Trump Ordered Mueller Fired, but Backed Off When White House Counsel Threatened to Quit  —  WASHINGTON — President Trump ordered the firing last June of Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel overseeing the Russia investigation, according to four people told of the matter …

Dozens of People Recount Pattern of Sexual Misconduct by Las Vegas Mogul Steve Wynn  —  Wynn Resorts employees and others described a CEO who sexualized his workplace and pressured workers to perform sex acts.  Mr. Wynn responded: ‘The idea that I ever assaulted any woman is preposterous.’

Hillary Clinton Chose to Shield a Top Adviser Accused of Harassment in 2008  —  WASHINGTON — A senior adviser to Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign who was accused of repeatedly sexually harassing a young subordinate was kept on the campaign at Mrs. Clinton's request, according to four people familiar with what took place.

An affair with Trump?  Nikki Haley on ‘disgusting’ rumors and her rise to a top foreign policy role  —  NEW YORK — Nikki Haley became a trusted member of Donald Trump's inner circle over the past year, but she's recently refamiliarized herself with a downside of professional success …

Trump EPA pick for Chicago office wore false nose to help me beat driving test, daughter says  —  Incoming Midwest Environmental Protection Agency chief Cathy Stepp faced a skeptical audience when she addressed her staff in Chicago for the first time earlier this month.

Jeb Bush warns Trump's character may drag down GOP in 2018 elections  —  MIAMI — Former Florida governor Jeb Bush warns that Republicans are in for a beating in the fall elections if congressional races focus on the rhetoric and character of President Trump.

Schumer rejects Trump's immigration proposal  —  Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer opposes the immigration framework released by the White House — a potentially fatal blow for the prospective legislation in the closely divided Senate.  —  The New York Democrat on Friday accused President Donald Trump …

Exclusive: ICE is about to start tracking license plates across the US  —  The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has officially gained agency-wide access to a nationwide license plate recognition database, according to a contract finalized earlier this month.

Jemele Hill is Leaving SC6 for The Undefeated  —  ESPN's SportsCenter will need a new co-host as Jemele Hill is expected to leave the show for a position with The Undefeated.  —  ESPN SportsCenter anchor Jemele Hill is leaving the 6:00 p.m. SC6 edition of SportsCenter to join the staff of The Undefeated …

The America First president comes to Davos: Read Trump's full interview with CNBC  — The interview touched on an array of topics, from immigration reform to the strength of the U.S. dollar.  —  President Donald Trump sat down for an interview with CNBC's Joe Kernen at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

'I'm basically a liberal Jew': Barack Obama makes rare public appearance at a New York synagogue and laments ‘truth decay’ in US politics while defending his record on Israel  — Former President Barack Obama gave an address to a packed synagogue in New York City on Wednesday

Paris zoo shut after 50 baboons escape  —  Visitors to Paris Zoological Park evacuated as workers try to lure animals back to enclosures  —  The Paris Zoological Park has been evacuated and closed after dozens of baboons escaped their enclosure.  —  As zookeepers raced to round up the animals …

Democrats Paid a Huge Price for Letting Unions Die  —  The GOP understands how important labor unions are to the Democratic Party.  The Democratic Party, historically, has not.  If you want a two-sentence explanation for why the Midwest is turning red (and thus, why Donald Trump is president), you could do worse than that.

Trump is laughed at, booed in Davos  —  The president's attacks on “fake news” didn't go over well in Europe.  —  After delivering a speech to the World Economic Forum in Davos, President Trump did a brief question-and-answer sessions with WEF Chair Klaus Schwab.

Exclusive: Frustrated State Department employees hire attorneys, charging ‘political retribution’  —  Ex diplomat: US ability to ‘avert disasters’ at risk  —  STORY HIGHLIGHTS  — Several officials tell CNN they have retained attorneys after repeatedly trying unsuccessfully to raise concerns

Trump plans to ask for $716 billion for national defense in 2019 — a major increase … President Trump is expected to ask for $716 billion in defense spending when he unveils his 2019 budget next month, a major increase that signals a shift away from concerns about rising deficits, U.S. officials said.

James Franco Was Scrubbed From Vanity Fair Hollywood Issue Cover  —  “We made a decision not to include James Franco on the Hollywood cover once we learned of the misconduct allegations against him,” a Vanity Fair spokesperson says.  —  Vanity Fair debuted its anticipated Hollywood Portfolio today …

Operation Sabotage the Memo  —  What are Adam Schiff, the Justice Department and the FBI trying to hide?  —  Rep. Adam Schiff has many talents, though few compare to his ability to function as a human barometer of Democratic panic.  The greater the level of Schiff hot, pressured air, the more trouble the party knows it's in.

Dutch agencies provide crucial intel about Russia's interference in US-elections  —  Hackers from the Dutch intelligence service AIVD have provided the FBI with crucial information about Russian interference with the American elections.  For years, AIVD had access to the infamous Russian hacker group Cozy Bear.

The Price I Paid for Taking On Larry Nassar  —  On Jan. 16, women and girls from across the country began congregating in a courtroom in Lansing, Mich. Some of us were athletes; some of us were not.  Some of us were white; some of us were black.  Some of us were married; some of us were still in high school.

Governor Cuomo Announces New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut Launch Coalition to Sue the Federal Government Over Federal Tax Bill  —  Elimination of Full State and Local Deductibility Unfairly Targets New York, New Jersey and Connecticut  —  Coalition to Sue the Federal Government Represents …

Deep in Clinton country, voters stand by their candidate  —  The pilings of long-gone piers still jut out of the murky Hudson River in New York County, N.Y., reminders of a shipping industry that's all-but-vanished from the region.  There's almost no manufacturing left in the towering buildings …

Chelsea Manning on Her Alt-Right Partying: I Was a Spy, Not a Racist … Maryland senate candidate and formerly imprisoned whistleblower Chelsea Manning came under intense criticism for attending the A Night for Freedom party at the nightclub FREQ NYC hosted by right wing leader Mike Cernovich …