I will speak out until integrity returns to the White House  —  John Brennan served as director of the Central Intelligence Agency from March 2013 to January 2017.  —  My first visit to the Oval Office came in October 1990, when I was a 35-year-old CIA officer.

Trump breaks protocol, sends markets a clear signal on jobs report before numbers are released  —  President Trump on Friday broke with decades of protocol and commented publicly about the highly anticipated jobs report data 69 minutes before they were released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

EPA's Pruitt spent $1,560 on 12 customized fountain pens from Washington jewelry store  —  The account manager at the Tiny Jewel Box, which calls itself Washington's “premier destination for fine jewelry and watches,” had promised to expedite the order of a dozen customized silver fountain pens …

Samantha Bee Addresses Controversy: ‘We Spent the Day Wrestling With the Repercussions of One Bad Word’  —  Accepting a Television Academy Honors award while under fire, the “Full Frontal” host said the focus should shift from how she called Ivanka Trump a “c-nt” to the plight of 1,500 missing migrant children.

Kim's Letter to Trump Expresses Interest in Nuclear Summit  —  North Korean official aims to hand-deliver the letter to Trump on Friday  —  WASHINGTON—One of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's top lieutenants is expected to hand-deliver a letter to President Donald Trump in the White House …

MSNBC Staff on Joy Reid: Enough Apologies, We Want Answers … MSNBC and Joy Reid on Friday both finally commented on the latest round of hateful old blog posts unearthed by various outlets.  They did not, however, address Reid's initial and unsubstantiated claim that the posts were fake.

Signs of sophisticated cellphone spying found near White House, U.S. officials say  —  A federal study found signs that surveillance devices for intercepting cellphone calls and texts were operating near the White House and other sensitive locations in the Washington area last year.

Trump Prepares Lifeline for Money-Losing Coal Plants  — Energy Department is weighing emergency electricity reserve  — Move would be unprecedented intervention in energy markets  —  Trump administration officials are making plans to order grid operators to buy electricity …

Billionaire Koch brothers' network launches digital ad blitz supporting Democrat Heidi Heitkamp as midterms near  — Americans for Prosperity is unleashing a digital advertising campaign on Friday thanking North Dakota Democratic Senator Heidi Heitkamp for cosponsoring the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protect Act.

New poll shows Sherrod Brown leading Senate race, Mike DeWine on top in governor's  —  CLEVELAND, Ohio - A new poll released Friday shows U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, up big in his race against GOP U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci while Republican Attorney General Mike DeWine leads Democratic …

Democratic Poll: Mike Levin Ahead in California's 49th District  —  A Democratic poll shows a tight contest in the crowded race for California's 49th District, with Democrat Mike Levin narrowly ahead of Republican Diane Harkey .  —  The district is one of three in Southern California …

Kushner, unfiltered  —  In an extensive interview, the Kushner Companies boss gets candid about 666 Fifth, federal investigations, tenant-harassment allegations and his son in the White House  —  Charlie Kushner has a few things he wants to get off his chest.

As Justice Dept. inspector general moves from Clinton email to Russia and Trump, he risks becoming a political weapon  —  Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz recently summoned an FBI agent important to the probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election for an interview.

Jared Kushner close friend Rick Gerson now under scrutiny from Mueller  —  WASHINGTON — A close friend of Jared Kushner has come under scrutiny by Special Counsel Robert Mueller for his proximity to some key meetings between Trump associates and foreign officials, according to five people familiar with the matter.

Leaked emails show Hoover academic conspiring with College Republicans to conduct ‘opposition research’ on student  —  Emails between the Hoover Institution's Niall Ferguson and well-known Republican student activists John Rice-Cameron '20 and Max Minshull '20 reveal coordination on …

Stormy Daniels's Lawyer Sought Help From Democrats in Fight With Trump  —  WASHINGTON — Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for Stephanie Clifford, the pornographic film actress who says she had a sexual encounter with President Trump, has sought help for his legal battle against Mr. Trump from leading Democratic operatives.

London ‘bridges’ falling down: Curious origins of FBI's Trump-Russia probe  —  The bridge to the Russia investigation wasn't erected in Moscow during the summer of the 2016 election.  —  It originated earlier, 1,700 miles away in London, where foreign figures contacted Trump campaign advisers …

BREAKING: Trump May Already Be Indicted Under Seal  —  There is perhaps no investigation more closely scrutinized than special counsel Robert Mueller's inquiry into President Donald Trump and his inner circle.  Many, probably including the President himself, anxiously await news of a possible presidential indictment.

Obama Soothed.  Trump Stirs.  How 2 Presidents Have Tackled Racial Flare-Ups.  —  For more coverage of race, sign up here to have our Race/Related newsletter delivered weekly to your inbox.  —  There was a time, not long ago, when the occupant of the White House held a beer summit …

Why Trump should leave Blagojevich in prison  —  Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, with his wife, Patti, waves at the end of his statement to reporters and supporters gathered outside his home on his last full day of freedom March 14, 2012.  (Nuccio DiNuzzo / Chicago Tribune)

SEAN'S TAKE: Media Bias and Apologies  —  Over the last few days the conversation surrounding the comments made by TV personalities has dominated the news cycle.  We have covered them as well, going over previous tweets, statements and on air opinions.  One of these individuals, MSNBC's Joy Reid …

Here's the Email Russian Hackers Used to Try to Break Into State Voting Systems  —  Just days before the 2016 presidential election, hackers identified by the National Security Agency as working for Russia attempted to breach American voting systems.  Among their specific targets were the computers …

Trade sanctions against America won't work.  Sanctioning Trump himself might.  —  Scott Gilmore: Instead of taxing American goods, Canada and the western allies should collectively pressure the only pain point that matters to this President: his family and their assets

Ted Cruz says he suggested a pardon for Dinesh D'Souza while traveling with Donald Trump in Texas  —  Trump and Cruz discussed the pardon while riding from the airport to the National Rifle Association convention in Dallas last month.  —  CEDAR PARK — U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas …