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 …

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

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 …

The Latest: US nixed FBI checks for teen migrant camp staff  —  TORNILLO, Texas (AP) — The Latest on a desert detention camp for migrant children (all times local):  —  A new government watchdog memo says the Trump administration waived rigorous background checks for all staff working …

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 …

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.

‘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 …

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.

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.

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.

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 …

Dear Beto and Julián, Please Don't Run for President  —  Are you planning to run for president on the Democratic ticket in 2020?  If not, why not?  Everyone else is.  Seventeen Republicans ran in 2016, and the nominating process winnowed them down to the least qualified and most deranged.

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 …

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,” …

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.

Russia's latest attack on the Ukrainians is a warning to the West  —  On Saturday evening, three small Ukrainian naval vessels left the Ukrainian port of Odessa and headed for the Ukrainian port of Mariupol.  Along the way, they had to pass through the Kerch Strait, a sliver of water …

Fearful of bias, Google blocks gender-based pronouns from new AI tool  —  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Google in May introduced a slick feature for Gmail that automatically completes sentences for users as they type.  Tap out “I love” and Gmail might propose “you” or “it.”

Christine Blasey Ford says some good came out of her ‘terrifying’ testimony against Kavanaugh  —  Months after publicly accusing Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her three decades ago, Christine Blasey Ford said that speaking out was “terrifying,” but she knew it was her “civic duty.”

Big Knickers a standout on Myalup farm … Knickers the steer is a bit on the shy side, but the bovine behemoth tends to stick out from the herd.  —  As you might have guessed, that is Knickers at the back of the photo — the black and white one with a couple of normal-sized cows sheltering under its belly.

Millennial poll: America ‘racist,’ not ‘great,’ Obama better than Washington  —  Younger Americans are turning on the country and forgetting its ideals, with nearly half believing that it isn't “great,” and many eyeing the U.S. flag as “a sign of intolerance and hatred,” according to a new and disturbing survey.

Trump brags, ‘I blow Ronald Reagan away’  —  President Trump believes that his long list of achievements in office make him “far greater than Ronald Reagan.”  —  In a new book out Tuesday about his “enemies,” the president said that while he feels “I blow Ronald Reagan away,” the “fake news” …

Russia probe: House Democrats aim to unmask Trump Jr.'s blocked call  —  WASHINGTON - A blocked number in Donald Trump Jr.'s phone records may be among the first targets for Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee in January as they investigate possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.

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 …