'Robert Mueller's real quest here is for the truth': How Paul Manafort's plea brings the special counsel probe closer to its end game  —  First came George Papadopoulos, the former Trump campaign adviser who was arrested by the FBI when he stepped off a plane at Dulles International Airport …

Bob Woodward on the ‘Best Obtainable Version of the Truth’ About Trump  —  By the time I arrived at Bob Woodward's townhouse in Georgetown on Friday morning, his latest book, Fear, was already in its ninth printing, with more copies sold on just the first day of its release than there are people living in the city of Washington.

Sheriff: US Border Patrol agent suspected of killing 4 women  —  LAREDO, Texas (AP) — A U.S. Border Patrol agent suspected of killing four prostitutes was arrested early Saturday after a fifth woman managed to escape from him and notify the authorities, law enforcement officials said, describing the agent as a “serial killer.”

The Economy Is Humming, but Trump Is Tweeting.  Republicans Are Worried.  —  WASHINGTON — As Democrats enter the fall midterm campaign with palpable confidence about reclaiming the House and perhaps even the Senate, tensions are rising between the White House and congressional Republicans …

Fraying Ties With Trump Put Jim Mattis's Fate in Doubt  —  WASHINGTON — Back when their relationship was fresh and new, and President Trump still called his defense secretary “Mad Dog” — a nickname Jim Mattis detests — the wiry retired Marine general often took a dinner break to eat burgers with his boss in the White House residence.

Trump has decided to impose tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods in dramatic escalation of trade battle  —  President Trump has decided to impose tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods, two people briefed on the decision said, one of the most severe economic restrictions ever imposed by a U.S. president.

Wealthiest Republican supporter in Ohio quits party  —  The wealthiest supporter of the GOP in Ohio said Thursday that he is no longer a member of the Republican Party.  —  “I just decided I'm no longer a Republican,” L Brands CEO Leslie Wexner said during a panel discussion at a leadership summit, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

Coast Guard member flashes white power hand signal on TV  —  The man shown in the background as a captain was being interviewed about Tropical Storm Florence was later removed from response duty, officials said.  —  A member of a U.S. Coast Guard team responding to Tropical Storm Florence …

What I Know About Jian Ghomeshi  —  Before anyone knew anything else about him, it was charm that made Jian Ghomeshi a big deal.  It began in the mid 2000s, when he hosted a Canadian arts-and-culture radio show, Q. In one episode, the actor Billy Bob Thornton was a guest …

Brett Kavanaugh's High School Friend Isn't Helping the Nominee's Case  —  Earlier this week, reports emerged that Capitol Hill Democrats had a letter from a woman accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct when they were both in high school.

Weather Channel correspondent busted for dramatic wind lean-in  —  CNN correspondent Nick Watt was reporting on Hurricane Florence on Friday morning from North Myrtle Beach, S.C., when he captured the hypocrisy that TV networks display when it comes to storm coverage.

Is it possible to draw Serena Williams without being racist?  —  I have spent the morning trying to draw a cartoon of a black person without it being racist.  It's bloody difficult.  Especially the lips.  Make them too big and anti-racist people will accuse you of being a white supremacist peddling …

Maduro's huge salary increases force 40% percent of Venezuelan stores to close  —  Nearly 40 percent of all Venezuelan stores have closed —some of them perhaps permanently —after the government of President Nicolas Maduro increased the minimum salary by nearly 3,500 percent in one fell swoop …

Money Talks.  Will the G.O.P. Listen?  —  Seth Klarman was once the biggest donor to the Republican Party in New England.  This year he's giving some $20 million to Democrats.  —  Ms. Weiss is a staff writer and editor for the Opinion section.  —  BOSTON — The first page of Seth Klarman's …

During Gas Emergency, Mass. State Police Reveal They're Keeping Tabs On Activist Groups  —  On Thursday evening, the Massachusetts State Police took to social media to share the extent of the gas emergency spreading across the Merrimack Valley.  —  But in so doing, they also shared …

How a Ukrainian Hairdresser Became a Front for Paul Manafort  —  KIEV, Ukraine — At first glance, what happened to Yevgeny G. Kaseyev hardly seems like misfortune.  —  Without his knowledge, he says, unknown individuals set up multiple companies in his name and deposited tens of millions …

Google Built China A Prototype Search Engine That Allows Government To Spy On Citizens' Search Queries  —  Imagine if the U.S. government was able to freely access your search history and use it against you.  That's what may end up happening in China, thanks to a censored search engine built for the country by Google.

A Grassroots Uprising in Amish Country Begins to Find Meaning in Politics  —  The morning after the presidential election in November 2016, Annie Weaver, like millions around the country, was in a stupor.  —  “I remember coming to work that day and I stopped at the Wawa and I didn't even make eye contact …

What's in It for Republicans?  —  Vox's Dylan Matthews tries to catch Senator Feinstein's Hail Mary pass, even as he acknowledges that we can at present see no ball: … What's “in it for Republicans?”  You mean other than refusing to establish a precedent by which any nominee for anything …