Exclusive: Two key answers from Trump to Mueller  —  Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump told special counsel Robert Mueller in writing that Roger Stone did not tell him about WikiLeaks, nor was he told about the 2016 Trump Tower meeting between his son, campaign officials …

How a future Trump Cabinet member gave a serial sex abuser the deal of a lifetime  —  On a muggy October morning in 2007, Miami's top federal prosecutor, Alexander Acosta, had a breakfast appointment with a former colleague, Washington, D.C., attorney Jay Lefkowitz.

Exclusive: Ivanka Trump defends use of private email, brushes aside Mueller probe  —  Ivanka Trump, the eldest daughter and a senior adviser to President Donald Trump, defended her use of a private email account while transitioning to an administration job, insisting to ABC News …

An Insider Book Tries to Praise Trump, But Instead Exposes His Corruption  —  Trumponomics is a damning exposé of the corrupt bargain between Donald Trump and the party's wealthy insiders.  The odd thing is that the book is not intended as an exposé at all …

The U.S.-Saudi Partnership Is Vital  —  We don't condone Jamal Khashoggi's murder.  But the kingdom is a powerful force for Mideast stability.  —  The Trump administration's effort to rebuild the U.S.-Saudi Arabia partnership isn't popular in the salons of Washington …

Did a Rave Review Really Shut Down Portland Burger Bar Stanich's?  Maybe It Was the Owner's Legal Troubles.  —  The personal life of the owner had been spiraling into chaos long before his restaurant landed on the national radar.  —  For almost a year, the sudden and unexplained closure …

Hakeem Jeffries Wins Contested House Democratic Caucus Chair Race  —  The congressman from New York beat fellow Congressional Black Caucus member Barbara Lee of California.  —  WASHINGTON In perhaps the most contentious battle for House Democratic leadership, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) …

Michigan Senate guts minimum wage hike, paid sick leave  —  LANSING — Republicans in the state Senate voted Wednesday to gut two initiatives that would raise the minimum wage to $12 per hour and require employers to provide paid sick time to employees.  —  The Senate passed the bills …

What we know - and need to know soon - about the Board of Elections 9th District bombshell  —  What's going on in North Carolina's 9th Congressional District?  An election certification is being held up.  The person behind the delay is being a bit coy about it.  The public is in the dark.

You are in Melania Trump's nightmare forest.  Keep to the path.  —  Listen to me.  The trees in the White House were all green when I got here.  They were all green as recently as Monday.  But the trees have turned.  —  Walk faster.  —  Don't be afraid.  The trees would smell it.

John Kerry Offers Sharp Rebuke of Trump at Harvard IOP — And Says He Isn't Ruling Out a Presidential Run  —  Former Secretary of State John F. Kerry offered sharp criticism of President Donald Trump's policies on climate change and diplomacy during his Tuesday visit to the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum …

Exclusive: Trump threatens government shutdown over border wall funding  —  For the past two years, congressional Republicans have persuaded President Donald Trump to delay the fight to fund his border wall, convincing him he would pay a steep political price for such a high-stakes legislative brawl.

The Ugly Departure of Max Boot  —  Since Max Boot was reborn in the age of Trump, he's decided that conservatism — pretty much all of it — was corrupt from the start.  —  Max Boot and I agree on quite a few things with regard to Donald Trump and even a couple of things about today's GOP.

Meet the Double Agent Who Now Controls House Conservatives  —  He fooled them all.  —  The spy's mission was simple: Gain their trust, become one of them, and eventually take them over.  —  In Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA), the House Freedom Caucus (HFC) found a perfect mole.

Oakland University to fight shooters with hockey pucks  —  It's a potential faceoff between bullets and thousands of hockey pucks at Oakland University.  —  The Auburn Hills university began equipping its faculty and some students with hockey pucks this month as a “last resort” …

The true depths of Trump's cruelty are about to be exposed  —  The House GOP's near-total abdication of any oversight role has done more than just shield President Trump on matters involving his finances and Russian collusion.  It has also resulted in almost no serious scrutiny of the true depths of cruelty …

Twitter's Trans-Activist Decree  —  On November 15, I woke up to find my Twitter account locked, on account of what the company described as “hateful conduct.”  In order to regain access, I was made to delete two tweets from October.  Fair enough, you might think.

Fed Chairman Powell sends markets soaring with suggestion rate hikes may slow  —  Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Wednesday suggested the central bank could be close to slowing down the pace of its recent interest rate increases, saying rates are now just slightly below what he considers a “neutral” level.

Republicans fear they're squandering lame duck  —  Shortly after winning reelection this month, Ted Cruz implored his Republican colleagues at a private lunch to use the GOP's last days of unified control in Washington to ram through a boatload of conservative priorities.

Obama World lovefest for O'Rourke is growing  —  Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-Texas) is inspiring aides and allies of former President Obama, who say they could support him if he decides to run for president in 2020.  —  The Obama allies are quick to point out similarities between O'Rourke, 46 …

Separated by travel ban, Iranian families reunite at border library  —  DERBY LINE, VERMONT/STANSTEAD, QUEBEC (Reuters) - During the six-hour drive from New York City to a tiny town in northern Vermont, Iranian student Shirin Estahbanati cried at the thought of seeing her father for the first time in nearly three years.

Senate Advances Judicial Nominee Known For Weakening Black Voters' Rights  —  “It is unconscionable that the Senate would even consider someone with Thomas Farr's record,” said Sherrilyn Ifill of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.  —  WASHINGTON The Senate on Wednesday inched closer …

Putin foe Browder heads to Dublin to launch Irish Magnitsky Act  —  Financier Bill Browder will land in Dublin this week in a bid to introduce an Irish Magnitsky Act targeting corrupt Russian officials due to the city's dubious reputation as a shadow-banking hub.

Nancy Pelosi is going to be speaker again.  What Democrats need now is a TV talking head.  —  The House Democratic leadership team could use a stronger communicator.  —  A preliminary vote Wednesday by House Democrats all but ensures Nancy Pelosi will soon take back the speaker's gavel, despite a years-long rebellion against her.