John Dowd Resigns as Trump's Lead Lawyer in Special Counsel Inquiry  —  WASHINGTON — The president's lead lawyer for the special counsel investigation, John Dowd, resigned on Thursday, according to two people briefed on the matter, days after the president called for an end to the inquiry.

I want to share an update on the Cambridge Analytica situation — including the steps we've already taken and our next steps to address this important issue.  —  We have a responsibility to protect your data, and if we can't then we don't deserve to serve you.

Saudi Crown Prince Boasted That Jared Kushner Was “In His Pocket”  —  Until he was stripped of his top-secret security clearance in February, presidential adviser Jared Kushner was known around the White House as one of the most voracious readers of the President's Daily Brief …

Charges Have Been Dropped Against Most Turkish Officers in D.C. Clash  —  Case had caused a rift between the U.S. and Turkey  —  WASHINGTON—Federal prosecutors have dropped charges against 11 of 15 members of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's security team who were accused in connection …

‘Trump blew it’: The president missed his best chance yet to get funding for his border wall … President Trump has long promoted and promised a “big, beautiful wall” along the southern border — a pledge he made at the start of his presidential campaign that helped fuel his unlikely rise to the White House.

Why Is Trump So Afraid of Russia?  —  The former C.I.A. director John Brennan pulled no punches on Wednesday when he was asked why President Trump had congratulated his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, for his victory in a rigged election, even after Mr. Trump's national security staff warned him not to.

He Gambles.  He Tips Staff.  He Eats Alone.  All the While, He's Stocking His Vegas Suite With Guns.  —  Sometimes we see him as other hotel guests would have seen him: as the tall gambler intent on the video poker machine across the casino floor, or as the customer standing in line in front …

John Bolton's Curious Appearance In A Russian Gun Rights Video  —  Former U.N. ambassador John Bolton recorded a video used by the Russian gun rights group The Right to Bear Arms in 2013 to encourage the Russian government to loosen gun laws.  —  The episode, which has not been previously reported …

EXCLUSIVE: Fired FBI official authorized criminal probe of Sessions, sources say  —  Nearly a year before Attorney General Jeff Sessions fired senior FBI official Andrew McCabe for what Sessions called a “lack of candor,” McCabe oversaw a federal criminal investigation into whether Sessions lacked candor …

60 Minutes interview with Stormy Daniels to be broadcast Sunday  —  The adult-film star and director describes the affair she says she had with Donald Trump in her first television interview about the alleged relationship  —  The 60 Minutes interview with Stormy Daniels …

Unarmed black man shot to death in own backyard after police mistake cell phone for weapon  —  Sacramento police fatally shot a 22-year-old black man holding a cell phone that was mistaken for a weapon.  —  Stephon Clark was in the backyard of the home he shared with his grandparents …

15 Years.  More Than 1 Million Dead.  No One Held Responsible.  —  The War in Iraq's latest anniversary passed in all-American silence.  —  The most  —  tragic and infuriating piece  —  of writing of the week came in Tuesday's  —  New York Times  —  It carried a very plain and simple headline.

China to Target Trump's Base in Tariff Response  —  Beijing prepares to deliver pain to President Trump's support base, including with tariffs targeting agricultural exports  —  China is preparing to hit back at trade offensives from Washington with tariffs aimed at President Donald Trump's support base …

Rand Paul on last-minute federal budget: ‘A rotten, terrible’ way to govern  —  WASHINGTON  —  With Congress teetering on the brink of its third government shutdown in three months, Sen. Rand Paul still hasn't seen the details of a new budget bill that's likely to be 1,000 pages long — and he's not pleased.

Yes, Jordan Peterson Really Is That Smart … In the last year, or so, Jordan Peterson, the University of Toronto clinical psychologist turned internet sensation, has emerged as arguably the most important intellectual figure on the right today.  —  His new book, 12 Rules for Life, is currently number one on Amazon.

Frank Avruch, who played Bozo the Clown, dies at 89  —  (CNN)Frank Avruch, who was best known for playing Bozo the Clown, died Tuesday at the age of 89, according to his manager Stuart Hersh.  —  “While it's hard to say goodbye, we celebrate the legacy of joy and laughter he brought to millions …

NYC agency investigating more than a dozen Kushner buildings  —  NEW YORK (AP) — New York City's buildings regulator launched investigations at more than a dozen Kushner Cos. properties Wednesday following an Associated Press report that the real estate developer routinely filed false paperwork claiming …

Cabbie blamed Uber, Lyft for financial woes before hanging himself  —  A yellow-cab driver hanged himself because of financial ruin that he blamed on ride-hail apps such as Uber and Lyft — the fourth such suicide in the last four months, authorities said Wednesday.

House leaders' biggest 2018 fear: The lazy Republican  —  On paper, Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas) appears to be a shoo-in for reelection.  He's served nine terms in what's been a GOP stronghold for decades, hasn't had a serious challenger in years and sits on one of the most powerful committees in Congress.

When Trump Met Stormy Daniels: The Strange Story of Four Wild Days in Tahoe  —  In July of 2006, Donald Trump had a new wife, a hit TV show, and a trip to a celebrity golf tourney with a slew of porn stars secretly in attendance.  According to a few of those women, including Stormy Daniels, Trump went wild.

This Public Relations Firm Has Been Secretly Placing Articles In Conservative Publications  —  Inside the corporate payola machine.  —  Conservative media has long been the home for impassioned arguments against the welfare state, gun control, and taxes.  —  But if you look closely …

Austin bomber: ‘Challenged young man’ or ‘terrorist’? … For weeks, the 23-year-old suspected bomber terrorized the city of Austin with a string of explosions that killed two and injured several others.  —  But should the bomber, identified by authorities as Mark Anthony Conditt, be called a terrorist?

It's official: NYC hasn't seen snow like this in 130 years  —  (CNN)The snow has been falling all day in New York City.  —  For most New Yorkers, the snow was probably a drag.  For a record seeker like myself, this late season snow storm allowed me to catch my snow white whale.

Tennessee lawmakers pass bill requiring public schools to post ‘In God We Trust’ motto  —  Tennesseans are overwhelmingly Christian.  We break down the numbers from Pew Research Center's Religious Landscape Survey from 2014.  Wochit  —  CONNECT  —  A bill requiring Tennessee schools …