Ohio race just got closer after county finds hundreds of uncounted votes  —  A special election in Ohio's 12th Congressional District was too close to call early Tuesday.  It could produce an automatic recount for Democrat Danny O'Connor and Republican Troy Balderson, who was backed by President Donald Trump.

Secret recording shows GOP's Nunes saying Rosenstein impeachment would delay Supreme Court pick  —  “Do you want them [the Senate] to drop everything and not confirm the Supreme Court justice?”  Rep. Devin Nunes said at a recent fundraiser.  —  Hard-line conservative Republicans …

Omarosa Secretly Recorded Trump and Played the Audio for People, Sources Say … Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's former personal attorney and fixer, isn't the only one with secretly recorded audio of the president.  —  Multiple sources with direct knowledge of the situation tell The Daily Beast …

Chris Collins, a timeline — including video of that phone call at the White House picnic  —  Rep. Chris Collins' indictment on insider trading charges sent ripples through Washington on Wednesday.  Collins, the first member of Congress to endorse Donald Trump for president, was key in supporting Mr. Trump early on.

Trump's Lawyers Counter Mueller's Interview Offer, Seeking Narrower Scope  —  WASHINGTON — President Trump's lawyers rejected the special counsel's latest terms for an interview in the Russia investigation, countering on Wednesday with an offer that suggested a narrow path for answering questions, people familiar with the matter said.

Tribune withdraws from Sinclair merger, saying it will sue for ‘breach of contract’  —  Tribune Media said Thursday that it would withdraw from its $3.9 billion merger with Sinclair Broadcast Group, adding it would sue Sinclair for “breach of contract” over its failed negotiations with regulators over the deal.

Prosecutor: Man at N.M. compound trained kids for school shooting  —  AMALIA, N.M. (AP) — The father of a missing Georgia boy was training children at a New Mexico compound to commit school shootings, prosecutors said in court documents obtained Wednesday, as authorities waited to learn …

Bill Nelson: The Russians have penetrated some Florida voter registration systems  —  Nelson amplified concerns about the 2018 midterms.  —  Russian operatives have “penetrated” some of Florida's election systems ahead of the 2018 midterms, Sen. Bill Nelson said Wednesday, adding new urgency about hacking.

The Whole Republican Party Seems to Be Going to Jail Now  —  The entire Trump era has been a festering pit of barely disguised ongoing corruption.  But the whole sordid era has not had a 24-hour period quite like the orgy of criminality which we have just experienced.  The events of the last day alone include:

Indicted Rep. Chris Collins shows why members of Congress should not trade stocks  — Rep. Chris Collins, a prominent backer of President Donald Trump in Congress, has been indicted for insider trading , along with his son and his son's fiancée's father.

Like father, like son: Trump Jr. defiant about Russia probe  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — If Donald Trump Jr. is worried, he sure doesn't show it.  —  His father, the president, is reported to be fretting about his eldest son's entanglement in the Russia investigation.

Media boost security as Trump ramps up ‘enemy’ rhetoric  —  TV networks are employing security guards at the president's high-octane rallies.  —  Notebooks, mics, cameras, hairspray — those are all things TV reporters are used to having with them at political rallies.

Uber Hit With Cap as New York City Takes Lead in Crackdown  —  Even as Uber has become one of Silicon Valley's biggest success stories and changed the way people across the globe get around, the company has faced increased scrutiny from government regulators and struggled to overcome its image …

Emails show 2016 links among Steele, Ohr, Simpson — with Russian oligarch in background  —  Emails in 2016 between former British spy Christopher Steele and Justice Department official Bruce Ohr suggest Steele was deeply concerned about the legal status of a Putin-linked Russian oligarch …

The Case for Banning Alex Jones  —  There's no reason for conservatives to be defending this guy.  —  One of the downstream effects of Trumpism is that the fact of having a President Trump has given conservatives a hair-trigger on defending every marginal figure, no matter how stupid or malicious.

Ken White The Manafort trial judge keeps yelling at prosecutors.  That's not good news for the defendant.  —  Trial lawyers know that judicial grumbling is not a reliable predictor of results.  —  For the last week, political junkies have been transfixed by the federal criminal trial of Paul Manafort …

Giuliani: This Case Isn't Going To Fizzle, It's Going To Blow Up On Mueller  —  Rudy Giuliani, attorney for President Trump, appeared on Hannity Wednesday night to explain why the legal team rejected special counsel Robert Mueller's term for an interview.  —  Giuliani said the “real story” …

Student accuses Santa Fe store clerk of racial profiling after police called  —  SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) - A college student visiting from out of state says he was racially profiled by a Santa Fe convenience store clerk who called police, calling the student “arrogant” and “black.”

More than 40,000 Facebook users expressed interest in political protests with potential Russian ties  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Over the past 15 months, at least 40,000 people said they were interested in attending anti-Trump rallies hosted by a group that Facebook banned last week …