Trump asked the acting FBI director whom he voted for during Oval Office meeting … Shortly after President Trump fired his FBI director in May, he summoned to the Oval Office the bureau's acting director for a get-to-know-you meeting.  —  The two men exchanged pleasantries, but before long …

Exclusive: New signs Gates may be negotiating with Mueller's team  —  Who is Rick Gates?  —  STORY HIGHLIGHTS  — At this stage, with Gates' charges filed and bail set, talks could concern the charges and Gates' plea  —  Washington (CNN)Former Trump campaign aide Rick Gates has quietly added …

Pat Meehan says he saw younger aide as ‘a soul mate’ but denies harassment  —  U.S. Rep Pat Meehan said Tuesday he had developed a deep “affection” for a younger aide and told her that he saw her as “a soul mate” as they talked over ice cream one night last year, but in an interview …

Investigation: For some who lived in it, Keillor's world wasn't funny … When Minnesota Public Radio abruptly severed ties with Garrison Keillor in November, the sole explanation offered by the company was “inappropriate behavior” with a female colleague.  —  For his part, the creator …

Men Only: Inside the charity fundraiser where hostesses are put on show  —  At 10pm last Thursday night, Jonny Gould took to the stage in the ballroom at London's Dorchester Hotel.  “Welcome to the most un-PC event of the year,” he roared.  —  The sports broadcaster was there to host a charity auction …

Sessions: Justice Dept. will get to the bottom of missing employee text messages  —  New texts from agent removed from Mueller probe  —  (CNN)Attorney General Jeff Sessions pledged Monday to get to the bottom of a question asked this week by a growing number of top Republicans …

EXCLUSIVE: Tammy Duckworth is pregnant; will be 1st senator to give birth  —  Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., is pregnant and will become the first sitting U.S. senator to give birth.  Duckworth is holding her daughter, Abigail, during a ceremonial swearing in by Vice President Joe Biden on Jan. 3, 2017.

Republicans fuel sharp rise in concerns about sexual harassment, Post-ABC poll finds  —  Concerns about workplace sexual harassment are up once again, after reaching a high point in October, with Republicans driving the latest push in labeling harassment a serious national problem.

Manchin Will Seek Re-Election but Sends Democrats a Stern Warning  —  WASHINGTON — Senator Joe Manchin III of West Virginia told colleagues on Tuesday that he intended to run for re-election this year after all, ending an anxiety-making flirtation with retirement and easing Democratic fears …

Ursula K. Le Guin, Acclaimed for Her Fantasy Fiction, Is Dead at 88  —  Ursula K. Le Guin, the immensely popular author who brought literary depth and a tough-minded feminist sensibility to science fiction and fantasy with books like “The Left Hand of Darkness” and the Earthsea series …

US kills 150 ISIS fighters in Syria airstrike during government shutdown, Pentagon says  —  The Pentagon says it killed 150 ISIS fighters in an airstrike in eastern Syria, while the U.S. federal government was shut down Saturday.  —  The airstrike took in one of the last remaining pockets …

Immigration talks quickly hit a wall  —  Senators crashing on a two-week deadline to come up with an immigration plan are already sparring over funding for President Donald Trump's border wall, what qualifies as border security — even what the scope of the negotiations are.

Evangelical leader Franklin Graham says Trump is a ‘changed person’  —  (CNN)President Donald Trump is a “changed person” amid recent reports of an alleged affair with porn star Stormy Daniels, said the president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

Alabama House votes to end special U.S. Senate elections  —  The crowd cheers as Democratic candidate Doug Jones is declared the projected winner of the U.S. Senate race against Republican Roy Moore on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2017, in Birmingham.  Shannon Heupel/Advertiser

Border Patrol arrests ASU instructor who gave food, water to immigrants  —  The arrest came hours after the group released videos showing some Border Patrol agents kicking over water bottles left for immigrants.  —  PHOENIX (AP) - A volunteer for group that offers aid to immigrants crossing …

Starbucks to boost worker pay and benefits after US lowers corporate taxes  — Starbucks is known for giving its workers more generous pay and benefits than other mass-market restaurants and retailers.  —  Starbucks will use some of the savings from the new U.S. corporate tax cuts …

Hannity Goes Off on DOJ/FBI: People Must Be Investigated, Indicted, and Probably ‘Thrown in Jail!’  —  Sean Hannity concluded yet another fiery monologue on corruption at the FBI and DOJ by saying that high-ranking people should probably be “thrown in jail.”

The Coulter Mistake and How Not to Make It  —  The lead article at RedState this morning is about Rush Limbaugh and his embrace of conspiracy theory thinking as part of his continuous and shared quest to justify Trump.  As noted in the headline, though, it's not just Rush Limbaugh thus devolving.

Oregon approves new taxes to address Medicaid costs  —  PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon approved taxes on hospitals, health insurers and managed care companies in an unusual special election Tuesday that asked voters — and not lawmakers — how to pay for Medicaid costs that now include coverage …

Candidates Who Signed Up to Battle Donald Trump Must Get Past the Democratic Party First  —  In the wake of the 2016 election, a group of despairing Democrats in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, formed a new political group to ensure that they would never be out-organized locally again.

Where Were the Cutesy Tweets from Melania and Donald Trump on Their 13th Wedding Anniversary?  —  Past presidents and first ladies have often taken to social media to celebrate their birthdays and wedding anniversaries, giving the American people rare glimpses into their private lives and marriages.

The Bigot Threatening CNN Got Out of Jail in Time for Dinner  —  Early Tuesday morning, we learned that Brandon Griesemer, a 19-year-old grocery store clerk from Novi, Michigan, made at least 22 calls to CNN's Atlanta headquarters where he not only threatened to shoot and kill employees …

CFPB Drops Investigation Into Payday Lender That Contributed To Mick Mulvaney's Campaigns  —  Mick Mulvaney's Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) quietly closed an investigation into a payday lender headquartered in Mulvaney's home state Monday.  The company previously donated to the former congressman's political campaigns.

Biden: McConnell stopped Obama from calling out Russians  —  Joe Biden said Tuesday that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell stopped the Obama administration from speaking out about Russian interference in the 2016 campaign by refusing to sign on to a bipartisan statement of condemnation.

N.C.A.A. Opens Investigation of Michigan State Over Nassar Case  —  The N.C.A.A. sent a letter of inquiry to Michigan State University, formally opening an investigation into how the university handled the case of Lawrence G. Nassar, the doctor who sexually assaulted scores of female athletes.

The #MeToo Movement Hits the Circus: ‘Grandma’ the Clown Resigns  —  One of America's most revered circus performers, Grandma the clown, has resigned from the world-renowned Big Apple Circus after it was revealed that he pressured a 16-year-old aerialist into posing for pornographic photos in 2004.

Berkeley mayor on Wiener-Skinner housing bill: ‘A declaration of war against our neighborhoods’  —  New proposed legislation, introduced by Sen. Scott Wiener and co-authored by Sen. Nancy Skinner, that would require California cities to allow denser, taller housing developments near transit hubs …