Trump Jr. And Emin Agalarov Stayed In Touch Throughout The Transition  —  From phone calls and text messages to “an expensive painting” that Aras Agalarov gave Donald Trump for his birthday in 2016, the two families were in regular communication before and after the Trump Tower meeting — and during the transition.

Trump sets Tester trap, calls for resignation  —  President Trump went after Sen. Jon Tester Saturday morning for releasing allegations against his pick for Secretary of the VA, Dr. Ronny Jackson.  —  Why it matters: Jackson's confirmation process was already rocky before Tester's team released …

Trump rebrands diplomatic norms as events in Asia, Europe and elsewhere spin on his axis  —  President Trump on Friday placed himself at the center of the remarkable summit between the leaders of North and South Korea, taking credit for bold and innovative diplomacy that may open a path to peace where other leaders failed.

Stormy Daniels Lawsuit Delayed as Judge Cites ‘Likely’ Indictment of Michael Cohen  —  A federal judge in California on Friday ordered a three-month delay in the lawsuit brought by the pornographic film star Stephanie Clifford against President Trump, citing what he called the likelihood …

Mika Brzezinski Joins Rachel Maddow And Others In Letter Supporting Tom Brokaw  —  UPDATED: MSNBC's Mike Brzezinski's has added her name to the more than 60 women who signed a letter supporting NBC News veteran Tom Brokaw after sexual harassment allegations against him were published by Washington Post and Variety:

Exclusive: NRA gathers documents amid scrutiny over ties to Kremlin-linked banker  —  Washington (CNN)The National Rifle Association is setting aside years of documents related to its interactions with a Kremlin-linked banker, as the gun-rights group appears to be bracing for a possible investigation …

Stop Talking About Race and IQ  —  The race-and-IQ debate is back.  The latest round started a few weeks ago when Harvard geneticist David Reich wrote a New York Times op-ed in defense of race as a biological fact.  The piece resurfaced Sam Harris' year-old Waking Up podcast interview with Charles Murray …

VIRGINIA NEWSPAPER RUNS KKK RECRUITMENT FLYER IN FULL ON FRONT PAGE  —  A Virginia newspaper has come under fire from its readers after it ran a Ku Klux Klan recruitment flyer in full on its front page.  —  The Westmoreland News ran a story on how KKK recruitment flyers and DVDs …

Jill Stein says she won't fully comply with Senate Russia investigation  —  Jill Stein ended months of silence and speculation about her role in the ongoing investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, announcing this week that she would not be complying …

New NYC Schools Chief's ‘White Manhattan Parents’ Tweet Brews Controversy  —  As for the controversy, the chancellor says, “I don't engage in Twitter fights;” but he is a staunch proponent of diversity in schools and says there's a way to “have these difficult conversations”

Congress makes a long-overdue move to punish Iran's hostage-takers … “Now is the day of reckoning for the Iranian regime,” Rep. Ted Poe (R-Tex.) said on Wednesday.  “That's just the way it is.”  —  Poe was speaking on the floor of a mostly empty House during the introduction …

Firing of House Chaplain Causes Uproar on Capitol Hill  —  Speaker Paul D. Ryan's abrupt decision to dismiss the House chaplain triggered an uproar on Friday over religion, pitting Republican against Republican and offering Democrats a political opportunity in a year already moving their way.

A Century of Feuding Between Presidents and the Press  —  For the second time, President Trump won't attend the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner.  As Washington's elite journalists gather to celebrate their work this weekend, the president will hold a rally in Michigan.

Rokita, Messer deny wrongdoing in possible straw donor scheme  —  Three Indiana members of Congress gave and received money from Ohio Rep. Jim Renacci in what experts said may have been an improper straw donor scheme — including two Indiana congressmen running for the U.S. Senate.

Brigitte Macron lauds ‘really fun’ Melania Trump - but says 'she can't go outside'  —  French first lady tells Le Monde her US counterpart is ‘kind, charming’ and excellent company, but is constrained by her role in Washington  —  Far from the stern, even glum image she presents to the public …

Don't Delete Kanye  —  “Dude, are you watching Kanye right now?”  —  I was trying to get some work done and so had logged off of Twitter, that black hole of permanent distraction.  But I couldn't escape the nonstop emails and texts from my friends suggesting that I drop everything and watch the rapper's feed.

RedState and the Dwindling Space for Anti-Trump Conservatives  —  RedState was a rare thing these days in the conservative media: a platform for an array of different opinions about President Trump.  —  That now seems to be a thing of the past, as media on the right has split into two camps …