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 …

Judge broadens gag order against Roger Stone after Instagram post  —  Roger Stone must shut up about Robert Mueller and the Russia investigation.  —  That was the mandate from a federal judge on Thursday, who slapped a gag order on the longtime Donald Trump associate just days after he posted …

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 …

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 …

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.

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 …

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.

Residents of another Manhattan building vote to remove ‘Trump Place’ name  —  For the second time in four months, the name “Trump Place” will come down from a New York building's facade, after condo owners at 120 Riverside Blvd. voted to have the name removed.

How Bernie's 2020 Map Might Change Without The #NeverHillary Vote  —  Bernie Sanders picked up support in some unusual places during his 2016 campaign to be the Democratic presidential nominee.  The self-described democratic socialist won states such as Oklahoma and Nebraska that are typically associated …

Trump's Presidency Is Getting Weaker  —  A defeat for the president's “Space Force” proposal was typical - and telling.  —  This week offered two prime examples of why Donald Trump's presidency has been weaker than most people realize.  —  First: “Although President Donald Trump tweeted …

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 …

“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.

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.

‘Wide open race’ and open wallets in Kansas after Pompeo rules out 2020 Senate run  —  A giant obstacle has been cleared from the path of Kansas politicians who want a spot in the U.S. Senate now that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he has ruled out a run in 2020.

Steve King: ‘I have nothing to apologize for,’ plans to run for re-election  —  Rep. Steve King addresses recent quotes on white supremacy and western civilization during a town hall event in Iowa  —  A defiant Rep. Steve King confirmed Thursday that he will run for a 10th term as an Iowa congressman …

‘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.

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.

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 …

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.