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 …

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.

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.’

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 …

'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

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.

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.

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.

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 …

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

Statement From Mark Hollis  —  EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State University is a great institution, and its greatest strengths are the people who call themselves Spartans.  Many, if not all, of those Spartans are hurting, especially the courageous survivors of Larry Nassar's abuse.

National Gallery cancels Chuck Close, Thomas Roma shows; artists accused of sexual harassment  —  The National Gallery of Art will not present solo exhibitions by painter Chuck Close and photographer Thomas Roma, both of whom have been accused of sexual misconduct.

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 …

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.

Scientists Rebel Over a Trump Ally at the Natural History Museum  —  Rebekah Mercer, a supporter of President Trump and an influential donor to conservative causes — including groups that deny climate science — is under renewed pressure to step down from the board of New York City's …

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.

Donald Trump says sorry to Britain  —  Piers Morgan has frequently spoken about his friendship with Donald Trump - and now Piers has finally interviewed the US President in what was his first international interview since taking office.  —  This unmissable interview took place in Davos …

The Dirty War Over Diversity Inside Google  —  FIRED GOOGLE ENGINEER James Damore says he was vilified and harassed for questioning what he calls the company's liberal political orthodoxy, particularly around the merits of diversity.  —  Now outspoken diversity advocates at Google …