'I Couldn't Stop Laughing.  It's So Ridiculous.' A Surreal Week of Excuse-Making at the White House.  —  It's the end of the week in Washington, and there are some things that we know to be true: It's 83 degrees and partly cloudy, with 47 percent humidity.  At 11:30 a.m., Donald Trump's …

Trump floats season suspension for NFL players protesting anthem  —  President Trump took to Twitter Friday to call out the NFL on their national anthem policy.  —  The NFL National Anthem Debate is alive and well again - can't believe it!  Isn't it in contract that players must stand at attention, hand on heart?

Trump calls Cohen's taping of phone call ‘inconceivable,’ possibly illegal  —  Donald Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen secretly recorded a conversation with then-candidate Trump two months before the presidential election in which they discussed payments, which were never made, to a former Playboy model.

Manhattan Madam Kristin Davis — Subpoenaed by Robert Mueller  —  EXCLUSIVE  —  Kristin Davis, the Manhattan Madam who went to prison and was connected to former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, is being subpoenaed in the Robert Mueller investigation ... TMZ has learned.

Bad Debts, Fraud Claims Trail Boyfriend of Alleged Russian Agent  —  Paul Erickson, a smooth-talking U.S. political activist, was romantically involved with alleged Russian agent  —  They both had secrets.  —  Maria Butina worked clandestinely as an agent of the Russian government …

Inside Bannon's Plan to Hijack Europe for the Far-Right … LONDON—Steve Bannon plans to go toe-to-toe with George Soros and spark a right-wing revolution in Europe.  —  Trump's former White House chief advisor told The Daily Beast that he is setting up a foundation in Europe called …

So, Here's A Giant List Of All The Dumb Stuff I've Ever Done (Don't Worry, I'll Keep Updating It)  —  This week, in the space of 24 hours, I went from a nice person with good intentions who differs politically from liberals but doesn't bend the truth to a racist, sexist, bigot homophobe …

Four reasons we've reached a tipping point on Trump  —  As a preliminary matter, I'm delighted to be back from vacation and back in the United States.  Easily forgotten during the coverage of the incompetent and intellectually corrupted officials who populate this administration are the honorable men …

Did Putin share stolen election data with Trump?  —  Data is the energy, the lifeblood, the food and drink of any modern election campaign.  From the mundane — names, addresses, voting districts — to the specifics of habits and interest, data matters more than television time …

Here Are The Victims Of The Missouri Duck Boat Accident  —  At least 17 people are dead after a tourist duck boat sank during a sudden storm Thursday near Branson, Missouri.  —  Nine members of an 11-person family group from Indianapolis, Indiana, aboard the vessel are among the victims, Gov. Mike Parsons said Friday.

The Midterm Elections Are Already Under Attack  —  WITH PRIMARIES UNDERWAY and less than four months to go until this year's midterm elections, early signs of attack have already arrived—just as the US intelligence community warned.  And yet Congress has still not done everything in its power to defend against them.

Russian operatives blasted 18,000 tweets ahead of a huge news day during the 2016 presidential campaign.  Did they know what was coming?  —  On the eve of one of the newsiest days of the 2016 presidential election season, a group of Russian operatives fired off tweets at a furious pace, about a dozen each minute.

A Top Bernie Sanders Adviser Is Named In The Evidence List For Paul Manafort's Trial  —  An exhibit list released this week in the Mueller investigation cites emails from 2014.  It was previously reported that Tad Devine, a top Sanders strategist, stopped working in Ukraine in 2012.

Exclusive: U.S. open to lifting sanctions off aluminum giant Rusal - Mnuchin  —  SAO PAULO (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury is open to removing Russian aluminum producer Rusal from a U.S. sanctions list, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Friday, adding the objective was “not to put Rusal out of business.”

Trump Endorsement in Georgia Race Surprised, and Frustrated, Some Republicans  —  SANTA FE, N.M. — President Trump's unexpected endorsement of Brian Kemp this week in the Georgia governor's race blindsided and alarmed Republican governors, who fear that Mr. Trump's penchant for capriciously intervening …

GOP congressman said blacks have ‘entitlement mentality’ and view themselves as victims  —  GOP rep. defends prior comments on ‘slut’ women  —  (CNN)Republican Rep. Jason Lewis has a long history of racist rhetoric about African-Americans, pushing claims of a “racial war” …

James Gunn Fired as Director of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’  —  The move comes after controversial tweets from the filmmaker were resurfaced.  —  James Gunn is exiting Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.  —  The move comes after conservative personalities resurfaced old tweets Thursday …

Paramount Television President Amy Powell is fired over inappropriate comments  —  Paramount Television President Amy Powell has been fired after making inappropriate comments, the movie and TV studio's Chief Executive Jim Gianopulos told staff Thursday.  —  In a memo obtained by The Times …

North Korea Signals Reluctance on Reunions, Nuclear Program  —  Pyongyang dials back apparent commitments to South and U.S. in statements Friday  —  SEOUL—North Korea put planned reunions of families separated by the Korean War into question and denounced South Korea's latest demands …