Trump Approves Strikes on Iran, but Then Abruptly Pulls Back  —  WASHINGTON — President Trump approved military strikes against Iran in retaliation for downing an American surveillance drone, but pulled back from launching them on Thursday night after a day of escalating tensions.

Ocasio-Cortez Not Apologizing to Kevin McCarthy: “He Should Apologize to the Children That Have Been Separated From Their Parents”  —  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., fired back on Thursday at House Republican Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who had demanded that she apologize …

Hideous Men Donald Trump assaulted me in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room 23 years ago.  But he's not alone on the list of awful men in my life.  —  My first rich boy pulled down my underpants.  My last rich boy pulled down my tights.  My first rich boy — I had fixed my eyes on his face long enough …

Andrew Weissmann, a Top Mueller Prosecutor, Has a Book Deal  —  Andrew Weissmann, one of the top prosecutors for Robert S. Mueller III on the Russia investigation, is writing a book that will explore his work on the special counsel's inquiry, according to a publishing executive with knowledge of the deal.

Dems see Hope Hicks testimony as huge gift in legal battle with Trump  —  In an exclusive interview, Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler also said Democrats would soon sue former White House Counsel Don McGahn.  —  House Democrats are planning to file a lawsuit within days to force former White …

NYT reporter flagged Jared Kushner meetings with Russians to FBI  —  A New York Times reporter fed information about Jared Kushner meeting with Russians to the FBI, newly released emails show.  —  Journalist Michael Schmidt sent an email on March 24, 2017, to FBI Assistant Director …

Donald Trump's Interview With TIME on 2020: Read the Transcript  —  President Donald Trump sat down for an interview with TIME in the Oval Office on June 17 for a story on his re-election campaign.  —  During the 57-minute conversation, he discussed his Democratic rivals …

Ending Private Prisons and Exploitation for Profit  —  Last month Caliburn International — a for-profit company whose subsidiary operates Homestead, the largest detention center for unaccompanied migrant children — hired John Kelly, Trump's former chief of staff.

Some White House Reporters Are Throwing Sarah Huckabee Sanders A Goodbye Party  —  White House correspondents and some Trump staffers plan to send Sanders off with “farewell drinks” next week.  —  Sarah Huckabee Sanders and the reporters who cover the White House haven't always had the smoothest relationship.

Prosecutors Intensify Scrutiny of Trump Fundraiser Elliott Broidy  —  Federal probe examines foreigners who attended inauguration at invitation of top Trump fundraiser  —  Federal prosecutors have stepped up a criminal investigation into possible efforts by longtime Republican fundraiser Elliott Broidy …

Hacked documents reveal sensitive details of expanding border surveillance  —  Far more information was taken in the hack of a Customs and Border Protection contractor than U.S. officials have acknowledged.  —  The recent cyberattack on a U.S. Customs and Border Protection subcontractor …

Clyburn explains why Harris and Booker haven't caught on in S. Carolina  —  The third-ranking House Democrat talked to NBC News ahead of his famous ‘Fish Fry’ gathering Friday night, featuring more than 20 presidential contenders.  —  COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn expressed …

Fairfax ‘thinking very seriously’ about run for governor, says scandal has raised his public profile  —  Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax said Thursday that he is “very hopeful about the future” and “thinking very seriously” about a gubernatorial run in 2021.  —  Fairfax, who faces sexual assault allegations …

Justice Dept review of intel in Russia probe fuels fears of politicization  —  A mix of concern, confusion and defiance has spread through elements of the intelligence community as a murky picture emerges of Attorney General William Barr's review of its investigative and analytical work …

On 4-3 vote, Wisconsin Supreme Court upholds state's lame-duck laws limiting power of Democratic governor  —  MADISON - The Wisconsin Supreme Court upheld lame-duck laws Friday that limit the power of the state's new Democratic governor, handing Republicans a victory in one of several legal fights over the laws.

Trump to Officially Nominate Esper as Next Defense Secretary  —  WASHINGTON — President Trump plans to nominate Mark T. Esper, the secretary of the Army and former West Point classmate of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, to be the next defense secretary, administration officials said on Friday.

Being Transgender at Goldman Sachs  —  How Maeve DuVally, an employee in the bank's buttoned-up communications department, became herself at work.  —  Goldman Sachs's trading floors are vast rooms crammed with rows of tightly packed workstations, four monitors for every trader.

Laura Ingraham Dismisses Reparations: 'No Do-Overs...We Won, You Lost, That's That'  —  “As Trump always says, 'you don't get do-overs,' she declared. ”  No do-overs, that's it.  Fox News star Laura Ingraham waded into the ongoing debate over reparations for descendants of slaves during …

Biden called Booker to quell tensions.  Things only got worse  —  After Sen. Cory Booker appeared on CNN on Wednesday night sounding off on Joe Biden's recent comments surrounding segregationists, the New Jersey Democrat got a phone call — it was the former vice president.

Trump isn't matching Obama deportation numbers  —  Immigration and Customs Enforcement has deported more immigrants this fiscal year than any full fiscal year of Donald Trump's presidency, but it has yet to reach Barack Obama's early deportation levels, according to new internal Department of Homeland Security figures obtained by Axios.

What if Trump won't accept 2020 defeat?  —  In 2016, Donald Trump waffled over whether he would accept the election results if he lost.  —  Since then, Trump has repeatedly joked about staying in office beyond the two terms the Constitution allows.  Jerry Falwell Jr., Trump's …

Support for Trump in Louisiana plunges, poll says; here's how this could help Gov. John Bel Edwards  —  A clear majority of Louisiana voters don't want Donald Trump to win a second term as president, an independent poll shows.  —  The survey by pollster Verne Kennedy also shows …