White House and Justice Dept. Officials Discussed Mueller Report Before Release  —  WASHINGTON — Robert S. Mueller III's findings will be public on Thursday, but some of them will not be news to President Trump.  —  Justice Department officials have had numerous conversations …

Australia Says It's “Ready To Confirm” A Key Meeting That Led To The Investigation Into Trump's Russia Links  —  Heavily-redacted documents released to BuzzFeed News show Australia's former high commissioner wrote a three-page cable to the United States about his London meeting with a Trump campaign adviser.

Ilhan Omar, Harbinger of Democratic Decline?  —  With political power comes rhetorical responsibility.  —  Spot the problem with the quoted remarks:  —  (1) The Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 was “something some people did.”  —  (2) Last month's attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, was “something someone did.”

Secrecy, Self-Dealing, and Greed at the N.R.A.  —  The organization's leadership is focussed on external threats, but the real crisis may be internal.  —  This winter, members of the National Rifle Association—elk hunters in Montana, skeet shooters in upstate New York …

HUD Moves to Limit Public Housing Aid for Undocumented Immigrants  —  WASHINGTON — The Trump administration proposed a rule on Wednesday night intended to prevent undocumented immigrants from receiving federal housing assistance, the latest step in its efforts to ramp up enforcement of the nation's immigration laws.

Facebook teams with rightwing Daily Caller in factchecking program  —  Site co-founded by Fox News host Tucker Carlson has promoted misinformation and is known for pro-Trump content  —  Facebook's controversial factchecking program is partnering with the Daily Caller, a rightwing website …

Man nabbed after walking into St. Patrick's Cathedral with gas cans, lighters  —  A man was nabbed Wednesday night walking into St. Patrick's Cathedral with four gallons of gasoline, lighter fluid and lighters, police said.  —  Marc Lamparello, 37, of New Jersey, entered the historic Midtown church …

O'Rourke confronts cable TV drought  —  Beto O'Rourke, traveling the country doing a head-snapping number of presidential campaign events, had just finished an extended version of his stump speech Wednesday when a self-described cable news devotee confronted the former congressman over his absence from her TV screen.

Pence, Buttigieg and the debate over ‘conversion therapy’  —  “If me being gay was a choice, it was a choice that was made far, far above my pay grade.  And that's the thing I wish the Mike Pences of the world would understand.  That if you got a problem with who I am, your problem is not with me …

Adam Schiff: The Media's Pin-Up Doll  —  There are times that even The Onion—the popular satirical newspaper—can't compete with the outlandish coverage produced by allegedly legitimate news publications.  Newsweek magazine's front-cover swoon over Representative Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) this week is one such example.

Population declines: New Yorkers fleeing in greater numbers, Census shows  —  That mansion you saw in Orlando doesn't mean all of Florida's wealthy families live near Disney.  Check out some of the most affluent towns in America according to the American Community Survey run by the U.S. Census Bureau.

North Korea Tests New Weapon  —  WASHINGTON — North Korea said on Thursday that it test-fired a new type of “tactical guided weapon,” in what appeared to be a warning from Kim Jong-un to President Trump that unless once-promising negotiations with Washington resume, the two countries could again be on a collision course.

Report: U.S. declines again in press-freedom index, falls to ‘problematic’ status  —  For the third time in three years, the United States' standing in an annual index of press freedom declined, a result the report's authors attributed to President Trump's anti-press rhetoric and continuing threats to journalists.

Rick Perry Plans His Exit as Trump's Energy Secretary  —  Energy Secretary Rick Perry is planning to leave the Trump administration and is finalizing the terms and timing of his departure, according to two people familiar with his plans.  —  While Perry's exit isn't imminent and one person familiar …

Middlebury College Cancels Conservative Philosopher's Lecture on Totalitarianism  —  Middlebury College has canceled a campus speech by conservative Polish Catholic philosopher Ryszard Legutko in response to planned protests by liberal activists.  —  A professor of philosophy …