Mueller Report Exceeds 300 Pages, Raising Questions About Four-Page Summary  —  WASHINGTON — The still-secret report on Russian interference in the 2016 election submitted by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, last week was more than 300 pages long, according to American officials …

How Donald Trump inflated his net worth to lenders and investors  —  Reporter covering the Trump family and its business interests.  —  and Jonathan O'Connell  —  Reporter covering economic development with a focus on commercial real estate and the Trump Organization

McConnell to Trump: Health care's all yours  —  Mitch McConnell has no intention of leading President Donald Trump's campaign to transform the GOP into the “party of health care.”  —  “I look forward to seeing what the president is proposing and what he can work out with the speaker,” …

Is Pete Buttigieg Just Another White Male Candidate, or Does His Gayness Count as Diversity?  —  It's been two months since South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg announced the formation of his presidential exploratory committee, and the national profile of his fledgling candidacy has steadily risen.

Exclusive: Puerto Rico governor warns White House: 'If the bully gets close, I'll punch the bully in the mouth'  —  (CNN)Tensions are escalating between President Donald Trump and Puerto Rico's governor over disaster relief efforts that have been slow in coming for the still-battered island after Hurricane Maria.

Jussie Smollett's Attorney: Nigerian Brothers May Have Been Wearing Whiteface During Attack  —  Actor Jussie Smollett's attorney suggested the Osundairo brothers, two Nigerian men who claim Smollett hired them to stage a hate crime, may have been wearing “whiteface” during the incident.

Two black candidates for Savannah's mayor attend meeting that bars white reporters  —  Race was front and center on Wednesday night during a meeting coordinated to garner support for just one black candidate in Savannah's mayoral election.  —  With signs stating “Black press only” …

Inside the mind of Ben Shapiro, the alt-right sage without the rage  —  The controversial commentator talks to The Economist about Western values, disappointment with Trump and moral clickbait  —  EVERYTHING ABOUT Ben Shapiro is polished.  His answers are smooth.  His appearance is neat.

Trump Ally Jerry Falwell's Liberty University Landed Pentagon Contract Months After Trump's Election  —  Falwell has used Liberty-owned Freedom Aviation for personal, business, and political travel.  Now it's selling jet fuel to the Pentagon.  —  BEAST INSIDE

Majority Says Trump Has Done ‘Too Little’ to Distance Himself From White Nationalists  —  Wide partisan gap in Pelosi's early job rating  —  The public's views of Donald Trump have changed little over the course of his presidency - and this is the case for opinions about whether Trump …

The Republican Party Has an Older Voters Problem  —  Voting Republican has become an activity analogous to watching an episode of Matlock with a tall glass of Metamucil: ordinary for the elderly, but a marker of eccentricity among the young.  —  In 2016, Donald Trump commanded the support …

Matt Gaetz Has Been Trump's Biggest Defender Against Impeachment.  So Now What?  —  WASHINGTON — Three weeks ago, Matt Gaetz's purpose in Congress was clear.  “This place sucks,” he told BuzzFeed News, but he wasn't going anywhere.  President Donald Trump, to whom the Florida Republican …

House Chairman Demands Briefing on Kushner's Trip to Saudi Arabia  —  Chairman Engel's request comes after reports that key U.S. officials were kept out of meetings with the Saudis.  —  A key House committee is demanding a briefing from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Jared Kushner's trip …

A Mueller mystery: How Trump dodged a special counsel interview — and a subpoena fight  —  It was March 2018, nearly 10 months into his Russia investigation, when special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, a man of few words, raised the stakes dramatically in a meeting with President Trump's lawyers …

Wells Fargo C.E.O. Timothy Sloan Abruptly Steps Down  —  Timothy J. Sloan, the embattled chief executive of Wells Fargo, abruptly stepped down on Thursday as one of the country's largest banks struggles to recover from a series of self-inflicted scandals.  —  Mr. Sloan took over the top job …

Trump to pick Fox News contributor for new State Dept spokeswoman  —  Morgan Ortagus will replace Heather Nauert, an ex-Fox News anchor who was Trump's pick for new U.N. ambassador but withdrew herself from consideration.  —  The Trump administration has chosen counterterrorism expert …

Florida Mayor Wayne Messam announces 2020 presidential bid  —  (CNN)Wayne Messam, the little-known mayor of Miramar, Florida, announced Thursday that he is running for president, launching a campaign that will look to accomplish the unlikely: Turning the mayor of the 140,000-person town into the next president of the United States.

In Vulgar Diatribe, Cuomo Aide Calls 3 Female Lawmakers ‘Idiots’  —  [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.]  —  ALBANY — A debate over Albany's ingrained culture of shadowy fund-raising has erupted into open warfare among the state's Democrats …

Swamp creature crashes Interior pick's hearing  —  A protester dressed as a “swamp creature” was escorted out of a confirmation hearing for Interior Secretary nominee David Bernhardt Thursday morning.  —  The protester remained seated for two hours before being escorted out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing.

Is Trump Keyser Söze — Or Inspector Clouseau?  —  Maybe the president brilliantly played the media.  Or maybe we just played ourselves.  —  Maybe we've had this all wrong.  —  Maybe Donald Trump isn't just some two-bit con artist who lucked his way into the White House thanks to an overconfident opponent.

Plastic Bags to Be Banned in New York State  —  ALBANY — New York State lawmakers have agreed to impose a statewide ban on most types of single-use plastic bags from retail sales.  —  The ban, which is expected to be part of the state's budget bills that are slated to be passed by Monday …

Twitter considering labeling Trump tweets that violate rules  —  A Twitter executive on Wednesday said the company is considering a new feature that will label tweets from politicians, including President Trump, when they violate Twitter rules.  —  Vijaya Gadde, Twitter's head of legal …

Under partisan fire, Adam Schiff presents his case without apology  —  Politico reported earlier this week that House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) is confronting “a withering Republican assault.”  Three days later, the assault is quite a bit more ferocious.

Oliver North Showed Republicans the Way Out  —  Belligerence, shamelessness and partisanship can take you far.  —  Watergate, the modern template for an impeachment-worthy scandal, has informed much of the coverage of the Russia scandal, from congressional inquiries to the special counsel's investigation …