Trump, Schumer agree to pursue plan to repeal the debt ceiling  —  President Trump and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have agreed to pursue a deal that would permanently remove the requirement that Congress repeatedly raise the debt ceiling, three people familiar with the decision said.

Trump Jr. Says He Wanted Russian Dirt to Determine Clinton's ‘Fitness’ for Office  —  WASHINGTON — Donald Trump Jr. told Senate investigators on Thursday that he set up a June 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer because he was intrigued that she might have damaging information about Hillary Clinton …

Democrats dread Hillary's book tour  —  President Donald Trump may be the only person in politics truly excited about Hillary Clinton's book tour.  —  Democratic operatives can't stand the thought of her picking the scabs of 2016, again — the Bernie Sanders divide, the Jim Comey complaints …

Steve Bannon says Catholic Church has “economic interest” in “unlimited illegal immigration”  —  In his first extensive interview since leaving the Trump administration, former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon is speaking out about President Trump's decision to end the DACA program.

The First White President  —  It is insufficient to state the obvious of Donald Trump: that he is a white man who would not be president were it not for this fact.  With one immediate exception, Trump's predecessors made their way to high office through the passive power of whiteness …

The UN ambassador is the breakout star of Trump's Cabinet.  But will she succeed?  —  Nikki Haley was under consideration to become Donald Trump's secretary of state when she flew to New York to meet the President-elect for the first time since his election victory.  —  The South Carolina governor was torn.

On Facebook and Twitter, a Hunt for Russia's Meddling Hand  —  Sometimes an international offensive begins with a few shots that draw little notice.  So it was last year when Melvin Redick of Harrisburg, Pa., a friendly-looking American with a backward baseball cap and a young daughter, posted on Facebook a link to a brand-new website.

The ‘Ivanka drop-by’: Trump's not-so-secret meeting trick  —  STORY HIGHLIGHTS  —  (CNN)President Donald Trump has a longtime habit in high-profile meetings that's no “Art of the Deal” secret: a casual drop-by from daughter Ivanka Trump.  —  Take Wednesday's meeting with congressional leaders …

Graydon Carter to End 25-Year Run as Vanity Fair's Editor  —  Graydon Carter, the editor of Vanity Fair, plans to step down from the magazine in December after a 25-year tenure, leaving the role that established him as a ringmaster of the glittery spheres of Hollywood, Washington and Manhattan media.

Betsy DeVos: The Era of Weaponized Title IX in Campus Rape Cases Is Over  —  In a major speech assailing the deprivation of due process protections under the Obama administration, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos will vow to rein in the federal guidance compelling colleges to adjudicate sexual assault disputes between students.

Hurricane Irma destroys 90 percent of structures, vehicles on Barbuda  —  Hurricane Irma ripped into the Caribbean island of Barbuda Wednesday morning, killing at least one person and destroying 90 percent of its structures and vehicles, according to Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne.

Amazon Announces Plans for Huge New North America Offices  —  Amazon said on Thursday that it was searching for a second headquarters in North America, a huge new development that would cost as much as $5 billion to build and run, and would house as many as 50,000 employees.

Menendez trial an attack on Hispanic Americans, says co-defendant's lawyer  —  NEWARK — An attorney for Sen. Robert Menendez's co-defendant cast the federal corruption case against the two of them as an attack on the Hispanic-American community Thursday.  —  Kirk Ogrosky, the lead attorney …