Mark Cuban, Pitbull step up, but Trump administration making Puerto Rico evacuees pay  —  Evacuees on U.S.-government-coordinated transport must sign IOUs for the cost — and give up their passports as collateral  —  A billionaire business shark and a “worldwide” pop star have donated the use …

With Tax Cuts on the Table, Once-Mighty Deficit Hawks Hardly Chirp  —  WASHINGTON — In 2001, when surging budget surpluses fueled hopes of extinguishing the national debt, a pitched battle broke out over President George W. Bush's proposed $1.6 trillion tax cut.

Russian Interference in 2016 US Election, Bots, & Misinformation  —  Earlier this summer we outlined some of our work to combat bots and networks of manipulation on Twitter.  Since then, we have received a number of questions about how malicious bots and misinformation networks on Twitter …

Exclusive: Kushner didn't disclose personal email account to Senate intel committee  —  Washington (CNN)In his closed interview with the staff of the Senate intelligence committee, White House senior adviser and presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner did not share the existence of his personal email account …

Trump adviser 'can't guarantee' taxes won't go up for middle class  —  President Donald Trump's top economic adviser, Gary Cohn, said today that he can't guarantee that taxes won't go up for some middle-class families under the administration's sweeping tax overhaul.

Steve Bannon met with Tom Tancredo about a possible run for Colorado governor, Tancredo says  —  Two-time candidate for governor and former congressman uses winking emoji to say two had talked  —  Tom Tancredo said Thursday that he sat down with former White House strategist Stephen Bannon …

Lindsey Graham on Obamacare Repeal: I Had No Idea What I Was Doing … Senate Democrats and their progressive allies spent the last week-and-a-half in a full-blown mobilization against an existential threat to the Affordable Care Act.  —  Now that it has fizzled out, the lead author of the measure …

Price says he'll pay for charter flights  —  HHS Secretary Tom Price said he will write a personal check to the federal government for the costs of traveling on private jets and will permanently halt his use of charter flights.  —  “The taxpayers won't pay a dime for my seat on those planes …

The Supreme Court's legitimacy problem  —  Neil Gorsuch, the man who occupies a seat on the Supreme Court because Senate Republicans held it open until Donald Trump could fill it, is on a bit of a victory tour.  —  Last week, the staunchly conservative judge spoke at the University …

The Time Donald Trump Turned Away in Disgust While a Man Was Bleeding to Death in Front of Him … Howard Stern is the greatest celebrity interviewer alive, bar none.  He is possessed of an uncanny ability to induce self-revelation, stroking and feeding the ego until it swells up and bursts.

There Is No GOP Establishment or Base.  Just Massive Resistance.  —  In a new story at NBC News, Steve Kornacki says there is a new GOP uprising underway leading into the 2018 election.  It is a replay or the next stage of similar eruptions in 2010 and 2012 and to a lesser extent in 2014.

Rep. Steve Scalise breaks his silence on shooting  —  In his first interview since being shot and critically wounded, Rep. Steve Scalise describes the extent of his injuries and how surgeons put him back together  —  In his first interview since sustaining a life-threatening gunshot wound …

Hugh Hefner Did Not Live the Good Life  —  Overnight, we learned of the death of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner.  Hefner is the iconic figure who not only made pornography socially respectable (and even more lucrative), but also spent a life constructing a “playboy philosophy” …

The Myth of Mitch McConnell, Political Super-Genius  —  The past eight months of massive and avoidable failures have delivered such a devastating blow to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's reputation for political savvy, it's a wonder it ever existed at all.

Facing poverty, academics turn to sex work and sleeping in cars  —  Some, on the brink of homelessness, take desperate measures … here is nothing she would rather do than teach.  But after supplementing her career with tutoring and proofreading, the university lecturer decided …

Ikea has bought TaskRabbit  —  The Swedish home goods giant is looking for some digital help from the contract labor marketplace  —  Swedish home goods giant Ikea has bought TaskRabbit, according to sources close to the situation.  —  The price of the deal could not be determined …

Russia warns U.S. over treatment of its media outlets  —  Russia bought Black Lives Matter ad on Facebook  —  Russia is warning the United States: Back off our media.  —  The country's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova issued a warning Thursday that Russia would retaliate …