Besieged on all sides, Gordon Sondland clings to power  —  When confronted with the whiff of scandal, American diplomats are often advised to resign if they believe they can no longer be effective in the job.  —  But for Gordon Sondland, the embattled U.S. ambassador to the European Union, quitting is not in the cards.

Trump hikes price tag for US forces in Korea almost 500% as Seoul questions alliance  —  Washington (CNN)Secretary of Defense Mark Esper landed in South Korea on Thursday to navigate renewed threats from an “enraged” North Korea and newly heightened strain in the alliance with Seoul that congressional aides …

Career White House budget official expected to break ranks, testify in impeachment inquiry  —  Mark Sandy would be the first Office of Management and Budget official to appear after a series of political appointees defied congressional subpoenas  —  A longtime career employee at the White House Office …

Giuliani Faces U.S. Probe on Campaign Finance, Lobbying Breaches  — Probe of lawyer presents a threat to Trump's presidency  — Giuliani has become a central figure in impeachment inquiry  —  Rudy Giuliani, President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, is being investigated …

Exclusive: Giuliani Ally Pete Sessions Was Eyed for Top Slot in Ukraine  —  Pete Sessions received millions from Giuliani's indicted cronies.  He joined Rudy in speaking out against the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine.  He was even considered as her replacement.

Trump talks Russia probe audit with attorney general and White House counsel in Oval Office meeting  —  (CNN)President Donald Trump met with Attorney General William Barr and White House counsel Pat Cipollone in an Oval Office meeting Thursday afternoon in which the so-called Horowitz report came …

BREAKING: Congress Releases Messages Showing Tlaib Asked Campaign For Personal Money, Announces Investigation Into Her  —  The House Ethics Committee announced on Thursday that it is investigating Democrat Rep. Rashida Tlaib (MI) 0ver internal messages that she allegedly sent in 2018 asking …

Stephen Miller's Sinister Syllabus  —  Leaked emails from 2015 and 2016 show one of Trump's top advisers trying to teach Breitbart editors a thing or two about white nationalism.  —  Somewhat lost in the frenzy over impeachment this week was a report from the Southern Poverty Law Center on Stephen Miller …

Zelensky planned to announce Trump's ‘quo’ on my show.  Here's what happened.  —  The phrase “quid pro quo” is usually translated as “something for something.”  In the case of President Trump's communications with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, it appears that the “quo” …

Trump's Washington hotel has fallen behind competitors, with rooms running nearly half empty, marketing materials show  —  President Trump's Washington hotel has fallen well behind competing properties despite continuing to charge among the highest rates in the city, according …

3 Indiana Judges Suspended After White Castle Brawl That Left 2 Of Them Wounded  —  Back in May, three Indiana judges got into a fight.  It was the crescendo of an incident brimming with colorful details: a gaggle of judges drinking the night before a judicial conference …

White House and Pentagon prepare for Trump to issue pardons in war-crimes cases, officials say  —  President Trump is expected to intervene in three military justice cases involving service members charged with war crimes any day, issuing pardons or otherwise clearing them of wrongdoing …

The Note: Warren stays in center of Democratic fights  —  For a candidate of the left, she sure seems like a central figure.  —  Sen. Elizabeth Warren continues to define the Democratic primary race.  She's tangling with billionaires and her fellow frontrunners — and the possibility …

Trump asks Supreme Court to shield his tax returns from prosecutors, setting up historic separation-of-powers showdown  —  President Trump asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to stop a prosecutor's investigation of his personal finances, a bold assertion of presidential power that seeks …

Kavanaugh addresses the conservative legal establishment that championed his nomination  —  There was a crowd of protesters outside, and a few inside.  Those attending the Federalist Society's gala Thursday night at Washington's Union Station were greeted by a large video screen on a truck out front …

Syria's Assad says Jeffrey Epstein did not kill himself  —  Syrian President Bashar al-Assad waded into the conspiracy theories around Jeffery Epstein's suicide, saying the financier and convicted sex offender was murdered as part of a Western plot to eliminate high-profile people who knew too much.

Judge slams feds over murky stance on McCabe  —  A federal judge excoriated Justice Department officials Thursday for their handling of potential criminal charges against former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe, saying the continued uncertainty over the prosecution was unfair to McCabe and the public.

Fox News Poll: Biden has edge over Dems in Nevada, bests Trump by 7 points  —  Democrats' strong desire for a candidate who can defeat President Trump gives Joe Biden the edge in the nomination race, while Hispanic voters help both Biden and Bernie Sanders top Trump in hypothetical 2020 matchups.

The Policies  —  BLAME GAME: President Trump has so far failed to follow through on his vow to secure tougher gun laws in the wake of this summer's mass shootings that killed dozens.  The latest rationale from Republicans: The House's impeachment inquiry makes it impossible.

Donald Trump Jr.'s book sales may have been boosted by bulk buys  —  Donald Trump Jr.'s new book hit No. 1 on the New York Times best-seller list this week — “but with a big caveat,” book insiders noted.  —  The tome, “Triggered: How the Left Thrives on Hate and Wants To Silence Us,” shot to the top of the Times' nonfiction list.