Jussie Smollett update: ‘Empire’ actor indicted on 16 felony counts by grand jury … There have been dozens of twists and turns since “Empire” start Jussie Smollett reported being attacked.  Here are some key moments from the start of this story.  —  WLS

Judge: Trump administration may have to reunite thousands of additional migrant families  —  Amid public outcry over the thousands of migrant children separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to keep families together.

Did Blackwater's Erik Prince Lie to Congress About a Trump Tower Meeting?  I Asked Him.  —  Did Erik Prince perjure himself in front of Congress?  —  The founder and former CEO of the notorious private security firm Blackwater — and younger brother of hapless Education Secretary Betsy DeVos …

A Florida Massage Parlor Owner Has Been Selling Chinese Execs Access to Trump at Mar-a-Lago  —  The latest Trump political donor to draw controversy is Li Yang, a 45-year-old Florida entrepreneur from China who founded a chain of spas and massage parlors that included the one where New England …

In Surprise Move, House Republican Releases Bruce Ohr Transcript  —  Georgia Rep. Doug Collins unilaterally released a 268-page transcript Friday of a deposition that Justice Department official Bruce Ohr gave to Congress in August.  —  Collins, the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee …

How Should We Talk About the Israel Lobby's Power?  —  Let's get this out of the way first: Using the phrases “all about the Benjamins” and “allegiance to a foreign country” when referring to the Israel lobby in D.C., as freshman Democratic representative Ilhan Omar recently did, is anti-Semitic.

“Trump Has Been Calling Him Bill ‘No Shine’”: Why Roger Ailes's Former Right Hand Is Leaving the West Wing  —  Sean Hannity lobbied for Shine to get the job, but things quickly soured.  “Trump needs someone to blame for his bad press,” said a former West Wing official.

She exposed Russian trolling.  Her award for her work was rescinded after she criticized Trump.  —  LONG BEFORE fears erupted in the United States about Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential campaign, Jessikka Aro, an investigative journalist in Finland, was poking around an unusual company …

Capitalism and the Democratic Party  —  The most successful economic system shouldn't be a dirty word.  —  John Hickenlooper ought to be a poster child for American capitalism.  After being laid off from his job as a geologist during the oil bust of the 1980s, he and his business partners turned …

The more we learn about Brexit, the more crooked it looks  —  Elements of the 2016 British referendum campaign have long seemed familiar to Americans.  There was a close, controversial election, full of rancor and anger.  There were a lot of wealthy men talking about “the people” and their “will.”

Trump budget to propose slashing domestic spending, boosting defense  —  President Trump on Monday will propose major spending cuts across a range of domestic government programs while seeking a large increase for the Pentagon, a budget plan that's already encountering withering opposition …

Where Is Robert Levinson?  Inside the Secret Campaign to Find Ex-FBI Agent Who Disappeared on Mission to Iran  —  The plans were ready; the $250,000 payoff cash was committed.  On December 10, 2018, a former Air Force intelligence officer named Bob Kent was planning to board a plane in New York …

Biden eyes fundraising challenge amid new sense of urgency  —  NEW YORK (AP) — On the cusp of another White House run, Joe Biden faces a daunting challenge that could complicate his path to the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination: money.  —  Those close to the former vice president believe …

Teen Fiction and the Perils of Cancel Culture  —  Readers, not a Twitter mob, should decide the fate of a book.  —  Late last month, a young man named Kosoko Jackson became the second young adult author in five weeks to pull a debut work just before it hit the shelves.

Terri McCullough to be new chief of staff in speaker's office  —  Speaker Nancy Pelosi has tapped Terri McCullough to be her new chief of staff in the speaker's office, the first woman in modern times to serve in the role in a paid, full-time capacity.  —  McCullough will replace Danny Weiss …

I Stopped the Stormy Daniels Story at Fox News.  Here's Why.  —  Two weeks before the 2016 presidential election, as the editorial head of Fox News online, I reviewed a draft news story that said porn actress Stormy Daniels had confirmed having an affair with Donald Trump a decade earlier.

Jared Kushner goes rogue in Saudi Arabia, prompting national security concerns  —  Jared Kushner has gone rogue.  —  Donald Trump's senior White House adviser once again abandoned government normalities during an official state trip to Saudi Arabia, reportedly discussing US-Saudi cooperation …

Russian Trolls Shift Strategy to Disrupt U.S. Election in 2020  — Hackers infiltrate computers to create fake social media users  — Fake accounts are used to amplify divisive messages by others  —  Russian internet trolls appear to be shifting strategy in their efforts to disrupt …

A ‘Beat Trump’ Fervor Is Producing Big Turnouts for 2020 Democrats  —  COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa — They dragged their friends to see Bernie Sanders in Iowa.  In South Carolina, their unrelenting selfie requests made Cory Booker late.  And in New Hampshire, so many showed up at a church for an event …

U.K. Dismisses EU's Brexit Concession as a ‘Disappointing’ Joke  — Andrea Leadsom says Commons could hold more votes on exit deal  — Leadsom says EU stance is pushing U.K. toward a no-deal Brexit  —  Follow @Brexit on Twitter, join our Facebook group and sign up to our Brexit Bulletin.

ICE Is Detaining 50,000 People, an All-Time High  —  Never before has America held so many allegedly undocumented immigrants in detention at one time.  —  For the first time in its history, the U.S. government is detaining more than 50,000 people it says are undocumented immigrants in jails and prisons around the country.

America's Light Bulb Revolution  —  '11  —  '12  —  '13  —  '14  —  '15  —  Percentages may not add up to 100 due to rounding.  Source: Department of Energy  —  Solar panels and wind turbines get a lot of attention, but a more inconspicuous instrument is helping …

A Trump official said seismic air gun tests don't hurt whales.  So a congressman blasted him with an air horn.  —  Rep. Joe Cunningham's stunt made a bang in a subcommittee hearing that questioned the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's decision to permit seismic testing, which harms whales.

Bored Iowa Town Trying To Convince Kirsten Gillibrand It Local Tradition To Eat Live Tarantula  —  SAYLORVILLE, IA—Assuring the New York senator the custom has been observed by seven generations of proud Saylorville citizens, several bored Iowans reportedly decided Friday they would try …

What You Need To Know About Meghan McCain's Jewish Heritage  —  Meghan McCain, daughter of the late statesman and presidential candidate John McCain and co-host of ABC's The View, has taken an increasingly prominent role during the recent national conversation over the troubling rise of antisemitism in American politics.