Judge orders White House to return Jim Acosta's press pass  —  (CNN)Federal judge Timothy J. Kelly sided with CNN on Friday, ordering the White House to reinstate chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta's press pass.  —  The ruling was an initial victory for CNN in its lawsuit against President Trump and several top aides.

Is Mike Pence Loyal?  Trump is Asking, Despite His Recent Endorsement  —  WASHINGTON — President Trump's post-midterm election news conference at the White House last week took a surprising turn when a reporter asked about locking down his 2020 ticket.  —  “Mike, will you be my running mate?”

Only on AP: Abrams prepares push for new Georgia Gov. vote  —  ATLANTA (AP) — Stacey Abrams' campaign and legal team is preparing an unprecedented legal challenge in the unresolved Georgia governor's race that could leave the state's Supreme Court deciding whether to force another round of voting.

Julian Assange has been charged, prosecutors reveal in inadvertent court filing  —  WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange has been charged under seal, prosecutors inadvertently revealed in a recently unsealed court filing — a development that could significantly advance the probe into Russian interference …

“I dont feel comfortable being a Republican anymore” |  Skullduggery on acast  —  In this episode of Skullduggery, co-hosts Michael Isikoff and Dan Klaidman sit down for an exclusive and highly sought after interview with George T. Conway III, husband to the Counselor of the President, Kellyanne Conway.

U.S. Marshals Service spending millions on DeVos security in unusual arrangement  —  The cost to taxpayers could be as much as $19.8 million through next year, according to figures provided to NBC News.  —  WASHINGTON — Education Secretary Betsy DeVos began receiving around-the-clock security …

I Found the Best Burger Place in America.  And Then I Killed It.  —  n my office, I have a coffee mug from Stanich's in Portland, Oregon.  Under the restaurant name, it says “Great hamburgers since 1949.”  The mug was given to me by Steve Stanich on the day I told him that …

Top Cheney Aide in Mueller's Sights as Probe Expands  —  Mueller's investigators have examined an array of operatives with ties to Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the UAE—including John Hannah, Dick Cheney's former national security adviser.  —  Dick Cheney's former top national security aide …

It's time to start regulating Facebook  —  Nina Jankowicz researches Russian disinformation, technology and democracy as a Global Fellow at the Wilson Center's Kennan Institute.  She tweets @wiczipedia.  —  I am officially out of patience for Facebook and its “hard problems.”

Grassley to trade Judiciary gavel for Finance  —  Chuck Grassley plans to trade his Senate Judiciary Committee gavel to lead the Finance Committee next year, he said on Friday — leaving Lindsey Graham in line to replace him as chairman.  —  Grassley's move to Finance wasn't a given …

Two Years In, Trump Struggles to Master Role of Military Commander  —  WASHINGTON — He canceled a trip to a cemetery in France where American soldiers from World War I are buried.  He did not go to the observance at Arlington National Cemetery on Veterans Day.  He has not visited American troops in Iraq or Afghanistan.

So, Was It A Wave?  —  There's been an ongoing discussion about whether the 2018 midterms can be properly considered a “wave” election.  While I think they certainly can be considered a wave, that doesn't get to the question of whether they ought to be considered as such.  —  At its core, this debate is pretty silly.

The Democratic Insurgents Who Want to Topple Nancy Pelosi  —  What do Tim Ryan and Seth Moulton really want?  —  There's an insurrection brewing in the House of Pelosi.  —  An intractable group on the Democratic Party's center flank is working to deny Nancy Pelosi the speaker's gavel.

Democrat Porter flips GOP House seat in Southern California  —  LOS ANGELES (AP) — Democrat Katie Porter captured a Republican-held U.S. House seat Thursday in the heart of what once was Southern California's Reagan country, extending a rout of the state's GOP House delegation.

GOP Senator Says Voter Suppression Is A ‘Great Idea’  —  Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) said it should be harder for “liberal folks” to vote.  —  Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) appeared to endorse voter suppression during a campaign stop this month, saying efforts to undermine voting among liberals …

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wore clothing, a journalist tweeted a photo, and the Internet pounced  —  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wore clothing to work on Thursday, and it became a thing.  —  Eddie Scarry, a Washington Examiner writer who covers media and politics, tweeted a photograph …

Melania Trump racked up $174,000 in hotel bills for a day trip to Toronto  —  US first lady Melania Trump ran up a six-figure hotel bill for a one-day trip to Toronto last year, according to federal spending records.  —  Government spending data show at least six separate Toronto hotel charges ranging …

Anatomy of a Conspiracy Theory  —  In the sweaty, waning days of August, I went to a Cheesecake Factory in the Virginia suburbs to learn about a conspiracy that would rock the FBI, if true.  The two men who met me for lunch, a retired CIA agent and a former National Security Council official …

Alleged Russian operative Mariia Butina negotiating with prosecutors  —  A document filed in federal court indicates prosecutors and Butina's lawyers are working towards a plea agreement.  —  Lawyers for alleged Russian operative Mariia Butina have entered into negotiations with federal prosecutors …

Why the Perfect Red-State Democrat Lost  —  Taylor Sappington is exactly the kind of candidate his party should want in Ohio.  But he couldn't get union support.  —  Mr. MacGillis is a political reporter.  —  Taylor Sappington heard the call like so many other Democrats in the year after Nov. 8, 2016.