Mueller probe outgrows its ‘witch hunt’ phase  —  Steve Bannon's eyes lit up.  Several months before he left his job as a senior White House adviser last August, Bannon was talking to President Trump about the brewing political storm over the Justice Department investigation into his campaign's alleged ties to the Kremlin.

Bannon adviser: Ryan challenger Paul Nehlen is ‘dead to us’ after inflammatory tweets  —  What you need to know about Steve Bannon  —  Breitbart executive chairman Steve Bannon has cut ties with Paul Nehlen, the far-right activist who is challenging Paul Ryan for his congressional seat …

Trump legal team readies attack on Flynn's credibility  —  President Trump's legal team plans to cast former national security adviser Michael T. Flynn as a liar seeking to protect himself if he accuses the president or his senior aides of any wrongdoing, according to three people familiar with the strategy.

Jailed Russian says he hacked DNC on Kremlin's orders and can prove it  —  WASHINGTON  —  A jailed Russian who says he hacked into the Democratic National Committee computers on the Kremlin's orders to steal emails released during the 2016 U.S. presidential election campaign now claims …

Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton Retain Most Admired Titles  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans once again are most likely to name Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton as the man and woman living anywhere in the world they admire most, as they have for the past 10 years.

2017 Was the Year I Learned About My White Privilege  —  I used to be a smart-alecky conservative who scoffed at “political correctness.”  The Trump era has opened my eyes.  —  In college — this was in the late 1980s and early 1990s at the University of California, Berkeley …

IRS Advisory: Prepaid Real Property Taxes May Be Deductible in 2017 if Assessed and Paid in 2017  —  WASHINGTON - The Internal Revenue Service advised tax professionals and taxpayers today that pre-paying 2018 state and local real property taxes in 2017 may be tax deductible under certain circumstances.

Melania Trump's Darkest Secrets Will Be Revealed in Omarosa Manigault's Tell All … From the moment President Donald Trump gave Omarosa Manigault Newman a job in his administration last January, she treated 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue like her own playground.  The polarizing reality TV personality brought …

BuzzFeed has fired its White House correspondent after allegations of inappropriate comments to a colleague  — BuzzFeed News' White House correspondent Adrian Carrasquillo has been let go following an investigation into inappropriate comments to a colleague.

McCain associate subpoenaed in Trump dossier probe … House Intelligence Committee chairman Devin Nunes has issued a subpoena to David Kramer, a former State Department official who, in late November 2016, traveled to London to receive a briefing and a copy of the Trump dossier from its author, former British spy Christopher Steele.

Confessions of a Digital Nazi Hunter  —  Like many Jewish journalists who reported on Donald Trump's presidential campaign, I spent the 2016 election being harassed by a motley crew of internet racists who coalesced around the future president.  They sent me threats, photoshopped …

I Am Proud of Our Diplomacy  —  WASHINGTON — Over the past year, the United States has faced immense challenges in its dealings with North Korea, China and Russia, and in its efforts to defeat international terrorism.  But Americans should be encouraged by the progress the State Department …

In the heart of Trump Country, his base's faith is unshaken  —  SANDY HOOK, Ky. — The regulars amble in before dawn and claim their usual table, the one next to an old box television playing the news on mute.  —  Steven Whitt fires up the coffee pot and flips on the fluorescent sign …

Crime in New York City Plunges to a Level Not Seen Since the 1950s  —  It would have seemed unbelievable in 1990, when there were 2,245 killings in New York City, but as of Wednesday there have been just 286 in the city this year — the lowest since reliable records have been kept.

Prince Harry sidesteps Obama-Trump wedding guest list controversy  —  London (CNN)Britain's Prince Harry has avoided opening up a diplomatic rift between the British and US governments over the guest list for his wedding to Meghan Markle, saying plans had yet to be finalized.

PHOTOS: Nathan Bedford Forrest statue along I-65 in Nashville vandalized  —  The Nathan Bedford Forrest statue along Interstate 65 in Nashville has been vandalized.  —  FOX 17 News crews took photos Wednesday of the statue, which appeared to be covered in pink paint.

The Memo: Five Republicans who could primary Trump in 2020  —  face a challenge from within his own party in 2020?  —  Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake  —  (R) seems to think so.  On Sunday, Flake told ABC's “This Week” that if the president did not change his approach, he “is going to leave a huge swath of voters looking for someone else.”

GOP intraparty clash poised to shape U.S. Senate contest in Mississippi  —  Mississippi's 2018 U.S. Senate race is poised as the next possible front in the fight between rival wings of the Republican Party, a campaign that could test how the GOP's populist and establishment forces engage …

Breitbart's Disgrace  —  When news cycles are crowded with outrage — some of it justified, much of it hysterical — it's easy to lose track of the significant stories.  There was one last week that conservatives can't let slide down the memory hole.  Breitbart's editor-in-chief, Alex Marlow …

Marines Take Out Taliban Kingpin Responsible for Killing, Maiming Troops  —  HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan — A Taliban shadow governor who had planned and executed improvised explosive device attacks on Marines and Afghan soldiers for well over a decade was killed in a precision airstrike …

Paul Ryan wants to cut entitlements to trim the deficit, but political reality stands in his way  — Revenue shortfalls created by the new GOP tax law could make House Speaker Paul Ryan's political goals easier to achieve.  — Ryan wants to cut so-called entitlement programs such as Medicare …

Trump Had A Good Year Getting Judges Confirmed, But He's Still A Long Way From Reshaping The Courts  —  Some judges appointed by Democratic presidents told BuzzFeed News they're hesitant to step down and give Trump more seats to fill.  —  Reporting From Washington, DC