White House worried FBI director could quit over Nunes memo release  —  White House and FBI clash over GOP memo  —  Washington (CNN)Top White House aides are worried FBI Director Christopher Wray could quit if the highly controversial Republican memo alleging the FBI abused its surveillance tools …

Lawyers for Rick Gates withdraw from Russia case  —  Three attorneys representing Rick Gates told a federal court Thursday they are immediately withdrawing as counsel for the former Donald Trump campaign aide, who is fighting special counsel Robert Mueller's indictment of him on money laundering and other charges.

Investigator calls Robert Wagner a “person of interest” in Natalie Wood drowning death  —  For the first time since reopening the investigation into the mysterious death of the legendary actress, investigators speak out to “48 Hours”  —  Nearly four decades after the unexplained drowning death …

Republicans give up on Obamacare repeal  —  WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — Republicans are giving up on their years-long dream of repealing Obamacare.  —  Though the GOP still controls both chambers of Congress and maintains the ability to jam through a repeal-and-replace bill via a simple majority …

Judge strikes down Florida's system for restoring felons' voting rights  —  U.S. District Mark Walker said Florida's voter restoration process unfairly relies on the personal support of Gov. Rick Scott.  —  TALLAHASSEE — A federal judge ruled Thursday that Florida's lifetime ban on restoring …

The Publisher of Newsweek And The International Business Times Has Been Buying Traffic And Engaging In Ad Fraud  —  Several of Newsweek Media Group's business websites are buying and manipulating traffic that originates on pirated video streaming sites.  The company acknowledged buying traffic, but denies engaging in ad fraud.

American Students Aren't Learning The Full Truth About Slavery  —  Students often get only a superficial view of the atrocity that built the country, a new study finds.  —  American students are being taught an inadequate and often sanitized version of history when it comes to slavery, according to a new report.

Behind Pence's plan to rescue the Republican majority in 2018  —  WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — Vice President Mike Pence is launching one of the most aggressive campaign strategies in recent White House history: He will hopscotch the country over the next three months …

Top career US diplomat to step down in blow to State Dept  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The top career U.S. diplomat announced Thursday he will step down, dealing a blow to the State Department as the Trump administration confronts numerous international challenges.

How Carob Traumatized a Generation  —  A wry disgruntlement will forever unite those of us who were children during the height of the nineteen-seventies natural-foods movement.  It was a time that we recall not for its principles—yes to organics, no to preservatives—but for its endless assaults on our tender young palates.

Nearly 46 Million Viewers Watch President Trump's State of the Union Address  —  An estimated 45.6 million people tuned in to watch President Donald Trump deliver his State of the Union address in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018.  —  While coverage varied by network …

Trump administration strips consumer watchdog office of enforcement powers in lending discrimination cases … The Trump administration has stripped enforcement powers away from Consumer Financial Protection Bureau office that specializes in pursuing cases against financial firms accused …

Joe Arpaio has given at least 5 interviews to an anti-Semitic publication  —  Republican U.S. Senate candidate Joe Arpaio has given several interviews to a publication that traffics in anti-Semitic conspiracy theories and on Wednesday declined an opportunity to distance himself from the extremist material.

What Gary Cohn told Republicans about infrastructure behind closed doors  —  Gary Cohn briefed members this morning at the Republican Congressional Retreat about infrastructure, per a source briefed on the presentation.  Cohn — who sat on a panel with Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao …

CDC to cut by 80 percent efforts to prevent global disease outbreak … Four years after the United States pledged to help the world fight infectious-disease epidemics such as Ebola, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is dramatically downsizing its epidemic prevention activities …

Savannah Guthrie's ‘power grab’ leaves some staffers puzzled  —  Savannah Guthrie pulled a “power grab” to install an ally as the executive producer of the “Today” show, sources say.  —  We're told that after former co-host Matt Lauer was canned in November, Guthrie pushed out Lauer pal …

Democrats' behavior at the State of the Union was embarrassing  —  It gives me no pleasure to say this, but the Democrats' behavior at the State of the Union was embarrassing.  —  I take a back seat to nobody in decrying President Trump's cynical and divisive performance.

Humane Society keeps CEO after sexual harassment complaints, prompting seven board members to resign … The Humane Society of the United States defied donor backlash on Thursday and chose to keep chief executive Wayne Pacelle at the helm of one of the country's biggest animal charities, prompting seven board members to resign.

What if Clinton Had Done All This?  —  Late last year, Tom Nichols, a professor at the Naval War College and a NeverTrump conservative, proposed a little thought experiment for Republicans skeptical of Robert Mueller's investigation of the Trump campaign's Russia ties.

America's Most and Least Popular Governors  —  Republicans continue to dominate, at the top and bottom of the rankings  — Bill Walker (I-Alaska) is the least popular governor running for re-election this year, with net approval of -26%.  — Walker posted the largest net slide in approval …