 15 women …

News Regarding John Skipper  —  ESPN President John Skipper announced today that he is resigning from his position, citing a substance addiction problem.  Former ESPN President and Executive Chairman George Bodenheimer (who worked at ESPN from 1981-2014) will serve as Acting Chair of the company …

Former Fox News contributor who settled sexual harassment lawsuit breaks confidentiality agreement  —  A former Fox News contributor who reached a $2.5 million settlement with the network after alleging sexual assault on Sunday said she broke the terms of her confidentiality agreement in order to return fire on Fox mogul Rupert Murdoch.

Jennifer Rubin Is Everything She Hates about Trump Worshippers  —  The Washington Post columnist stands out among Trump-obsessed zealots who add nothing to our discourse.  —  The era of Trump has been as hard on the mind as it has been good for the muscles in the chest.

Linda Sarsour Accused Of Enabling Sexual Assault Against Woman Who Worked For Her  —  The inspiration behind the Women's March on DC, Linda Sarsour, has been accused of enabling the alleged sexual assault and harassment of a woman who worked for the feminist activist, according to the victim …

Puerto Rico Orders Review and Recount of Hurricane Deaths  —  Facing mounting evidence that Puerto Rico has vastly undercounted the number of people who died because of Hurricane Maria, Gov. Ricardo A. Rosselló ordered on Monday that every death on the island since the calamitous storm be reviewed.

What (if Anything) Does Carter Page Know?  —  He has been wiretapped by the F.B.I. and grilled by congressional investigators over his suspected Russia connections.  But the Trump campaign foreign-policy adviser can't seem to stop talking.  —  They were closing in on Carter Page.

Obamacare will survive  —  It won't be pretty.  But the law might really, finally be in the clear.  —  The Affordable Care Act is going to survive.  —  Republicans are on track to repeal the law's individual mandate in their tax overhaul as early as next week.

Trump, Real Estate Investors Get Last-Minute Perk in Tax Bill  —  Late revision supplies break based on investments in property  —  Corker, who dropped opposition, says he wasn't aware of change  —  Lawmakers scrambling to lock up Republican support for the tax reform bill added …

What happened in Wisconsin: Sen. Tiffany comments  —  Shortly after posting “What happened in Wisconsin, cont'd” yesterday morning, we received the message below from Wisconsin state Senator Tom Tiffany.  Senator Tiffany's message updates and comments on the story so far.

Monmouth University Polling Institute  —  Half The Public Say Their Taxes Will Go Up Under Gop Plan  —  Trump policies not helping middle class  —  West Long Branch, NJ - Americans disapprove of the tax reform plan currently making its way through Congress by a nearly 2-to-1 margin.

Washington Bureaucrats Are Chipping Away at Trump's Agenda  —  In report after report following Donald Trump's election, career staffers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration kept saying the same thing: climate change is real, serious and man-made.

News Feed FYI: Fighting Engagement Bait on Facebook  —  People have told us that they dislike spammy posts on Facebook that goad them into interacting with likes, shares, comments, and other actions.  For example, “LIKE this if you're an Aries!”  This tactic, known as “engagement bait,” …

A Tillerson Slip Offers a Peek Into Secret Planning on North Korea  —  WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson let slip last week a few tantalizing details about one of the nation's most secret military contingency plans: how the United States would try to race inside North Korea …

It's time to stop grading movies like ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ on a curve  —  This post discusses the events of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” in obsessive detail.  —  Last week, I wrote a spoiler-free exploration of why “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” simply didn't work for me …