EXCLUSIVE: Megyn Kelly is OUT at NBC just 48 hours after defending blackface as she and the network fight over whether she will be paid out her $69M contract in full  — Her show aired a repeat on Thursday and will also be a repeat on Friday after she defended blackface on Tuesday's show and apologized Wednesday on air

Explosive device sent to CNN featured parody ISIS flag, ‘Get Er Done’ inscription  —  An image on the explosive device sent to former CIA Director John Brennan on Tuesday appears to be a parody of an ISIS flag taken from a meme that has been circulating on right-wing corners of the internet since 2014.

Mueller has evidence suggesting Stone associate knew Clinton emails would be leaked  —  Mueller's team is investigating whether Jerome Corsi knew stolen emails would be leaked and passed information about them to Trump associate Roger Stone.  —  WASHINGTON — Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office …

Michael Avenatti's Past Won't Stop Him From Running in 2020  —  The woman approached Michael Avenatti with obvious purpose.  A 79-year-old retired physicist with long blond hair, she wore a blue T-shirt that said AVENATTI IS MY SPIRIT ANIMAL.  It was mid-August, and Avenatti had just finished giving …

How Google Protected Andy Rubin, the ‘Father of Android’  —  The internet giant paid Mr. Rubin $90 million and praised him, while keeping silent about a misconduct claim.  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Google gave Andy Rubin, the creator of Android mobile software, a hero's farewell when he left the company in October 2014.

Swetnick, Avenatti Referred for Criminal Investigation  —  Providing False Statements, Obstructing Congressional Investigations, and Conspiracy All Violate Federal Law  —  WASHINGTON - Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley today referred Julie Swetnick and her attorney Michael Avenatti …

Anthony Scaramucci: Trump is not ‘a liar,’ as previously said.  He's an ‘intentional liar’ who uses ‘a methodology of mistruth.’  —  Anthony Scaramucci, who served briefly as White House communications director last year, made headlines Wednesday when he called President Trump “a liar” during a CNN interview.

Saudi Arabia says Khashoggi's killing was premeditated, reversing earlier statement that the journalist had died in fistfight  —  Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor said that Jamal Khashoggi was killed in a planned operation, based on information it received from Turkish investigators in Istanbul …

Saudi Spy Met With Team Trump About Taking Down Iran  —  Mueller's investigators examined a series of meetings between an Israeli social media strategist, the general blamed for Jamal Khashoggi's murder, and Trump adviser Michael Flynn.  —  Gen. Ahmed Al-Assiri, the Saudi intelligence chief taking …

We recommend Beto O'Rourke for U.S. Senate  —  When, in the course of human events, a people become so divided among themselves that they can no longer engage in meaningful political discourse or even remain civil to one another, it is time to take bold steps forward.

I Respected Scott Walker.  Then I Worked for Him.  —  The last straw, for both of us, came in February of 2015.  Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker had called me into his office ahead of my reconfirmation vote as secretary of the Department of Financial Institutions.

Election Update: Romney-Clinton Districts Are Overrated.  Obama-Trump Districts Are Underrated.  —  This year's midterm hasn't really featured the “model wars” we saw in 2014 or 2016 — heated arguments between different election forecasters, whose projections sometimes showed very different results.

Elizabeth Warren Meets the Left's Circular Firing Squad  —  The release of her DNA test might not have been the best idea, but it shouldn't be disqualifying.  —  I recently spent an afternoon with some new friends in Connecticut, writing letters to registered Democrats in Georgia who hadn't voted in the past few elections.

Mattis expected to send 800 more troops to southern border  —  Washington (CNN)Defense Secretary James Mattis is expected to sign deployment orders as soon as Thursday that could send 800 or more troops to the border with Mexico to help border patrol authorities stop a caravan of migrants …

Bolton's Whisper Campaign to Oust Mattis  —  Sources say the hawkish national security advisor is behind rumors that the defense secretary plans to resign.  —  White House National Security Advisor John Bolton and his deputy are trying to squeeze out U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis …

Newt Gingrich says media has “earned” the label “enemy of the people”  —  Speaking at an Axios event in Washington Thursday, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich said that Trump's attacks on the media as “the enemy of the people” don't help improve the American political divide, but that he thinks “they've earned it.”

Last Slide  —  The Arizona State Troopers Association this week withdrew its endorsement of U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema in the heated U.S. Senate race after members said they weren't properly consulted on the matter.  —  The association, which represents Arizona Department of Public Safety employees …

Her Dispatches From Trump Country Are Perfect.  Maybe Too Perfect.  —  There's something suspicious about Salena Zito's glowing profiles of Trump voters.  Does anyone in conservative media care?  —  If it weren't for Donald Trump, Salena Zito would likely still be unknown outside of Pittsburgh.

Florida felon voting rights: Who got theirs back under Scott?  —  Lulu Ramadan @luluramadanMike Stucka @MikeStuckaWayne Washington @waynewashpbpost  —  The governor restored rights to the lowest percentage of blacks, highest percentage of Republicans in 50 years, The Post found.

Treasury Official Accused of Leaks Had Bureaucratic Complaints About Another Unit  —  FinCEN employee arrested last week for alleged leaks to BuzzFeed reporter is a Trump supporter who disagreed with colleagues in another department  —  The arrest last week of a senior Treasury Department official …

A dozen days to go: Ratings changes in gubernatorial, House races  —  KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE  — The battles for the state governorships are getting more volatile as Election Day nears.  We are moving three races, Kansas, Oregon, and South Dakota, to Toss-up.