Ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen says Trump knew it was wrong to make hush-money payments during campaign  —  Donald Trump directed Michael Cohen to arrange hush-money payments with two women because then-candidate Trump “was very concerned about how this would affect the election” …

Jared Kushner Replaced Michael Cohen as Trump's National Enquirer Connection  —  The president's son-in-law grew tight with David Pecker during the early months of the administration.  —  Shortly after the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner was handed …

The Weekly Standard, a conservative magazine critical of Trump, to shutter after 23 years  —  New York (CNN Business)The Weekly Standard, the magazine that espouses traditional conservatism and which has remained deeply critical of President Donald Trump, will shutter after 23 years …

Jon Kyl will resign from the U.S. Senate on Dec. 31, setting up another appointment by Ducey to John McCain's seat  —  U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl will resign from the U.S. Senate on Dec. 31, The Arizona Republic has confirmed, setting up a second appointment by Gov. Doug Ducey to the seat once occupied by the late John McCain.

7-year-old migrant girl taken into Border Patrol custody dies of dehydration, exhaustion  —  A 7-year-old girl from Guatemala died of dehydration and shock after she was taken into Border Patrol custody last week for crossing into the United States illegally with her father and a large group …

Trump meets with Chris Christie to discuss chief of staff role  —  President Trump met with Chris Christie on Thursday evening and considers him a top contender to replace John Kelly as chief of staff, according to a source familiar with the president's thinking.

Iowa Poll on potential presidential candidates in the 2020 Iowa caucuses coming soon  —  Results of the first Des Moines Register/CNN/Mediacom Iowa Poll on potential presidential candidates in the 2020 Iowa caucuses will be released online at 7 p.m. CST Saturday.

Johnson & Johnson knew for decades that asbestos lurked in its Baby Powder  —  A REUTERS INVESTIGATION A REUTERS INVESTIGATION  —  Facing thousands of lawsuits alleging that its talc caused cancer, J&J insists on the safety and purity of its iconic product.

Trump Inaugural Fund and Super PAC Said to Be Scrutinized for Illegal Foreign Donations  —  WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors are examining whether foreigners illegally funneled donations to President Trump's inaugural committee and a pro-Trump super PAC in hopes of buying influence over American policy …

The Corruption of the Republican Party  —  Why has the Republican Party become so thoroughly corrupt?  The reason is historical—it goes back many decades—and, in a way, philosophical.  The party is best understood as an insurgency that carried the seeds of its own corruption from the start.

Facebook bug exposed up to 6.8M users' unposted photos to apps  —  Reset the “days since the last Facebook privacy scandal” counter, as a Facebook has just revealed a Photo API bug gave app developers too much access to the photos of up to 5.6 million users.

Exclusive: Paul Manafort advised White House on how to attack and discredit investigation of President Trump  —  We now have details as to how the indicted former campaign manager worked with the president to undermine federal law enforcement.  —  Paul Manafort, who served as the manager …

Chief justice of the California Supreme Court leaves the Republican Party, citing Kavanaugh  —  California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye has quietly given up her Republican registration and re-registered as a no-party-preference voter, saying Thursday she had become increasingly uncomfortable …

The Steele Dossier: A Retrospective  —  The dossier compiled by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele remains a subject of fascination—or, depending on your perspective, scorn.  Indeed, it was much discussed during former FBI Director Jim Comey's testimony in front of the House Judiciary Committee on Dec. 7.

The Trump Administration Is Quietly Denying Federal Housing Loans To DACA Recipients  —  WASHINGTON — Two days before Thanksgiving, Edith Aguirre Vazquez got a phone call she wasn't expecting — it was a home loan officer telling her she wouldn't be able to close on the house she was about to buy because of her immigration status.

Behind CBS's Secret $9.5 Million Settlement With the Actress Eliza Dushku  —  In March 2017, Eliza Dushku, an actress known for her work on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” signed on to play a major role in three episodes of the CBS prime-time drama “Bull,” and there were plans to make her a full-time cast member.

Sandy Hook School Students Sent Home After Receiving Threat on Shooting Anniversary  —  The school where the shooting happened on Dec. 14, 2012, was knocked down and a new building was constructed at the same site  —  Sandy Hook Evacuated After Threat on Shooting Anniversary

CNN Poll: Looking to 2020, Beto O'Rourke on the horizon  —  WASHINGTON (CNN)As candidates for the Democratic nomination for president in 2020 begin to declare their intentions, a handful of potential candidates hold on to most of the early support, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS …

Ossoff strikes populist tone as he mulls Senate bid  —  Cornelia - Jon Ossoff's bid for Georgia's 6th District brought him to all corners of Atlanta suburbs, but late Thursday he arrived at a new setting: A crowded library meeting hall in deeply-conservative Habersham County.

The biggest Pinocchios of 2018  —  It's time for our annual roundup of the biggest Pinocchios of the year.  —  Once again, we face the challenge posed by President Trump, who could easily dominate this list if we're not careful.  There has been no serial exaggerator in recent American politics like the president.

Top secret report: North Korea keeps busting sanctions, evading U.S.-led sea patrols  —  U.S.-led naval patrols have prompted North Korea to shift tactics, but smuggled oil keeps flowing to the regime despite U.N. sanctions.  —  WASHINGTON — A top secret U.S. military assessment found …

Medicare-for-all's big problem  —  Passing single-payer means disrupting health insurance for 160 million people who get coverage through their jobs.  —  Jessica Salfia knew the pay wasn't going to be great when she became a teacher in Martinsburg, West Virginia, but she did have really good health coverage.

Mueller Target Raised $25,000 In Charity To Pay Cancer Doctor Who Doesn't Appear To Exist  — Business records and evidence from social media raise questions about a cancer fundraiser touted during the summer by Jerome Corsi, the right-wing author ensnared in the Mueller probe.