Kelly emotionally defends Trump's call to military widow  —  White House chief of staff John Kelly on Thursday forcefully and emotionally defended President Donald Trump's call to the widow of a U.S. soldier recently killed in Niger, accusing a Florida congresswoman of being “selfish” …

Tarantino on Weinstein: ‘I Knew Enough to Do More Than I Did’  —  Quentin Tarantino, the Hollywood director most closely tied to Harvey Weinstein, has known for decades about the producer's alleged misconduct toward women and now feels ashamed he did not take a stronger stand and stop working with him, he said in an interview.

What we know and don't know about the deadly Niger attack  —  STORY HIGHLIGHTS  —  Washington (CNN)Defense Secretary James Mattis said on Thursday that the “US military does not leave its troops behind” but did not provide additional details into why the body of Sgt. La David Johnson …

Speaking Out About Harvey Weinstein  —  I have been following the news and reading the accounts of women coming forward to talk about being assaulted by Harvey Weinstein and others.  I had shelved my experience with Harvey far in the recesses of my mind, joining in the conspiracy of silence …

George W. Bush's unmistakable takedown of Trumpism — and Trump  —  For the past nine years, George W. Bush has largely stayed out of presidential politics; he declined to criticize his successor, Barack Obama, and he chose not to endorse but largely ignored President Trump.

GOP to Trump: Stop flip-flopping on Obamacare deal  —  Key Senate Republicans are urgently trying to get President Donald Trump to reconsider his apparent opposition to a bipartisan deal shoring up health insurance markets, several senators said Thursday morning.

Meet Your November 2017 Playmate, Ines Rau  —  To the astute playboy reader, and to anyone who keeps tabs on the fashion world, Ines Rau may look familiar.  In addition to commanding couture runways, appearing in Vogue Italia and starring in a Balmain campaign, Ines has graced these pages before …

Ryan's friends flee as frustration with Trump grows  —  Paul Ryan's governing caucus is dwindling.  —  A number of the speaker's closest comrades in the House have called it quits in recent weeks, because they're tired of President Donald Trump's antics, depressed over the GOP's dearth …

Trump personally interviewed U.S. attorney candidates  —  President Donald Trump has personally interviewed at least two potential candidates for U.S. attorney positions in New York, according to two sources familiar with the matter — a move that critics say raises questions about whether …

Silent Republicans have their reasons.  They don't have an excuse. … Whatever his impact may be on the country or the world, Donald Trump's presidency imperils the future of his party, and there isn't a serious-minded Republican in Washington who would tell you otherwise, privately.

A Top Labor Executive Has Been Suspended After Complaints About His Relationships With Female Staffers  —  Scott Courtney is the chief strategist for the Fight for $15 minimum wage campaign for the SEIU.  —  A top labor movement figure who led the Fight for $15 minimum wage campaign …

Bernie Sanders bows out of Women's Convention to make trip to Puerto Rico  —  STORY HIGHLIGHTS  —  Washington (CNN)Sen. Bernie Sanders announced Thursday he will visit Puerto Rico in wake of Hurricane Maria, bowing out of his previously scheduled speaking gig at the Women's Convention next week.

Trump leaning toward Powell for Fed chair, officials say  —  Powell has been heavily favored by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who is leading the search.  —  Federal Reserve Governor Jerome Powell is the leading candidate to become the chair of the U.S. central bank …

Hear Trump's judge pick admit he discriminates against gay people  —  President Donald Trump's nominee to become a district judge in Texas admitted that he discriminates based on sexual orientation.  But he didn't think that should prevent him from serving on the federal bench.  —  “Guess what?

Nicole Malliotakis finds it ‘unconscionable’ Mayor de Blasio won't support Yankees  —  Republican mayoral contender Nicole Malliotakis said she finds it “unconscionable” that Mayor de Blasio won't root for the Yankees.  —  “I believe that you'll have two underdogs winning this year …

LEAKED MEMO REVEALS WHITE HOUSE WISH LIST  —  Since federal courts first enjoined President Donald Trump's Muslim travel ban, lawyers for his administration have been at pains to insist that anti-Muslim animus is not a driving force of policymaking in his government.

Trump on Puerto Rico: I'd give myself a 10  —  President Trump on Thursday gave himself a perfect rating for his response to the hurricane that devastated Puerto Rico.  —  “I would give myself a 10,” Trump said when asked by reporters how he would score his efforts, on a one to 10 scale.

Never Mind Trump: Worry About His Supporters  —  Nuclear war has moved from unthinkable to possible — and Trump's political army thinks that's fine.  —  If you were born after, say, 1980, you are too young to remember the years of dread provoked by nuclear weapons.

Brennan: Trump Aides May Need to Talk Him Out of War  —  Former CIA Director John Brennan, noting that President Donald Trump has escalated tensions with North Korea to a dangerous level, said Thursday that Cabinet members and other senior officials may need to step in as “governors” over the president to prevent war.

Corker calls budget ‘a hoax’  —  (R-Tenn.) lambasted the budgetary process ahead of a key vote Thursday, calling the Senate budget a hoax and saying that he would dismantle the Senate Budget Committee.  —  “The only thing about this that matters is preparation for the tax reform,” said Corker …

As Danny Meyer Continues to Eliminate Tips, His Staff Struggles to Adapt  —  It's been two years since Danny Meyer announced he would eliminate tipping at all of his company's restaurants.  At the time, it was hailed as a move that could “save the hospitality industry,” and restaurateurs around the country followed suit.

Trump Isn't Hitler.  But the Lying ...  It is a commonly accepted rule among those who are in the business of argument, especially online, that he or she who invokes Adolf Hitler, either in oratory or essays, automatically forfeits the argument.  —  The reference is deemed far too extreme …