Southern Poverty Law Center fires co-founder Morris Dees … The Southern Poverty Law Center has fired Morris Dees, the civil rights organization's co-founder and former chief litigator.  —  In a statement attributed to SPLC president Richard Cohen, the Montgomery-based organization confirmed Dees' dismissal …

Senate votes to reject Trump's emergency declaration, setting up president's first veto  —  Breaking news: A group of Senate Republicans joined Democrats on Thursday to approve a disapproval resolution aimed at overturning President Trump's declaration of an emergency on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Why Texas Is Nearing Battleground Status (It's Not Just About Beto)  —  Hispanics represent the (elusive) upside for Democrats, but it's a shift in white voters that is making the biggest difference.  —  The dream of a “Blue Texas” has captured the imagination of Democrats for nearly a decade …

Rosario Dawson Confirms She's Dating Cory Booker, Says They're in Love  —  Rosario Dawson's all in on Cory Booker for President in 2020, but she might be a little biased ... because she just confirmed with us ... they're in a serious, loving relationship!!!  —  The actress was at the Reagan …

Trump issues warning to opponents: ‘It would be very bad’ if his military, police and biker supporters got ‘tough’  —  WASHINGTON—U.S. President Donald Trump has issued what seems to be a warning of armed pushback against his political opponents, telling a right-wing website on Monday that …

Tech Firm in Steele Dossier May Have Been Used by Russian Spies  —  WASHINGTON — Aleksej Gubarev is a Russian technology entrepreneur who runs companies in Europe and the United States that provide cut-rate internet service.  But he is best known for his appearance in 2016 in a dossier …

Top Mueller Prosecutor Stepping Down In Latest Clue Russia Inquiry May Be Ending  —  One of the most prominent members of special counsel Robert Mueller's team investigating Russia's attack on the 2016 presidential election will soon leave the office and the Justice Department, two sources close to the matter tell NPR.

New York appellate court allows Summer Zervos's defamation suit against president to proceed  —  A New York appellate court ruled Thursday that President Trump must face a defamation lawsuit filed by former “Apprentice” contestant Summer Zervos, one of about a dozen women who accused Trump …

Sandy Hook Massacre: Remington and Other Gun Companies Lose Major Ruling Over Liability  —  [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.]  —  The Connecticut Supreme Court dealt a major blow to the firearms industry on Thursday, clearing the way for a lawsuit …

Mnuchin says he'll protect Trump privacy if taxes requested  —  A rarely used nearly 100-year-old law allows a few congressional officials to seek individual tax returns from the Treasury Secretary.  —  WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin suggested Thursday he will protect …

Peter Strzok Deleted ‘Personal’ Communications With Lisa Page  — Peter Strzok told Congress in 2018 that he deleted communications with Lisa Page, but he claimed he did so for “personal” reasons.  — An attorney for Strzok says that the former FBI official deleted the records …

Political Independents: Who They Are, What They Think  —  Most ‘lean’ toward a party; ‘true’ independents tend to avoid politics  —  Independents often are portrayed as political free agents with the potential to alleviate the nation's rigid partisan divisions.

Frank Cali, Reputed Gambino Mob Boss, Is Shot and Killed on Staten Island  —  Francesco Cali, the reputed boss of the Gambino crime family, was fatally shot outside his home on Staten Island on Wednesday night, a senior police official said.  —  Mr. Cali, 53, was shot six times, the official said.

Wilbur Ross insists citizenship census question isn't politically motivated  —  Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross defended his decision to add a citizenship question to the 2o20 census, telling lawmakers on Thursday that he acted solely at the request of the Justice Department to enhance the Voting Rights Act …

Formerly Homeless Student Gets Into 17 Colleges, on His Own  —  The odds were stacked against Dylan Chidick in the summer of 2017.  The Jersey City high school student's family was homeless and he was struggling to study in a shelter.  His twin brothers had heart conditions and needed extra care.

Son defends parents caught in college admissions scandal while smoking blunt  —  SEE ALSO  —  Maybe this is why Gregory and Marcia Abbott allegedly bought their daughter's way into college.  —  Their “rapper” son, Malcolm, popped out of the family's Fifth Avenue building to smoke a giant blunt …

UK parliament votes to delay Brexit  —  LONDON — MPs voted to delay Brexit beyond the U.K.'s long-standing departure date of March 29, in a third successive evening of parliamentary drama that left Theresa May relying on the opposition Labour Party to win a majority for extending the Article 50 negotiating period.

‘Billions,’ ‘Succession’ and the Making of Wealth Porn  —  Two years ago, Aidan Sleeper needed to find an apartment.  —  Sleeper, the locations manager for “Billions,” returning Sunday for its fourth season on Showtime, scouted more than 100 places that list for tens of millions of dollars, but he couldn't find the right one.

Erin Go Bragh!  On Brexit, Irish PM Disses Trump To His Face  —  Trump made believe he never supported Brexit, but the first gay prime minister elected in Ireland told Trump directly that he disagreed with his opinion and regretted the vote entirely.  —  Views:

Hudson Yards Is Manhattan's Biggest, Newest, Slickest Gated Community.  Is This the Neighborhood New York Deserves?  —  Hudson Yards presented the city with a grand opportunity to remake Manhattan's West Side.  But what has arrived?  A review of the most ambitious private development in New York in a century.

Jeffrey Epstein prosecutor was previously rebuked for handling of a child sex case  —  Nine months before cutting a covert plea deal with sex trafficking suspect Jeffrey Epstein, Miami U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta was notified that the lead prosecutor in Epstein's case had concealed information …

Sharp rise in Arctic temperatures now inevitable - UN  —  Temperatures likely to rise by 3-5C above pre-industrial levels even if Paris goals met  —  Sharp and potentially devastating temperature rises of 3C to 5C in the Arctic are now inevitable even if the world succeeds …

NY's political prosecution of Manafort should scare us all  —  View Latest Opinions >>  —  The Manhattan District Attorney's Office has indicted Paul Manafort for mortgage fraud and more than a dozen other state felonies.  This is a nakedly political prosecution.