Riding around with Beto O'Rourke as he comes to grips with a presidential run.  —  It's nine P.M. on a Thursday night and Beto O'Rourke is trying to manage a couple of life-altering and possibly world-historical political events while also driving his family home from a Mexican restaurant.

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.

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 …

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 …

In overwhelmingly bipartisan vote, House calls for Mueller report to be made public  —  The House voted overwhelmingly and in bipartisan fashion to urge the Justice Department to publicly release the entirety of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's report into Russian interference in the 2016 election, once completed.

New York appellate court allows Summer Zervos defamation suit against Trump 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 …

Trump Shows His Authoritarian Hand  —  Say this for Senator Mike Lee: He is trying to make the best of a bad situation.  When President Trump declared last month that he would ignore Congress's refusal to fund his border wall and build it by declaring a national emergency, he ignited a predictable firestorm.

A Free-Trade Democrat in the Trump White House (Ep.  371)  —  For years, Gary Cohn thought he'd be the next C.E.O. of Goldman Sachs.  Instead, he became the “adult in the room” in a chaotic administration.  Cohn talks about the fights he won, the fights he lost, and the fights he was no longer willing to have.

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 …

Tucker Carlson says he's the victim of a powerful bully.  Meet the 24-year-old who found the tapes.  —  Madeline Peltz works the night shift at the liberal media watchdog group Media Matters for America.  Given the timing of that particular shift, one of her main responsibilities is watching Tucker Carlson's 8 p.m. show on Fox News.

At tense meeting with Boeing executives, pilots fumed about being left in dark on plane software  —  Boeing executives sat down last November with pilots at the Allied Pilots Association's low-slung brick headquarters in Fort Worth.  —  Tensions were running high.

Roger Stone trial set for Nov. 5 start  —  Roger Stone will go on trial starting Nov. 5 in Washington, the federal judge presiding over the high-profile case said Thursday.  —  U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson set out a calendar for a two-week trial that will pit …

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.

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.

A Donald Trump coup if he loses in 2020?  With all the norms he's busted, don't rule it out  —  Cohen fear about a ‘peaceful transition’ is worth considering given Trump's attacks on judges, Congress and media, and the criminal trials he may face.  —  CONNECT

Sandy Hook Massacre: Gun Makers Lose Major Ruling Over Liability  —  The Connecticut Supreme Court dealt a major blow to the firearms industry on Thursday, clearing the way for a lawsuit to move forward against the companies that manufactured and sold the semiautomatic rifle used by the gunman …

Democrats upset over Omar seeking primary challenger  —  Some Minnesota Democrats, aghast at controversial comments made by Rep. Ilhan Omar (D), are taking initial steps to recruit a candidate to run against her in next year's primary election, seeking to buck history in one of the nation's most progressive legislative districts.

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.

Lori Loughlin's Daughter Olivia Leaves Yacht of USC's Board of Trustees Chairman  —  As Lori Loughlin traveled from Vancouver to L.A. Tuesday night to surrender to federal authorities in the college bribery scandal — which got her daughter, Olivia Jade, into USC — Olivia spent the night …

Steve Wynn Met With Treasury Officials About Opportunity Zones After Stock Sale  —  Steve Wynn met with Treasury Department officials last year as they were writing rules for a new tax incentive.  The meeting took place months after the casino magnate was forced to quit as CEO of Wynn Resorts following sexual-misconduct allegations.