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

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 …

Packages sent to Joe Biden, Robert De Niro match other suspicious packages  —  The packages addressed to former Vice President Joe Biden and Robert De Niro were found Thursday.  —  Watch Live: Delaware officials investigate device addressed to Biden  —  A suspicious package found Thursday …

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 …

Judiciary chairman refers Swetnick, Avenatti to Justice Department  —  Cuomo pushes back on credibility of Swetnick  —  (CNN)Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley on Thursday referred Julie Swetnick and her lawyer Michael Avenatti to the Department of Justice for a possible criminal investigation …

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.

Instagram Refuses to Pull Down Milo Post Praising Mail Bombs  —  The company said that the item didn't violate their ‘Community Guidelines.’  —  Instagram said it would not remove a post from right-wing figure Milo Yiannopoulos praising the recent mail bombs sent to prominent Democratic officials …

Holocaust memorial group unwittingly funded Rep. King's meeting with far-right Austrians  —  Rep. Steve King met with members of a far-right Austrian party with historical Nazi ties during a European trip financed by a Holocaust memorial group.  —  In an interview with a website associated with the party …

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.

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

Arrest made after black campaign worker allegedly harassed, threatened at early-voting location  —  CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - Police arrested a man for allegedly harassing and threatening to assault a GOP campaign worker at an early-voting location in Charlotte Wednesday afternoon.

Trump's tweet claiming he ‘only uses government phones’ was sent from an iPhone  — President Donald Trump routinely uses unsecured iPhones to speak with friends and associates instead of a secure White House line, The New York Times reported on Wednesday.

Kroger shooting in Kentucky: Witness interaction with killer suggests race prompted attack  —  2 shot dead at busy grocery store; suspect taken into custody  —  JEFFERSONTOWN, KY (WAVE) - The calm of a sunny Wednesday afternoon in Louisville's quiet east end was turned upside down when two people …

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.

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 …

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.

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.

How ActBlue is trying to turn small donations into a blue wave  —  The liberal money-gathering platform is remaking fundraising for the left  —  Terry Wolfe has a dog, three cats and a deep desire to help elect members of Congress who will check President Donald Trump.

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.