In a stunning move, Melania Trump calls for ouster of a top national security aide  —  (CNN)First lady Melania Trump, in a remarkable move carried out by her spokeswoman, publicly pushed for the ouster of deputy national security adviser Mira Ricardel.  —  “It is the position of the Office …

Whitaker abandoned taxpayer-funded project in Iowa in 2016  —  DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — While in private business, acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker walked away from a taxpayer-subsidized apartment-rehabilitation project in Iowa after years of cost overruns, delays and other problems, public records show.

Trump, stung by midterms and nervous about Mueller, retreats from traditional presidential duties … For weeks this fall, an ebullient President Trump traveled relentlessly to hold raise-the-rafters campaign rallies — sometimes three a day — in states where his presence was likely to help Republicans on the ballot.

Mueller seeking more details on Nigel Farage, key Russia inquiry target says  —  Robert Mueller is seeking more information about Nigel Farage for his investigation into Russian interference in US politics, according to a target of the inquiry who expects to be criminally charged.

Only on AP: Bloomberg charts aggressive timeline on 2020 bid  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Having spent a fortune to help elect Democrats this fall, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg declared lifetime allegiance to the Democratic Party on Tuesday and outlined an aggressive timeline for deciding whether to run for president.

BREAKING: Florida election: Judge orders recount extended for PBC to Nov. 20  —  A Leon County circuit judge has ruled that recounts in Palm Beach County for all state races in question be extended to Nov. 20, about five days after the original 3 p.m. Thursday deadline.

Will Dems work with us, or simply put partisan politics ahead of the country?  —  Last Tuesday I was proud to see that the American people voted keep Republicans in control of the U.S. Senate.  But we also learned that, come January, the Republican Senate majority will be dealing with a House …

Amazon selects New York City and Northern Virginia for new headquarters  —  Amazon to invest $5 billion and create more than 50,000 jobs across the two new headquarters, and announces Nashville as new Operations Center of Excellence with more than 5,000 jobs.

Hate crimes rose 17 percent last year, according to new FBI data  —  Hate crimes in America rose 17 percent last year, the third consecutive year that such crimes increased, according to newly released FBI data.  —  Law enforcement agencies reported 7,175 hate crimes occurred in 2017, up from 6,121 in 2016.

I Take Back My Praise of Jeff Flake's Book  —  He's a class act with a faint heart.  —  At some point or another, all book critics agonize over whether they've taken the wrong measure of a book.  They've overpraised; they've underpraised; they've dwelled too long on imperfections that hardly deserved the molecular scrutiny.

Remember the caravan?  After vote, focus on migrants fades  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Did someone say caravan?  —  One week after Election Day, President Donald Trump's daily drumbeat of warnings about a caravan of “bad thugs” and potential terrorists intent on invading the U.S. from Mexico has largely fallen silent.

D.C. man arrested on gun charge after relatives alert police to his alleged white nationalist outbursts  —  A D.C. man who described himself as a white nationalist to law enforcement officers and became a follower on social media of the accused Pittsburgh synagogue shooter has been arrested …

Federal judge finds Georgia county violated Civil Rights Act by rejecting ballots  —  A federal judge on Tuesday found that Gwinnett County violated the Civil Rights Act in its handling of absentee ballots during last week's midterm elections, a ruling that will likely delay the overall vote tally …

“Who Gets to Live in Victimville?”:  Why I Participated in a New Docuseries on The Clinton Affair  —  Reliving the events of 1998 was traumatic, yes—but also worth it, if it helps another young person avoid being “That Woman"-ed.  —  It's the fall of 2018.  I'm sitting on the floor of my mom's apartment surrounded by My Past.

President Trump Participates in the Diwali Ceremonial Lighting of the Diya  —  The White House

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds bluntly tells Steve King to decide future amid racism allegations  —  Rep. Steve King nearly halted his visit to an Iowa candidate forum after a man asked about similarities between King and the alleged synagogue shooter  —  OTTUMWA, Ia.

Trump's Tax Cut Was Supposed to Change Corporate Behavior.  Here's What Happened.  —  Nearly a year after the tax cut, economic growth has accelerated.  Wage growth has not.  Companies are buying back stock and business investment is a mixed bag.  —  The $1.5 trillion tax overhaul …

A Wake-Up Call for the G.O.P.  —  My South Carolina district hadn't voted for a Democrat in 40 years.  What happened?  —  Mr. Sanford is a Republican representative from South Carolina.  —  In sports, the team that loses is the team that studies the game-day tapes the hardest.

The Professor At The Heart Of The Trump-Russia Probe Wants To Testify Before The Senate, A Lawyer Claims  —  LONDON — A lawyer closely associated with Joseph Mifsud claims that the Maltese professor, who allegedly delivered word of Hillary Clinton's stolen emails to Donald Trump's campaign, is willing to testify to the US Senate.

Whitaker's Appointment Is Unconstitutional  —  President Donald Trump appointed Matthew Whitaker as acting attorney general last week, despite the fact that he cannot legally hold the office.  While the president could fix his mistake with any lesser official and in any normal time …

Republicans Launch Surprise Bid To Prevent Debate On U.S. Support For Bloody Saudi War  —  Critics of the war in Yemen said the move will make them more determined to have Congress tackle what the U.N. calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis.  —  WASHINGTON Republican leadership …

A week later it's clear the midterms did produce a blue wave - here are the three main factors that drove the Democrats' triumph  — One week ago, three distinct but overlapping currents combined to shift tidal forces in America's midterm elections — and smash the Republican Party's congressional fortress.

Back at it: Disney passholder displays pro-Trump signs at park, gets banned again  —  ORLANDO, Fla. - A man who was banned from Disney World several weeks ago for unfurling a giant Donald Trump banner in the Magic Kingdom has been banned again.  —  He said after Disney officials took away …

U.S. Budget Deficit Jumps to $100 Billion at Start of Fiscal Year  —  The U.S. recorded a $100.5 billion budget deficit in October, an increase of about 60 percent from a year earlier, as spending grew twice as fast as revenue.  —  The deficit widened from $63.2 billion in the same month last year …

Poliquin sues in federal court to stop ranked-choice count  —  As Maine's Secretary of State continues the process to determine winner in the 2nd Congressional District, attorneys for the campaigns of Jared Golden and Bruce Poliquin head to court.  —  AUGUSTA - Republican 2nd District …

Defunct Patent Firm That Matthew Whitaker Advised Posted Video Featuring Trump  —  World Patent Marketing, Inc. shut down last year after Federal Trade Commission accused it of scamming $26 million from consumers  —  The now-defunct Florida company where Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker served …

Why Are Young People Having So Little Sex?  —  These should be boom times for sex.  —  The share of Americans who say sex between unmarried adults is “not wrong at all” is at an all-time high.  New cases of HIV are at an all-time low.  Most women can—at last—get birth control for free …

Ben McAdams holds a 1,020 vote lead over Rep. Mia Love after update in Utah County totals.  More results expected today.  —  Ben McAdams held his tenuous lead over Rep. Mia Love, R-Utah, on Tuesday, following the addition of roughly 40,000 votes to Utah County's election totals.