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

Trump cheered Kraft's team to Super Bowl victory with founder of spa where he was busted  —  Seated at a round table littered with party favors and the paper-cutout footballs that have become tradition at his annual Super Bowl Watch Party, President Donald Trump cheered the New England Patriots …

The Democrats' Dilemma  —  MINNEAPOLIS—They have gathered in defiance of the freezing temperatures on a late February's night, scores of them twirling Somali flags in one hand and American flags in the other, crowding around the arrivals terminal and waiting to welcome one of their own.

Scoop: White House leak to House Dems on Jared and Ivanka's clearances  —  From a White House source, the House Oversight Committee has obtained documents related to Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump's security clearances that the Trump administration refused to provide, according …

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.

Here's how we can break up Big Tech  —  Twenty-five years ago, Facebook, Google, and Amazon didn't exist.  Now they are among the most valuable and well-known companies in the world.  It's a great story—but also one that highlights why the government must break up monopolies and promote competitive markets.

Chelsea Manning sent to jail for refusing to testify in WikiLeaks case  —  Former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning will be held in jail until she testifies before a grand jury or that grand jury is no longer operating, a federal judge in Alexandria ruled Friday.

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 …

Trump inauguration took money from shell companies tied to foreigners  —  Creators of firms that donated revealed by Guardian as Indian financier, lobbyist with links to Taiwan and Israeli real estate developer  —  Donald Trump's inauguration received tens of thousands of dollars …

Military Doctors Told Them It Was Just “Female Problems.”  Weeks Later, They Were In The Hospital.  —  From body armor to health care, the US military has been slow to adapt to women in its ranks.  Female service members are paying the price, often with lifelong consequences.  —  Reporting From

Democrats Demanded Trump's Tax Returns.  Then They Dragged Their Feet.  —  Demanding the president's tax returns “is one of the first things we'd do” when Democrats control the House of Representatives, now-Speaker Nancy Pelosi told her hometown San Francisco Chronicle less than a month …

Trump Seeks Huge Premium From Allies Hosting U.S. Troops  — ‘Cost Plus 50’ plan could worsen tensions with key allies  — Frustration over spending by NATO countries behind proposal  —  For years, President Donald Trump has complained that countries hosting American troops aren't paying enough.

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.

‘Whiter Every Election Cycle’: How Identity Evropa, a Far-Right Hate Group, Joined the GOP  —  According to leaked chat logs, the white supremacist group has actively reinvented itself as a ‘respectable’ group in order to entice Republicans.  —  The white nationalist group Identity Evropa …

If We Blow Up an Asteroid, It Might Put Itself Back Together  —  Despite what Hollywood tells us, stopping an asteroid from creating an extinction-level event by blowing it up may not work.  —  Faced with the prospect of a sizable asteroid heading toward Earth and causing doomsday, humanity has come up with various responses.

Endeavor Returns Money to Saudi Arabia, Protesting Khashoggi Murder  —  There was much to celebrate last spring when Ariel Emanuel, the chief executive of the talent agency Endeavor, helped throw a splashy Hollywood party for Saudi Arabia's crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.

Everyone is underestimating Trump.  It could hurt Democrats and Republicans alike.  —  We live in an era of horribly misinformed political decision-making.  In 2015, the Trump-skeptical Republican elite believed that Trump would naturally fade over the course of the primary …

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 …

House votes in favor of illegal immigrant voting  —  House Democrats voted Friday to defend localities that allow illegal immigrants to vote in their elections, turning back a GOP attempt to discourage the practice.  —  The vote marks a stunning reversal from just six months ago …

Conway's husband: ‘Banana republic’ if Trump got his wish to go after investigators  —  George Conway, husband of White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, warned Friday that the U.S. would be a “banana republic” if President Trump's threats against members of the Justice Department went fulfilled.

Michael Avenatti law firm files for bankruptcy protection again; creditor objects  —  Eagan Avenatti, the longtime firm of lawyer Michael Avenatti, filed late Thursday for federal bankruptcy protection.  It's the second time in two years that it has sought court protection from its creditors.