Sessions, in Last-Minute Act, Sharply Limits Use of Consent Decrees to Curb Police Abuses  —  WASHINGTON — Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions has drastically limited the ability of federal law enforcement officials to use court-enforced agreements to overhaul local police departments accused …

Republicans Freak Out as New Ballots Threaten Florida Senate Win  —  New ballots in Broward County have conspiracy theorists — including the state's top elected officials — calling for an investigation of Democrats.  —  As the Republican margin in the Florida Senate race narrowed …

Inside Kris Kobach's losing Kansas campaign: ‘Check logic and reason at the door’  —  Kris Kobach blamed money.  He blamed history.  He didn't blame himself for losing a race for governor in a state where Republicans outnumber Democrats nearly 2 to 1.  —  “Obviously, if we'd had more money …

Michelle Obama rips Trump in new book  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Former first lady Michelle Obama blasts President Donald Trump in her new book, recalling how she reacted in shock the night she learned he would replace her husband in the Oval Office and tried to “block it all out.”

Why Aren't Democrats More Excited About the 2018 Results  —  For a party that had a great night on Tuesday, Democrats aren't really acting like it.  Yes, they lost at least three Senate incumbents, but given the exposure they were up against, this is not such a bad result.

Matthew Whitaker is a crackpot  —  The acting attorney general of the United States is a crackpot.  —  Matthew G. Whitaker, installed in the job by President Trump to replace Jeff Sessions, was asked in 2014, during an ill-fated run in the Republican senatorial primary in Iowa, about the worst decisions in the Supreme Court's history.

Thousand Oaks Gunman's High School Coach Speaks About Sexual Assault  —  NEWBURY PARK (CBSLA) — The Thousand Oaks shooter's high school track coach says that he assaulted her.  —  “I turned on the news and I was watching it and when they said his name my jaw just dropped,” said Dominique Colell.

Judge blocks Keystone XL pipeline  —  A federal judge blocked the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline Thursday, saying the Trump administration's justification for approving it last year was incomplete.  —  In a major victory for environmentalists and indigenous rights groups …

Democrat Kyrsten Sinema pulls ahead in razor-close Arizona Senate race  —  Democrat Kyrsten Sinema pulled ahead of Republican Martha McSally on Thursday in the Arizona Senate race by a margin of 2,000 votes.  This marked the first time that Sinema has pulled ahead of McSally in the days since the election.

Presidential Proclamation Addressing Mass Migration Through the Southern Border of the United States  —  The United States expects the arrival at the border between the United States and Mexico (southern border) of a substantial number of aliens primarily from Central America who appear …

Mueller Grand Jury Witness Cryptically Suggests He's In Legal Jeopardy  — Jerome Corsi, a journalist known for pushing the Obama “birther” conspiracy theory, suggested on Thursday that he could face prosecution in the Mueller probe.  — On his daily webcast, Corsi became emotional …

Supreme Court justice Ginsburg ‘up and working’ after fall  —  WASHINGTON/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is already up and working in her hospital room, a day after breaking three ribs in a fall, her nephew said late on Thursday at the Hollywood premiere of a film about her life.

Expert: Acosta video distributed by White House was doctored  —  NEW YORK (AP) — A video distributed by the Trump administration to support its argument for banning CNN reporter Jim Acosta from the White House appears to have been doctored to make Acosta look more aggressive than he was during …

The Latest: Fire captain says wildfire destroys Calif. town  —  OROVILLE, Calif. (AP) — The Latest on California wildfires (all times local):  —  A fire official says the Northern California town of Paradise has been “pretty much” destroyed.  —  CalFire Capt. Scott McLean …

Katie Arrington blames Mark Sanford and his supporters for her defeat in SC  —  Eight hours after Republican Katie Arrington lost her South Carolina congressional race, she blamed her shocking defeat on U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford, the outgoing Republican congressman she bested in the primary.

Fresh Off Re-Election, Gillibrand Says She Is Giving ‘Long, Hard Thought’ to 2020 Run  —  Senator Kirsten Gillibrand on Thursday gave her strongest public indication yet that she was contemplating a run for president in 2020, telling the late-night show host Stephen Colbert she would “give it a long, hard thought of consideration.”