Mueller Zooms In on Trump Tower Cover Story  —  WASHINGTON — Aboard Air Force One on a flight home from Europe last July, President Trump and his advisers raced to cobble together a news release about a mysterious meeting at Trump Tower the previous summer between Russians and top Trump campaign officials.

Exclusive: Trump asked Rosenstein if he was ‘on my team’  —  Washington (CNN)Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein visited the White House in December seeking President Donald Trump's help.  The top Justice Department official in the Russia investigation wanted Trump's support …

Exclusive: Controversial FBI agent co-wrote initial draft of explosive Comey letter reopening Clinton email probe  —  GOP Rep.: FBI texts most biased I've ever seen  —  Washington (CNN)Emails obtained by CNN show the FBI agent at the center of a Capitol Hill storm played a key role …

'I know that God's going to forgive me'  —  During the interview, Barry hesitated when asked whether she plans to resign, but said she will not, despite rumors swirling Wednesday that she might step down.  She also said she won't be taking a leave of absence and would be in the mayor's office Thursday.

Josh Hawley blames sex trafficking on ‘sexual revolution’ of 1960s in leaked audio  —  During a speech to pastors in Kansas City in December, Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley linked the problem of sex trafficking to the sexual revolution of the 1960s.  —  Hawley, the top Republican prospect …

The campaign is over.  The candidate might be dead.  But the spending never stops.  —  ★★★  —  WASHINGTON, D.C.  —  I T'S BEEN MORE THAN A DECADE since South Florida Rep. Mark Foley was forced out of Congress for sending sexual text messages to teenage boys.

Gowdy finally had it with Washington  —  Trey Gowdy is done with politics.  —  The House Oversight Committee Chairman for years has joked privately about quitting Congress and returning home to South Carolina.  On Wednesday, he finally pulled the plug — likely for good.

Signature line from Trump's speech is already a white nationalist rallying cry  —  Donald Trump's first State of the Union was a largely banal speech with few policy details and none of his signature asides and bravado.  Overall, the reception to the speech has been cool.

SF will wipe thousands of marijuana convictions off the books  —  San Francisco will retroactively apply California's marijuana-legalization laws to past criminal cases, District Attorney George Gascón said Wednesday — expunging or reducing misdemeanor and felony convictions going back decades.

Scott takes big step toward Florida Senate challenge  —  In the clearest sign he's ready to challenge Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, Florida Gov. Rick Scott has raised more than $1.1 million for a super PAC he recently revived and stocked it with top consultants from his previous campaigns.

Texas girl, 9, that Trump said he'd pray for, is out of ICU after brain surgery, family says  —  On behalf of President Trump, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders asked the nation on Jan. 23 to pray for a little girl in Texas who was prepping for an upcoming surgery for a rare brain condition, KFOR reported.

White House seeks 72 percent cut to clean energy research, underscoring administration's preference for fossil fuels … The Trump administration is poised to ask Congress for deep budget cuts to the Energy Department's renewable energy and energy efficiency programs, slashing them by 72 percent overall …

Florida (Congress)Man Invited Infamous Troll Chuck Johnson to Trump's State of The Union … Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), a conservative Republican firebrand, was the lawmaker responsible for inviting the controversial internet troll Chuck Johnson to Tuesday night's State of the Union address.

Trump Rating Ticks Up; Support for Tax Plan Increases  —  GOP gains on Dems in generic House ballot  —  West Long Branch, NJ - Donald Trump's job approval rating has bounced back from the record low registered in last month's Monmouth University Poll , as more Americans now see the president …

EXCLUSIVE: Trump officials discussed “reversing” abortion for undocumented teen  —  The Trump administration official in charge of the Office of Refugee Resettlement discussed trying to use a controversial, scientifically unproven method to reverse an undocumented teen's abortion, according to documents reviewed by VICE News.

CDC director resigns because of conflicts over financial interests … This post has been updated.  —  The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention resigned her position on Wednesday after only half a year because of “complex financial interests” that repeatedly forced …

Worse Than Willie Horton  —  A lot of Trump's speech — and an even greater share of the emotional energy, since he seemed bored reciting misleading economic numbers — was devoted to lamenting a wave of violent crime by immigrants.  Was this racist?  Yes, of course.

Michael Wolff: Nikki Haley ‘embraced’ rumors of affair with Trump … Controversial author Michael Wolff is hitting back at Nikki Haley after the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations denied having an affair with President Trump.  —  In an interview with theSkimm, Wolff said Haley “seems to have embraced” the rumor that he started.

How to Not Die in America  —  On the second Tuesday in June, I start to feel fluish.  If this is 2016 and I'm still a freelance writer, I'm losing money immediately on the assignments I can't complete because my vision is blurry and my thoughts are erratic.  If this is 2013, I am soon taken off the roster at the cafe where I work.

Trump lets protected Syrians stay longer but caps enrollment  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration said Wednesday that it would allow nearly 7,000 Syrians to remain in the United States for another 18 months but won't let more Syrian citizens apply for the special protection program.

3 dead, 2 injured after helicopter crashes into Newport Beach home  —  NEWPORT BEACH - Three people were killed and two injured Tuesday afternoon when a helicopter that had taken off from nearby John Wayne Airport crashed up against a house in a neighborhood on the northeast end of Upper Newport Bay.

Newt Gingrich Goes Full Conspiracy Theorist: ‘The Elite Media Is Part of the Deep State’  —  What's that?  You want to hear a conspiracy theory?  Coming right up.  —  Former Speaker of the House and famed Clinton hater Newt Gingrich appeared on Hannity Wednesday night to talk …

Roger Stone Says He Visited the Ecuadorian Embassy in London Where Julian Assange Is In Hiding … LONDON—Former Trump presidential campaign advisor Roger Stone paid a visit to the Ecuadorian Embassy in London on Wednesday where Julian Assange has been holed up for the last five years.