Every Day Is a New Low in Trump's White House  —  The president steps over bright ethical and moral lines wherever he encounters them.  Everyone in America saw it when he fired my boss.  But I saw it firsthand time and time again. … On Wednesday, May 10, 2017, my first full day on the job …

Trump Plans National Emergency to Build Border Wall as Senate Passes Spending Bill  —  WASHINGTON — President Trump plans to declare a national emergency so he can bypass Congress and build his long-promised wall along the border even as he signs a spending bill that does not fund it, the White House said Thursday.

Amazon Pulls Out of Planned New York City Headquarters  —  Amazon on Thursday canceled its plans to build an expansive corporate campus in New York City after facing an unexpectedly fierce backlash from some lawmakers and union leaders, who contended that a tech giant did not deserve nearly $3 billion in government incentives.

The Ocasio-Cortez Effect: Wave of Challenges Hits Entrenched N.Y. Democrats  —  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez may be just the beginning.  —  Less than eight months after Ms. Ocasio-Cortez stunned the political world by unseating a powerful Democratic congressman, her home state is emerging …

“My Only Goal Has Been to Protect Jeff and Lauren”: Michael Sanchez, Suspected Bezos Leaker, Supplies His Own Theory About the Affair, the Enquirer, Some Below-the-Belt Selfies, and “a Legendary Romance”  —  Weeks ago, Michael Sanchez was a minor player on the fringes of Hollywood …

DNC announces fundraising, polling thresholds for early debates  —  The Democratic National Committee will limit its first presidential debates this year to 20 candidates, dividing the field over two nights, if necessary, and requiring candidates to meet either a fundraising or polling threshold …

A remembrance of the victims from the Parkland shooting — as told by their classmates  —  BY STUDENTS OF MARJORY STONEMAN DOUGLAS SPECIAL TO THE MIAMI HERALD  —  Twelve months ago, 14 students and three adults were murdered at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland.  On Valentine's Day.

Prosecutors Are Moving to Indict R. Kelly, After the Discovery of Another Videotape  —  According to a senior law-enforcement official, the tape shows Kelly sexually assaulting an underage girl.  —  A videotape from the R. & B. superstar R. Kelly's past may soon lead to his indictment in Illinois …

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Isn't Looking to Retire Yet, But Is Another Supreme Court Justice Ready to Go?  —  No one tells a Supreme Court Justice when to retire.  But there are currently two retirement dramas under way at the Court—one semi-public and the other semi-private …

Daily Kickoff: Rep. Ilhan Omar vs. Elliott Abrams |  Why Howard Schultz keeps a stone from Auschwitz on his desk |  Annie Leibovitz's early years  —  Tell your friends to sign up for the Daily Kickoff here or for early 7AM access via Debut Inbox  —  SCOOP: HEARD LAST NIGHT — Sen. Bernie Sanders …

U.S. Border Patrol Detained U.S. Citizens for Speaking Spanish in Montana  —  & Caitlin Borgmann, Executive Director, ACLU of Montana  —  For Ana Suda and Martha “Mimi” Hernandez, May 16, 2018, began like any other in Havre, Montana: work, school, and a trip to the gym once their kids were in bed.

Anti-Vaccine Facebook Ads Target Women in Measles-Stricken States  —  Nearly 150 spots are targeting women over the age of 25—the group most likely to include mothers of children who might need to be vaccinated.  —  BEAST INSIDE … Facebook's advertising platform is being used …

Third Suspect in Skripal Poisoning Identified as Denis Sergeev, High-Ranking GRU Officer  —  Bellingcat previously confirmed that a third GRU officer was present in the UK during the time Sergey and Yulia Skripal fell into a coma, after what the UK authorities said was a deliberate poisoning with Novichok.

Jussie Smollett Changes His Story Again  —  The actor Jussie Smollett continues to talk about the alleged January 29 attack on him during a frigid night in Chicago, giving Good Morning America his fullest description yet of his claims.  It differs substantially from what he told police initially after the alleged assault.

The three 2020 Democrats Trump's campaign is watching most closely  —  Donald Trump's political advisers are homing in on three declared Democratic candidates who they believe are the most viable at this early stage of the campaign.  —  The reelection campaign has begun compiling opposition research …