Trump Lawyer Used Private Company, Pseudonyms to Pay Porn Star ‘Stormy Daniels’  —  President Donald Trump's lawyer used a private Delaware company to pay a former adult-film star $130,000 in return for her agreeing to not publicly discuss an alleged sexual encounter with Mr. Trump …

A Bombshell House Intelligence report exposing extensive FISA abuse could lead to the removal of senior government officials  —  A review of a classified document outlining what is described as extensive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act abuse was made available to all House members Thursday …

Mortal Again: Christie Blocked at VIP Entrance to Newark Airport  —  Police officer sends him to Terminal B with rest of nobodies  —  Three days out of office and Port Authority ends prized perk  —  Meet Chris Christie, former New Jersey governor and current nobody at Newark Liberty International Airport.

Trump appointee Carl Higbie resigns as public face of agency that runs AmeriCorps after KFile review of racist, sexist, anti-Muslim and anti-LGBT comments on the radio  —  STORY HIGHLIGHTS  —  (CNN)WARNING: This story contains graphic language.  —  Trump administration appointee Carl …

Congress hurtles toward shutdown  —  Updated 10:30 p.m.: The Senate adjourned late Thursday without taking a key vote to keep the government funded through Feb. 16.  The chamber will convene Friday morning, hours before a midnight deadline to head off a government shutdown.  —  Original story:

Accusations Of ‘Frat House’ Behavior Trail ‘LA Times’ Publisher's Career  —  The Los Angeles Times has given prominent coverage to recent revelations of sexual harassment of women by prominent men, particularly in entertainment and media.  Yet a review by NPR finds that the newspaper's own CEO and publisher …

Supreme Court blocks order to redraw North Carolina congressional map  —  The Supreme Court has blocked a lower court's order requiring North Carolina's legislature to redraw the state's congressional district boundaries for this year's elections.  —  The justices appear to have split …

Trump to Mark One-Year Anniversary With Gala at Mar-a-Lago  —  Tickets for dinner event start at $100,000 per couple  —  Unclear whether governmnent shutdown would affect travel plans  —  President Donald Trump will mark the first anniversary of his inauguration on Saturday with a celebration …

Hungarian Police Have A Warrant Out For Former Trump Adviser Sebastian Gorka  —  Gorka's warrant on gun charges was in effect the entire time he was in the White House.  —  Former Trump White House staffer Sebastian Gorka has an active warrant out for his arrest in Hungary, according to the Hungarian police's website.

Conservative Ed Martin Out as CNN Contributor  —  The pundit was brought on by CNN to help replace Jeffrey Lord, whom the network fired in August.  —  Former Missouri politician and reliable Trump supporter Ed Martin is out as a CNN contributor, a network spokesperson confirmed Thursday to The Hollywood Reporter.

FBI investigating whether Russian money went to NRA to help Trump  —  WASHINGTON  —  The FBI is investigating whether a top Russian banker with ties to the Kremlin illegally funneled money to the National Rifle Association to help Donald Trump win the presidency, two sources familiar with the matter have told McClatchy.

Talking to Trump: A How-To Guide  —  Insights from more than 50 people the president met with in his first year in office  —  President Donald Trump has received huge public exposure in his first year through blanket TV coverage, speeches and tweets.  But what is he like in person?

Schumer slams Cotton in face-to-face with Trump  —  Cotton said Schumer did not want him the room for the Dreamers' talks ‘probably because I would get a good deal, and he wants a bad deal.’  —  Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told President Trump this week that there will be no deal …

One year after Trump's inauguration, no one will say how they spent the extra money  —  WASHINGTON — Nearly a year after President Trump's inauguration, the committee that raised a record $106.7 million for the event has not disclosed how much surplus money it still has or provided a final accounting of its finances.

Activists say Tom Cotton has issued do-not-call-or-write notice to some constituents.  UPDATE.  Such letters sent in ‘extreme circumstances’ says Cotton's office.  —  Ozark Indivisible, the activist group that has been pressing members of Congress from Arkansas on health care …

Shutdown threat tanks West Wing morale  —  The first year of Donald Trump's presidency is coming to a close with administration officials exhausted and uncertain after two extraordinary weeks of chaos, even by the standards of this White House.  —  The drama underlines a fundamental truth …

Colin Firth says he will not work with Woody Allen again  —  Actor provides statement to Guardian on same day Dylan Farrow gives first televised interview accusing her adopted father of sexual assault  —  Colin Firth is the latest actor to publicly rebuke Woody Allen, telling the Guardian …

‘We will prosecute’ employers who help immigration sweeps, California AG says  —  The state's top cop issued a warning to California employers Thursday that businesses face legal repercussions, including fines up to $10,000, if they assist federal immigration authorities with a potential widespread immigration crackdown.

Trump Admin Will Protect Health Workers Who Refuse Services On Religious Grounds  —  Health care workers who want to refuse to treat patients because of religious or moral beliefs will have a new defender in the Trump administration.  —  The top civil rights official at the Department …

The boss, the boyfriend and the FBI: the Italian woman in the eye of the Trump-Russia inquiry  —  No wonder Robert Mueller's investigation came knocking  —  imona Mangiante never expected that a flirtation that began on LinkedIn would lead to a subpoena to appear before federal agents working …

Nancy Pelosi is going to be a guest judge on 'RuPaul's Drag Race All-Stars'  —  She might be more familiar with democracy, but top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi is soon going to show her expertise on a certain kind of monarchy: The California congresswoman is slated to appear as a guest judge …

Hillary Clinton could still become president if Russia probe finds conspiracy evidence  —  Nearly a year after President Donald Trump's inauguration, a Harvard University professor says 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton could still become commander in chief.