Exclusive: Former FBI lawyer under investigation after allegedly altering document in 2016 Russia probe  —  Washington (CNN)A former FBI lawyer is under criminal investigation after allegedly altering a document related to 2016 surveillance of a Trump campaign adviser, several people briefed on the matter told CNN.

Republicans' nuttery exposed  —  You knew it was not going to be pretty.  On one side, two professional diplomats, both whip-smart with excellent memories and deep knowledge of Ukraine, neither of whom seems to suffer fools.  On the other side, a great many foolish Republicans …

Out of options in the face of damning testimony, Republicans stopped asking Fiona Hill questions  —  Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee just threw in the towel and stopped asking questions altogether to a pair of impeachment hearing witnesses with damning facts, instead preferring to obviously run out the clock.

Parnas Attended Giuliani's Madrid Meeting With Zelensky Aide  —  Parnas was at the table for a meeting where Giuliani pressured a senior Ukrainian official to investigate a company linked to the Bidens, the official told The Daily Beast.  —  When Rudy Giuliani met with a senior Ukrainian official …

White House backs full Senate trial if House impeaches Trump  —  Top White House officials and Senate Republicans on Thursday agreed that a full trial should be conducted if the House impeaches President Donald Trump, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.

Sacha Baron Cohen Uses ADL Speech to Tear Apart Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook  —  Accepting an award from the Anti-Defamation League, the comedian called Facebook “the greatest propaganda machine in history.”  —  Sacha Baron Cohen accepted the International Leadership Award …

AG Barr: Epstein's death was a ‘perfect storm of screw-ups’  —  1 of 6  —  ABOARD A US GOVERNMENT AIRCRAFT (AP) — Attorney General William Barr says Jeffrey Epstein's death was the result of a “perfect storm of screw-ups.”  —  Barr's comments in an interview Thursday with The Associated Press come days …

Impeachment is about to get a Robert Mueller reprise  —  Right now, impeachment is all about Ukraine.  But after Thanksgiving, prepare for a Robert Mueller reprise.  —  Now that House Democrats have wrapped up public hearings on President Donald Trump's pressure campaign to get Ukraine …

Democrats Know Trump Isn't Going Anywhere  —  The first sound that greeted me, rounding the corner outside the hearing room in the Longworth House Office Building, was the eerie echo of Representative Adam Schiff's voice emanating from the several dozen cellphones blasting live-stream footage of the testimony going on inside.

Trump's meddling in a SEAL disciplinary case risks a collision with the Navy  —  Navy Secretary Richard Spencer was traveling in California on March 30 when he received a 4 a.m. phone call from President Trump.  The president demanded that the Navy release from the brig a SEAL named Edward Gallagher …

Trump and His Corrupt Old Party  —  For Republicans, there is no bottom.  —  Formally, the House of Representatives is holding an inquiry into the question of whether Donald J. Trump should be impeached.  In reality, we've known the answer to that question for a long time.

Shepard Smith Uses a Post-Fox Spotlight to Defend Freedom of the Press  —  The former anchor made his first public appearance since his abrupt departure from Fox News, where he faced taunts from colleagues and President Trump.  —  In his first public remarks since abruptly resigning …

Pelosi to participate in CNN town hall as House weighs impeachment  —  (CNN)House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will participate in a CNN town hall in December, where she will take questions directly from a cross-section of voters as her colleagues consider articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.

House attorneys say Trump's tax returns are needed for impeachment inquiry  —  Lawyers for the House, citing the “rapidly advancing impeachment inquiry,” urged the Supreme Court on Thursday to reject President Trump's bid to shield his tax returns and financial records from congressional investigators.

San Francisco's Quest to Make Landfills Obsolete  —  ‘Zero Waste’ might be the impossible dream, but San Francisco isn't giving up.  —  Mark Peterson/Redux Pictures for Politico Magazine  —  SAN FRANCISCO—In a giant building south of downtown, a river of paper, cans, cardboard, and plastic rushes along 150 yards of conveyor belts.

Questions over next steps as Judiciary moves into impeachment spotlight  —  The public phase of the House Intelligence Committee's investigation of President Donald Trump's Ukraine scandal appears to have wrapped.  But even most House Democrats aren't clear what happens next.

USA Gymnastics Was Investigating Larry Nassar.  Nobody Told Simone Biles.  —  The federation ignored the possibility that its brightest star had been sexually assaulted while in its care, walled her off from investigations—and she didn't find out for years