Manafort held secret talks with Assange in Ecuadorian embassy  —  Exclusive: Trump ally met WikiLeaks founder months before emails hacked by Russia were published  —  Donald Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort held secret talks with Julian Assange inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London …

‘Fox & Friends’ Fed Interview Script to Trump's EPA Chief, Emails Show  —  The president's favorite cable-news show shared its interview scripts and its oh-so-hard-hitting questions in advance with an embattled Trump official.  —  Former Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt …

Tear gas used once a month at border under Obama  —  DHS data shows deployments dating back years  —  The same tear-gas agent that the Trump administration is taking heat for deploying against a border mob this weekend is actually used fairly frequently — including more than once a month during …

Senator John Cornyn On The Next Year In The Senate  —  Senate GOP Whip John Cornyn of Texas joined me this morning:  —  11-27hhs-cornyn  —  Transcript:  —  HH: So pleased to welcome back United States Senator John Cornyn from the great state of Texas.  He is the GOP whip …

EXCLUSIVE: Jerome Corsi Says He Has Defense Agreement With Trump, Received Limited Immunity From Mueller  — Jerome Corsi makes several stunning disclosures in a new book about his interactions with the special counsel's office  — The right-wing author also writes that he received 'limited use immunity …

House Republicans unveil giant tax package  —  House Republicans on Monday evening unexpectedly released a 297-page tax bill they hope to move during the lame-duck session of Congress.  —  The legislation would revive a number of expired tax provisions known as “extenders,” …

A Shadow Over Europe  —  Anti-Semitic stereotypes are alive and well in Europe, while the memory of the Holocaust is starting to fade, a sweeping new survey by CNN reveals.  More than a quarter of Europeans polled believe Jews have too much influence in business and finance.

Technical report shows Russian hacking began hours after WikiLeaks mentioned a reward  —  Hours before Russian hacking operations targeted Hillary Clinton's campaign in the spring of 2016, WikiLeaks discussed offering a monetary reward for transcripts of her speeches at Goldman Sachs.

‘I Always Respect Subpoenas’: Comey Says His Legal Team Is Looking At His Options  —  Former FBI Director James Comey said he won't ignore the House Judiciary Committee's subpoena compelling him to testify behind closed doors about his handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails …

Who's the Mystery Man Behind the Latest Pelosi Putsch?  It's Mark Penn.  —  A small group of billionaire-backed Democrats, part of the so-called Problem Solvers Caucus in Congress, has launched a last-ditch effort that threatens to derail Rep. Nancy Pelosi's election as House speaker.

The NRA Just Reported Losing $55 Million In Income  —  The gun rights group has its biggest champion in the White House.  But it's financial situation has worsened in the age of Trump  —  The nation's leading gun rights organization saw its income dip by $55 million last year …

Liberal Parents, Radical Children  —  The generation gap returns.  —  When I meet someone who runs an organization in a blue state, I often ask: Do you have a generation gap where you work?  The answer — whether the person leads a college, a nonprofit, a tech company …

Maybe They're Just Bad People  —  Not all Trump support is ideological.  —  Seven years ago, a former aide to Ralph Reed — who also worked, briefly, for Paul Manafort — published a tawdry, shallow memoir that is also one of the more revealing political books I've ever read.

Farm bankruptcies on the rise in Upper Midwest  —  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The number of farms filing for bankruptcy is increasing across the Upper Midwest, following low prices for corn, soybeans, milk and beef, according to a new analysis from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.

Russia's escalation against Ukraine shows how little Putin worries about the West  —  RUSSIA'S NEW aggression against Ukraine demonstrates, among other things, how little Vladi­mir Putin worries about pushback from a divided Europe or a U.S. government led by President Trump.

US ‘slams the brakes’ on UN Yemen ceasefire resolution  —  Aid groups to US: Stop Yemen's suffering  —  Washington (CNN)The US has “slammed the brakes on” a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for a limited ceasefire and increased humanitarian aid in Yemen over concerns about angering Saudi Arabia, two sources tell CNN.

Desert detention camp for migrant kids still growing  —  TORNILLO, Texas (AP) — The Trump administration announced in June it would open a temporary shelter for up to 360 migrant children in this isolated corner of the Texas desert.  Less than six months later, the facility has expanded …

Meet New York City's highest-earning official.  He's a debt collector for predatory lenders.  —  In the 1960s, New York's loan sharks would send thugs with nicknames like “Jimmy Dimps” to beat up borrowers who fell behind on their payments.  —  Now predatory lenders have a quieter way of collecting debts …

Mississippi's black Republicans stick with Hyde-Smith  —  BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI  —  African American Republicans in Mississippi are standing by Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in Tuesday's Senate runoff, despite her comment expressing a willingness to attend a public hanging — a quip that's triggered painful reminders …

St. Louis woman did 20 days in jail for speeding; now rural Missouri judge wants her for 6 more months  —  It was Mother's Day weekend in 2017.  —  Precious Jones was in a hurry to get to her sister's house in Kansas City.  —  Too much of a hurry.  —  Jones, 34, lives in the Baden neighborhood in north St. Louis.

Amy Klobuchar Is ‘Minnesota Nice.’ But Is That What Democrats Want for 2020?  —  NORTHFIELD, Minn. — The speculation began the moment Senator Amy Klobuchar walked into the room.  —  “You're looking at a future president,” whispered Jacob Forman, a Carleton College senior …

GAO to look into whether Mar-a-Lago trio inappropriately influenced VA  —  (CNN)The Government Accountability Office will investigate whether individuals connected to President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida have had inappropriate influence over the Department of Veterans Affairs …