Exclusive: The full ‘secret society’ text between FBI agents: Was it meant in jest?  —  For the past 24 hours, a number of Republican lawmakers have been suggesting that a months-old text message between two FBI officials reveals a “secret society” of federal law enforcement officials clandestinely plotting …

I've Watched Trump Testify Under Oath.  It Isn't Pretty.  —  In a 2007 deposition in my libel case (which he lost), he was underprepared and overconfident.  —  “There's been no collusion whatsoever.  There's been no obstruction whatsoever.”  —Donald Trump, Jan. 24, 2018

Bill Kristol takes on Fox News, Tucker Carlson: 'I don't know if it's racism exactly - but ethno-nationalism of some kind'  — Bill Kristol was often a guest on Fox News, but he appeared gradually less on the network, he says, after he declined to do something for the late Fox News chief Roger Ailes.

As U.S. Trumpets ‘America First,’ Rest of the World Is Moving On  —  WASHINGTON — President Trump is arriving at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to explain his “America First” approach at a moment when the world is moving ahead with a trade agenda that no longer revolves around the United States.

Teen killed in Kentucky school shooting called mother as she died  —  The parents of a Kentucky teenager who was fatally shot in a mass shooting at her high school this week said their daughter called them as the violent scene unfolded in the background.  —  Bailey Holt, 15 …

Cuckolding can be positive for some couples, study says  —  (CNN)In our current political climate, the term “cuck” — short for “cuckservative” — has become an insult of the so-called alt-right, aimed at men they view as spineless and emasculated.  The slur has its roots in the concept of cuckolding, or having an adulterous partner.

The Doomsday Clock just moved: It's now 2 minutes to ‘midnight,’ the symbolic hour of the apocalypse … The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists advanced the symbolic Doomsday Clock a notch closer to the end of humanity Thursday, moving it ahead by 30 seconds after what the organization called a …

It's Official: America Suddenly Isn't Comfortable With LGBT People … The theory that LGBT acceptance in America will only ever increase over time is a reassuring one.  The only problem is that it may not be true.  —  A new survey commissioned by the LGBT media advocacy group GLAAD …

Sanford teacher sends home spelling list containing racial slur  —  Angry parents want apology  —  HIDE TRANSCRIPT SHOW TRANSCRIPT  —  SANFORD, Fla. —  “That bothered me.  I was very offended by it,” Terry Day told WESH 2 Investigates.  “In today's society, it's very prevalent.  Racism!

Trump's 24-year-old drug policy appointee to step down by month's end  —  A 24-year-old former Trump campaign worker who rose rapidly to a senior post in the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy will step down by the end of the month because of controversy surrounding his appointment, the White House said late Wednesday.

Their school deleted an article on a teacher's firing.  So these teens published it themselves.  —  The teenagers' newspaper story started with a simple question: Why had a well-liked history teacher at their high school been missing from campus?  Was there a medical issue, or something else?

Senate panel to release interviews with Trump Jr., others involved in meeting with Russian lawyer  —  The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee plans to release transcripts of its interviews with President Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., and others who participated in a June 2016 meeting …

Putin Family Split Offers Peek at Secret Dealings of Russia Inc.  —  During his courtship and marriage, Kirill Shamalov catapulted into the ranks of the super-rich with a little help from some of the closest allies of his father-in-law: Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Ex-Justice Dept. lawyer offered to sell secret U.S. whistleblower lawsuits to targets of the complaints  —  Jeffrey Wertkin had a plot to bring in business and impress his new partners after joining one of Washington's most influential law firms.  —  As a former high-stakes corporate-fraud prosecutor …

Bernie Sanders summons team to discuss 2020  —  Bernie Sanders convened his top political advisers in Washington on Saturday for a planning meeting that included a discussion of the feasibility and shape of a possible 2020 presidential campaign, half a dozen senior Democrats familiar with the gathering confirmed to POLITICO.

The sinister pro-Trump propaganda of Lou Dobbs  —  At his New Year's Eve celebration at Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump grabbed a microphone and gave thanks to the guests who paid him several hundred dollars each for the privilege of attending.  As he spoke, the president singled …

Turkey disputes White House readout of Erdogan-Trump phone call  —  (CNN)US President Donald Trump has urged Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to de-escalate the country's military incursions in northern Syria, warning against actions that “could risk conflict between Turkish and American forces.”

Trump administration wants to end NASA funding for the International Space Station by 2025  —  The end may be in sight for the two-decade-old program  —  The Trump administration is preparing to end support for the International Space Station program by 2025, according to a draft budget proposal reviewed by The Verge.

How Hedge Funds (Secretly) Get Their Way in Washington  —  Fake grass roots.  An inflatable rat.  Testimony with hidden ties.  Billionaires are using DCI Group to make their bets pay off—while keeping the public in the dark.  —  With swept-back silver hair and a prestigious résumé …

Hating Gerrymandering Is Easy.  Fixing It Is Harder.  —  As politics in the U.S. has polarized along geographic and racial lines, drawing political maps has become a partisan arms race.  Even the smallest decisions about where to draw district boundaries can alter the power dynamic in Congress …

Trump to Palestinians: “respect has to be shown” to America  —  President Trump said Thursday “we'll see what happens with the peace process” in the Middle East, “but respect has to be shown to the U.S. or we're just not going anywhere.”  —  Why it matters: Trump spoke seated next …

“This Is Serious”: Facebook Begins Its Downward Spiral  —  Facebook was always famous for the sign that hung in its offices, written in big red type on a white background, that said “Move Fast and Break Things.”  Every time I think about the company, I realize it has done just that—to itself.

Tech firms let Russia probe software widely used by U.S. government  —  WASHINGTON/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Major global technology providers SAP (SAPG.DE), Symantec (SYMC.O) and McAfee have allowed Russian authorities to hunt for vulnerabilities in software deeply embedded across the U.S. government, a Reuters investigation has found.

The Home Depot Awards Hourly Associates a One-Time Tax Reform Bonus; Comments on Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017  —  Today, The Home Depot® announced plans to provide a new one-time cash bonus for U.S. hourly associates of up to $1,000 in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017.

How the GOP Rigs Elections  —  With a combination of gerrymandering, voter-ID laws and dark money, Republicans have tipped the political scales in their favor.  Will it be enough to keep Democrats from claiming victory in 2018?  —  On a quiet, tree-lined street in Racine, Wisconsin …