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.

In three years, LGBT Americans have gone from triumph to backlash  —  The movement for LGBT rights has made stunning progress in recent years.  But the latest results of an ongoing poll commissioned by the gay rights organization GLAAD, which is releasing the results at the World Economic Forum …

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.

Mueller Almost Done With Obstruction Part of Trump Probe, Sources Say  —  Other portions of investigation could last months: officials  —  Intelligence officials, Trump aides interviewed in past weeks  —  Special Counsel Robert Mueller is moving at a far faster pace than previously known …

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 …

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?

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

Pelosi Tries to Extend $137,000 Tax Break for Two of Her Multi-Million-Dollar Homes  —  Congress's wealthiest woman plays the tax game too: Pelosi rushed to pre-pay property taxes after decrying GOP tax overhaul as middle-class tax hike and corporate giveaway

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 …

Megadonor Tom Steyer Won't Give to Democratic Groups Because of the Shutdown Deal  —  Hedge fund manager and Democratic billionaire mega-donor Tom Steyer said Wednesday that he will refrain from donating to national Democratic Party committees following the vote in Congress to re-open the government before reaching an immigration deal.

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.

“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.

Rubio rejects bipartisan immigration gang  —  Marco Rubio is done with gang life in the Senate.  —  The Florida GOP senator, a key co-author of the 2013 Gang of Eight comprehensive immigration bill, has no plans to join a swelling bipartisan group of senators trying to strike a deal to protect Dreamers.