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 …

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 …

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.

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:

Supreme Court Temporarily Blocks North Carolina Gerrymandering Ruling  —  WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Thursday temporarily blocked a trial court's order requiring North Carolina lawmakers to produce a revised congressional voting map, making it likely that the midterm elections this year …

Fusion GPS interview with House panel leaves huge pile of breadcrumbs for Trump-Russia investigators  — The House Intelligence Committee released the transcript of its interview with Glenn Simpson, the cofounder of the opposition research firm Fusion GPS.

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

Wow!  Mark Steyn Defends White Supremacists In Anti-Hispanic Rant  —  Once upon a time, it used to be politically uncouth to offer any amount of public support to folks who believed in white supremacy and actively think that brown people have no place in this country.

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.

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?

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 …

Trump Towers buyers in India offered chance to meet Donald Trump Jr., raising ethics concerns  —  GURGAON, India — Prospective buyers of luxury apartments in the new Trump Towers project outside India's capital are being lured with an unusual promise: If you buy a flat, we will fly you to the United States to meet Donald Trump Jr.

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 …

‘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.

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 …

HHS Announces New Conscience and Religious Freedom Division  —  Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is pleased to announce the formation of a new Conscience and Religious Freedom Division in the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR).  The announcement will take place …