White House worried FBI director could quit over Nunes memo release  —  White House and FBI clash over GOP memo  —  Washington (CNN)Top White House aides are worried FBI Director Christopher Wray could quit if the highly controversial Republican memo alleging the FBI abused its surveillance tools …

Judge strikes down Florida's system for restoring felons' voting rights  —  U.S. District Mark Walker said Florida's voter restoration process unfairly relies on the personal support of Gov. Rick Scott.  —  TALLAHASSEE — A federal judge ruled Thursday that Florida's lifetime ban on restoring …

Lawyers for Rick Gates withdraw from Russia case  —  Three attorneys representing Rick Gates told a federal court Thursday they are immediately withdrawing as counsel for the former Donald Trump campaign aide, who is fighting special counsel Robert Mueller's indictment of him on money laundering and other charges.

Investigator calls Robert Wagner a “person of interest” in Natalie Wood drowning death  —  For the first time since reopening the investigation into the mysterious death of the legendary actress, investigators speak out to “48 Hours”  —  Nearly four decades after the unexplained drowning death …

Republicans give up on Obamacare repeal  —  WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — Republicans are giving up on their years-long dream of repealing Obamacare.  —  Though the GOP still controls both chambers of Congress and maintains the ability to jam through a repeal-and-replace bill via a simple majority …

The Publisher of Newsweek And The International Business Times Has Been Buying Traffic And Engaging In Ad Fraud  —  Several of Newsweek Media Group's business websites are buying and manipulating traffic that originates on pirated video streaming sites.  The company acknowledged buying traffic, but denies engaging in ad fraud.

Democrats' behavior at the State of the Union was embarrassing  —  It gives me no pleasure to say this, but the Democrats' behavior at the State of the Union was embarrassing.  —  I take a back seat to nobody in decrying President Trump's cynical and divisive performance.

Humane Society keeps CEO after sexual harassment complaints, prompting seven board members to resign … The Humane Society of the United States defied donor backlash on Thursday and chose to keep chief executive Wayne Pacelle at the helm of one of the country's biggest animal charities, prompting seven board members to resign.

How Carob Traumatized a Generation  —  A wry disgruntlement will forever unite those of us who were children during the height of the nineteen-seventies natural-foods movement.  It was a time that we recall not for its principles—yes to organics, no to preservatives—but for its endless assaults on our tender young palates.

Top career US diplomat to step down in blow to State Dept  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The top career U.S. diplomat announced Thursday he will step down, dealing a blow to the State Department as the Trump administration confronts numerous international challenges.

CDC to cut by 80 percent efforts to prevent global disease outbreak … Four years after the United States pledged to help the world fight infectious-disease epidemics such as Ebola, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is dramatically downsizing its epidemic prevention activities …

Nearly 46 Million Viewers Watch President Trump's State of the Union Address  —  An estimated 45.6 million people tuned in to watch President Donald Trump deliver his State of the Union address in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018.  —  While coverage varied by network …

Joe Arpaio has given at least 5 interviews to an anti-Semitic publication  —  Republican U.S. Senate candidate Joe Arpaio has given several interviews to a publication that traffics in anti-Semitic conspiracy theories and on Wednesday declined an opportunity to distance himself from the extremist material.

Trump administration strips consumer watchdog office of enforcement powers in lending discrimination cases … The Trump administration has stripped enforcement powers away from Consumer Financial Protection Bureau office that specializes in pursuing cases against financial firms accused …

What Gary Cohn told Republicans about infrastructure behind closed doors  —  Gary Cohn briefed members this morning at the Republican Congressional Retreat about infrastructure, per a source briefed on the presentation.  Cohn — who sat on a panel with Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao …

Savannah Guthrie's ‘power grab’ leaves some staffers puzzled  —  Savannah Guthrie pulled a “power grab” to install an ally as the executive producer of the “Today” show, sources say.  —  We're told that after former co-host Matt Lauer was canned in November, Guthrie pushed out Lauer pal …

American Students Aren't Learning The Full Truth About Slavery  —  Students often get only a superficial view of the atrocity that built the country, a new study finds.  —  American students are being taught an inadequate and often sanitized version of history when it comes to slavery, according to a new report.

Democratic congresswoman caught on camera playing CANDY CRUSH while Trump delivered State of the Union while two others answered emails and read tweets  — Michigan Democratic Rep. Brenda Lawrence tapped her way through Candy Crush during Tuesday's State of the Union Address

The backstory of Trump's foundering opioid fight  —  In his State of the Union address on Tuesday, President Trump ticked off the startling, oft-repeated statistics about the opioid epidemic, which is now the largest public health crisis in modern American history.  —  “In 2016, we lost 64,000 Americans to drug overdoses.

Hostess Brands Rewards Employees with Bonuses of More Than $1,000 Following New Tax Reform Law  —  KANSAS CITY, Mo.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Hostess Brands, Inc. today announced that, following the recently enacted tax legislation, the snack cake maker will be providing bonuses totaling $1,250 to its 1036 hourly bakery and corporate employees.

Labor Dept. Ditches Data on Worker Tips Retained by Businesses  —  Labor Department leadership scrubbed an unfavorable internal analysis from a new tip pooling proposal, shielding the public from estimates that showed employees could lose out on billions of dollars in gratuities, four current and former DOL sources tell Bloomberg Law.

Nicholas von Hoffman, Provocative Journalist and Author, Dies at 88  —  Nicholas von Hoffman, a provocative author, broadcast commentator and syndicated columnist who examined American politics and culture for five decades from a left-wing perspective, died on Thursday in Rockport, Me.  He was 88.