James Comey Has a Story to Tell.  It's Very Persuasive.  —  Truth, Lies, and Leadership  —  290 pages.  Flatiron Books.  $29.99.  —  In his absorbing new book, “A Higher Loyalty,” the former F.B.I. director James B. Comey calls the Trump presidency a “forest fire” …

Trump, Mueller teams prepare to move forward without presidential interview  —  WASHINGTON — Special counsel Robert Mueller's office and President Donald Trump's legal team are now proceeding with strategies that presume a presidential interview will likely not take place as part of the Russia investigation …

President Trump poised to pardon Scooter Libby, Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, sources say  —  President Donald Trump is poised to pardon Scooter J. Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, according to sources familiar with the president's thinking.

Trump, Having Denounced Amazon's Shipping Deal, Orders Review of Postal Service  —  WASHINGTON — President Trump abruptly issued an executive order on Thursday demanding an evaluation of the Postal Service's finances, asserting the power of his office weeks after accusing Amazon …

The Paul Ryan Story: From Flimflam to Fascism  —  Why did Paul Ryan choose not to run for re-election?  What will be the consequences?  Your guess is as good as mine — literally.  I can speculate based on what I read in the papers, but so can you.  —  On the other hand …

Trump had affair with housekeeper that produced a child, former doorman claims  —  President Donald Trump had a relationship with a former housekeeper that produced a child, a former Trump World Tower doorman claimed in a statement released Thursday afternoon.

Confirm Mike Pompeo  —  MIKE POMPEO'S confirmation hearing to become secretary of state arrived at a moment when the Trump administration is grappling with a chaotic confluence of actual and looming foreign crises — including some of its own making.  President Trump is contemplating military strikes …

Majorities back investigations of Trump from Russia to alleged hush money (POLL)  —  Special counsel Robert Mueller has majority support in a new ABC News/Washington Post poll for extending his investigation into both Donald Trump's business dealings and the alleged payment of hush money …

Trump Reverses Course and Proposes Rejoining Trans-Pacific Partnership  —  WASHINGTON — President Trump, in a stunning reversal, told a gathering of farm state lawmakers and governors on Thursday morning that he was directing his advisers to look into rejoining the multicountry trade deal known …

A Renaissance on the Right  —  What's bad for the gavel is good for the pen.  The Republican Party is in the midst of a cataclysmic transformation.  But all the political turmoil is creating a burst of intellectual creativity on the right.  —  Young, fresh writers are bursting on the scene …

Scott Pruitt's Lobbyist Landlord Being Pressured to Leave His Firm … The lobbyist who rented Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt a room in his Capitol Hill townhouse is being pressured to retire from his firm earlier than previously planned, The Daily Beast has learned.

Proposal To Break California Into 3 States Could Make November Ballot  —  LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Voters could get a chance to decide whether California should be split into three states this November.  —  Venture capitalist Tim Draper, who authored an initiative to break up the Golden State …

James B. Comey: By the Book  —  What books are on your nightstand?  —  “Grant,” by Ron Chernow (actual nightstand); “The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Defender of the Realm 1940-1965,” by William Manchester and Paul Reid (living room table).  —  When and where do you like to read?

Charlie Rose's Life Now: “Broken,” “Brilliant” and “Lonely”  —  Before the devastating allegations of sexual misconduct hit, Rose was a legendary man-about-town.  Now, the former CBS and PBS star, one of TV's most feted journalists, is hiding out on Long Island with occasional …

GOP breaks the glass as House outlook darkens  —  Republicans are rushing to shore up congressional seats deep in the heart of Trump country as they come to an alarming realization: In this midterm election, few GOP lawmakers are safe.  —  GOP leaders are pressing Republicans lawmakers …

Tronc cuts dozens of employees, including former Times Editor Lewis D'Vorkin  —  Former Los Angeles Times Editor in Chief Lewis D'Vorkin was fired by Tronc Inc. on Thursday and several dozen other employees of the company were laid off.  —  D'Vorkin was the chief content officer of Tribune Interactive …

Cops Around the Country Can Now Unlock iPhones, Records Show  —  A Motherboard investigation has found that law enforcement agencies across the country have purchased GrayKey, a relatively cheap tool for bypassing the encryption on iPhones, while the FBI pushes again for encryption backdoors.