Stormy Daniels accuses Trump attorney of defamation … Stormy Daniels ramped up her legal battle against President Trump on Monday, alleging in court that his personal attorney Michael Cohen defamed her by insinuating that she lied about an affair with Trump more than a decade ago.

Trump Talks of Bringing Back Rob Porter, Aide Accused of Spousal Abuse  —  WASHINGTON — President Trump has stayed in touch with Rob Porter, the former White House staff secretary who stepped down after allegations that he had abused his two former wives came to light, according …

Dan Webb and Tom Buchanan Latest Lawyers to Decline to Join Trump's Legal Team … Two more high-power attorneys have had to turn down President Donald Trump.  Tom Buchanan and Dan Webb confirmed to The Daily Beast that Trump reached out to them about representing him, and that they couldn't do it.

White House Probes Loans to Kushner's Business  —  White House attorneys are examining whether two loans totaling more than $500 million to Jared Kushner's family business may have violated any criminal laws or federal ethics regulations, according to a letter from a federal ethics agency.

Jimmy Carter says John Bolton as national security adviser is “worst mistake” Trump has made  —  Former President Jimmy Carter says President Trump's choice of John Bolton as his new national security adviser is “the worst mistake” Mr. Trump has made.  —  “I have been concerned at some of the things he's decided.

Sources: Zinke tells employees diversity isn't important  —  Washington (CNN)Several employees at the Interior Department have told CNN that Secretary Ryan Zinke repeatedly says that he won't focus on diversity, an apparent talking point that has upset many people within the agency.

Rumor is Ryan will resign as U.S. House Speaker; Scalise will replace him, Amodei says  —  Nevada's 2nd U.S. House District Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Carson City, said on Nevada Newsmakers Monday that Rep. Paul Ryan may soon resign as Speaker of the U.S. House.  —  Amodei said he was repeating a rumor that's around Capitol Hill.

CNN Poll: 42% approve of Trump, highest in 11 months  —  WASHINGTON (CNN)President Donald Trump's approval rating has rebounded to its highest level since the 100-day mark of his presidency, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS, even as his approval ratings for handling major issues remain largely negative.

Sheriff: Maryland high school shooter died by shooting himself  —  Austin Wyatt Rollins, the 17-year-old who opened fire on classmates at Great Mills High School in Southern Maryland last week, injuring one and killing another, died by shooting himself in the head, officials investigating the case said Monday.

After Stormy Daniels, Republicans Face a Referendum on Trump's Conduct  —  WASHINGTON — When Representative Ryan Costello of Pennsylvania announced on Sunday that he would join more than 40 other congressional Republicans not seeking re-election in November, he left no doubt about the reason …

ICE Uses Facebook Data to Find and Track Immigrants, Internal Emails Show  —  Cambridge Analytica may have had access to the personal information of tens of millions of unwitting Americans, but a genuine debate has emerged about whether the company had the sophistication to put that data effectively …

Linda Brown, center of Brown v. Board case, dies at 76  —  Linda Brown, who as a little girl in Topeka was at the center of the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision that ended school segregation in the United States, has died at age 76.  —  Brown's sister, Cheryl Brown Henderson …

Trump Fund-Raiser Files Hacking Lawsuit Against Qatar  —  LONDON — Lawyers for Elliott Broidy, a Republican fund-raiser close to President Trump, on Monday filed a lawsuit accusing the government of Qatar of hacking into his emails and conspiring with Washington lobbyists to besmirch his reputation.

North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un Visiting China, Sources Say  —  Kim Jong Un has made a surprise visit to Beijing on his first known trip outside North Korea since taking power in 2011, three people with knowledge of the visit said.  —  Further details of the visit, including how long Kim …

Multiple suspicious packages sent to DC area military installations  —  Washington (CNN)The FBI has taken custody of multiple suspicious packages sent to military locations in the Washington, DC area, a law enforcement official said Monday.  The official said two of the packages were sent to Fort Belvoir and Fort McNair.

In response to racist violence, more African Americans look to bear arms  —  The National African American Gun Association, known as NAAG, has tripled its chapters from 14 to 42 since President Donald Trump's inauguration, as more people of color join gun clubs and refute the NRA.

CBS Video Confusing.  Hogg Was on Campus.  —  UPDATE: This video shows Hogg apparently in a closet during the shooting:  —  His comments quoted below to CBS still don't make sense.  Did he leave campus and then violate the lockdown to enter campus and interview students?  How did he get home and back?

Paul Bremer, Ski Instructor: Learning To Shred With The Bush Administration's Iraq War Fall Guy  —  Lots of people want to be ski instructors at the Okemo Mountain Resort.  Nobody gets rich doing it, but there are perks, including a free season pass and half-price meals at the Sitting Bull Bar & Lounge.

There's Something Funny About Tiffany Haddish  —  It took the world a ridiculously long time to realize the obvious: The breakout star of Girls Trip is fucking hilarious.  So GQ's Caity Weaver went whale watching with her.  —  Some people are better at being themselves than others are.

Exclusive: Cambridge Analytica accused of violating US election laws in new legal action  —  Amid mounting accusations that data firm Cambridge Analytica misused the Facebook data of up to 50 million user profiles, the U.K.-based firm and its top executives are now also under fire for alleged violations of U.S. election laws.

Statement by the Acting Director of FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection Regarding Reported Concerns about Facebook Privacy Practices  —  Tom Pahl, Acting Director of the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Consumer Protection, issued the following statement regarding reported concerns about Facebook's privacy practices:

They Push.  They Protest.  And Many Activists, Privately, Suffer as a Result.  —  For more coverage of race, sign up here to have our Race/Related newsletter delivered weekly to your inbox.  —  She lay curled in bed for days, paralyzed by the stresses of a life that she felt had chosen her as much as she had chosen it.

Senator McConnell and Commissioner Quarles Announce Hemp Legislation  —  FRANKFORT, KY - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture Ryan Quarles (R-KY) announced today the impending introduction of legislation in the United States Senate to support Kentucky's hemp industry.

Democrats Know Hackers Will Be Back In 2018.  The Problem: Forcing Campaigns To Care.  —  “The threat is there — and ignoring it isn't going to make it go away.”  —  To Shauna Daly, a veteran Democratic operative, the idea seemed like an obvious answer to an urgent problem in the months …