Federal prosecutors broke law in Jeffrey Epstein case, judge rules  —  A judge ruled Thursday that federal prosecutors — among them, U.S. Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta — broke federal law when they signed a plea agreement with a wealthy, politically connected sex trafficker and concealed …

Roger Stone gets full gag order after Instagram post  —  A federal judge hit Roger Stone with a full gag order on Thursday, several days after the longtime Donald Trump associate posted a photo on Instagram that appeared to threaten the federal judge overseeing his case.

The Latest: Mayor thanks public for help in Smollett case  —  CHICAGO (AP) — The Latest on the attack reported by Jussie Smollett (all times local):  —  Mayor Rahm Emanuel says hate crimes will never be tolerated in Chicago and charges accusing “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett of paying …

N.C. board declares a new election in contested House race after the GOP candidate admitted misspeaking under oath  —  BREAKING NEWS: Mark Harris, during testimony this afternoon to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, said a new election was warranted in the hotly contested race, which Harris led by 905 votes.

The Mueller Report Is Coming.  Here's What to Expect.  —  A concise report will probably act as a “road map” to investigation for the Democratic House — and to further criminal investigation by other prosecutors.  —  Mr. Katyal was an acting solicitor general under President Barack Obama.

IRS analyst charged in leak of Michael Cohen's bank records  —  (CNN)An analyst with the Internal Revenue Service was charged with disclosing confidential reports about Michael Cohen's bank records that revealed the President's former lawyer sought to profit from his proximity to the White House.

Trump White House Is Forcing Interns to Sign NDAs and Threatening Them With Financial Ruin  —  Not even the interns are exempt from the legally dubious rite of passage practiced by the Trump White House.  —  Asawin Suebsaeng  —  When the Trump White House welcomed its newest batch …

American Democracy in Crisis: The Fate of Pluralism in a Divided Nation  —  The 2018 Election  —  Views of President Trump  —  After two years in office, the public's view of President Trump remains negative.  As of late December 2018, when this survey was conducted …

Meet Under Armour CEO's Unusual Adviser: An MSNBC Anchor  —  Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank was questioned last year by the company's board over his ties to MSNBC anchor Stephanie Ruhle, who has traveled on his private jet and provided input on a range of business matters, according to current and former executives.

Bernie Sanders Will Hit Huge Obstacles in 2020  —  Bernie Sanders's entry into the 2020 race amounts to a big stone in a lake: It will generate ripples that touch every other candidate.  But his own path to the nomination remains rocky unless he can attract a broader coalition than he did in 2016.

Trump Inaugural Committee Challenged Vendor Requests and Budgeting, Documents Show  —  In the weeks before his inauguration, top officials on President Trump's inaugural committee repeatedly sounded alarms about the budgets submitted by several vendors, according to correspondence, committee records and draft budgets.

Trump claims border wall is under construction ‘right now’ using fence repair footage from 5 months ago  —  With a legal fight challenge mounting from state governments over the Trump administration's use of a national emergency to construct at the U.S.-Mexico border, the president has kicked his push for the barrier into high gear.

Schumer: Senate Dems to introduce measure to block Trump's national emergency  —  Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Thursday that Senate Democrats will introduce a resolution to block President Donald Trump's national emergency declaration.  —  The Senate Democrats' resolution …

“She Never Looks Back”: Inside Elizabeth Holmes's Chilling Final Months at Theranos  —  At the end, Theranos was overrun by a dog defecating in the boardroom, nearly a dozen law firms on retainer, and a C.E.O. grinning through her teeth about an implausible turnaround.

Russian-backed US energy company hires lobbying firm with connections to Trump to help with China deal  — A lobbying firm run by former advisors to President Donald Trump is representing American Ethane Company, an energy producer funded by Russian billionaires that is involved with a Chinese aluminum company.

Facebook decided which users are interested in Nazis — and let advertisers target them directly  —  Facebook makes money by charging advertisers to reach just the right audience for their message — even when that audience is made up of people interested in the perpetrators of the Holocaust or explicitly neo-Nazi music.

Government report reveals CBO was scandalously off in Obamacare estimates  —  A new report from government actuaries has revealed that the Congressional Budget Office was scandalously off in its estimates of the impact of Obamacare's individual mandate, a miscalculation that has had significant ramifications …

Laura Ingraham Goes All In on the Duke  —  “Sometimes it isn't being fast that counts, or even accurate; but willing.”  —John Wayne  —  Let's stipulate for a moment that John Wayne's 1971 Playboy interview is news (which is apparently unrelated to the word “new") and that …

This man could shed light on Trump mystery, Senate witness says  —  London and Moscow (CNN)Senate investigators want to question a Moscow-based American businessman with longstanding ties to President Donald Trump after witnesses told them he could shed light on the President's commercial …

2020 Democrats Embrace Race-Conscious Policies, Including Reparations  —  From the very first day of the 2020 presidential race, when Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts blamed “generations of discrimination” for black families earning far less than white households …

Purdue's Sackler embraced plan to conceal OxyContin's strength from doctors, sealed deposition shows  —  In May 1997, the year after Purdue Pharma launched OxyContin, its head of sales and marketing sought input on a key decision from Dr. Richard Sackler, a member of the billionaire family that founded and controls the company.

‘Jerk punks’ torched a statue of General Lee.  It honors a WWII veteran, not the Confederate leader.  —  Just outside downtown Dunn, N.C., a historic antebellum-style house honors Maj. Gen. William C. Lee, a hometown hero often described as the father of the U.S. Army's airborne infantry.