New York Has Prepared Paul Manafort Charges If Trump Pardons Him  — Cy Vance has been investigating ex-Trump aide since 2017  — District Attorney sees way to avoid double jeopardy protection  —  New York state prosecutors have put together a criminal case against Paul Manafort …

R. Kelly charged in Cook County with aggravated criminal sexual abuse  —  Embattled R&B superstar R. Kelly was charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse in Cook County Friday morning, records show.  —  His first court date is listed as March 8, according to records.

How Amy Klobuchar Treats Her Staff  —  Senator Amy Klobuchar was hungry, forkless and losing patience.  —  An aide, joining her on a trip to South Carolina in 2008, had procured a salad for his boss while hauling their bags through an airport terminal.  But once onboard, he delivered the grim news …

Trump aides worry he'll get outfoxed in North Korea talks  —  President Donald Trump is eagerly anticipating his second summit with Kim Jong Un, touting his “really meaningful” relationship with the North Korean strongman and insisting he's ready to give up his nuclear arsenal.

Audience of One: Why Flattery Works in Trump's Foreign Policy  —  When the commander of U.S. forces in Europe, General Curtis Scaparrotti, met privately with members of Congress at the Munich Security Conference, last weekend, Senator Lindsey Graham finished the meeting with a blunt question.

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft charged as a ‘john’ in human trafficking/prostitution investigation  —  JUPITER, Fla. — In his Tuesday news conference about a major human trafficking investigation , Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said about 100 men would be arrested.

You Give Apps Sensitive Personal Information.  Then They Tell Facebook.  —  Wall Street Journal testing reveals how the social-media giant collects a wide range of private data from developers; ‘This is a big mess’  —  Millions of smartphone users confess their most intimate secrets to apps …

Puerto Rico governor says 2020 Democrats must support statehood  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló said on Friday that as Democratic candidates begin visiting the island ahead of the 2020 presidential nominating contests there is one question they must answer …

Jussie Smollett Dropped From Remainder Of 'Empire's Season By Producers  —  One day after Jussie Smollett was arrested on multiple felony charges for the alleged racist and homophobic attack of last month, the producers of Empire have cut the actor from the rest of the show's fifth season

Trump administration bars clinics that provide abortions or abortion referrals from federal funding  —  Planned Parenthood, which stands to lose $60 million a year, calls on courts, Congress to block the rule.  —  The Trump administration issued a rule Friday barring groups that provide abortions …

Naming and Shaming the Pro-Trump Elite  —  Charlie Sykes is sitting behind a desk in a sparse, disheveled office—blank walls lined with empty filing cabinets, windows covered with crooked blinds—as he tries to conjure the perfect metaphor for The Bulwark, the anti-Donald Trump conservative news site he recently helped start.

Sex in New York City Parks?  It's Less of a Thing Than It Used to Be  —  A decade ago, New York City police officers handed out hundreds of tickets for “sex in park.”  Last year, they wrote six.  —  In a wild, overrun corner of Fort Tryon Park, a secluded area had become a popular destination …

Netanyahu's Most Cynical Ploy Yet  —  By allying himself with one of Israel's most despicable parties, the prime minister is jeopardizing his legacy.  —  Most Americans have probably never heard of Yifat Ehrlich, or for that matter her former center-right political party in Israel, Bayit Yehudit.

Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack will not run for the U.S. Senate against Sen. Joni Ernst in 2020  —  Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack will not run for the U.S. Senate against Sen. Joni Ernst in 2020.  —  Iowa operative Matt Paul confirmed the decision to the Register on behalf of Vilsack Friday.

For the second time in two days, a building called Trump Place decides to take down the president's name  —  On Election Day 2016, six residential buildings called Trump Place stood in a row on Manhattan's Upper West Side — a legacy of Donald Trump's efforts to develop that site and a sign …

Here's What Beto Could Unleash on Trump  —  AUSTIN, Texas—With rain hammering outside, Zack Malitz stood in a warehouse space lit by strands of bistro lights and began to reveal the campaign strategy of Beto O'Rourke in exacting detail.  Malitz, who was the field director of O'Rourke's Senate campaign …

Trump Job Approval 50% or Higher in 17 States in 2018  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump's job approval rating varied widely across the U.S. states in 2018, with 17 states giving him ratings of 50% or higher, and 16 states giving him ratings below 40%.

Ex-Fox News Quack Doctor Keith Ablow Accused of Sexually Exploiting Patients  —  The infamous TV huckster allegedly lured multiple female patients into sexual relationships, according to lawsuits, before engaging in physically abusive behavior.  —  A former member of Fox News' “Medical A-Team” …

U.S. farmers receive $7.7 billion in trade aid to date: USDA  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Department of Agriculture has paid out $7.7 billion so far to farmers, William Northey, Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation, said on Friday, in aid designed to offset the negative impact of tariff imposition.

Two dead after Venezuelan soldiers open fire on opposition supporters  —  SAN CRISTOBAL, Venezuela — Venezuelan soldiers opened fire on a group of civilians attempting to keep open a segment of the southern border with Brazil for deliveries of humanitarian aid, causing multiple injuries …

The Greatest Constitutional Crisis Since the Civil War  —  The most immense and dangerous public scandal in American history is finally cracking open like a ripe pomegranate.  The broad swath of the Trump-hating media that has participated in what has amounted to an unconstitutional attempt …

‘He is not going to be the nominee’: Dems slam Sanders over Maduro stance  —  Florida Democrats are denouncing Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders for refusing to call Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro a dictator — a politically explosive issue in the nation's biggest swing state.

PBS NewsHour Continues to Expand Its Team by Naming New Foreign Affairs Producer  —  Some notable revolving door news to report this morning: PBS NewsHour has named Ali Rogin the nightly news broadcast's newest foreign affairs producer.  —  “I am delighted to welcome Ali to the NewsHour …

Bill would keep Trump off 2020 NJ ballot unless he releases his tax returns  —  In his first press conference after the midterms, President Trump repeated his claim that he cannot release his tax returns even with Democrats controlling the House.  Here's why.  —  CONNECT11  —  TWEET11  —  COMMENT11

Rep. Duncan Hunter gets help with legal expenses from government contractors, others  —  Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, and his wife and former campaign manager, Margaret appear in this file photograph.  —  Nine donors, including at least two who had already reached political contribution limits …

Judge Jeanine Pirro Stiffs Campaign Vendors Out of Nearly $600K  —  Pirro racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt during a failed bid for the Republican nomination to challenge then-Sen. HIllary Clinton in 2006.  —  “Judge” Jeanine Pirro does not plan to repay nearly $600,000 …

Pfizer executive Sally Susman to host 2020 presidential fundraiser for Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand  — Presidential candidate Kirsten Gillibrand is slated to attend a fundraiser at the home of Sally Susman, a top Pfizer executive, on March 31, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter.