Trump Organization Tied to Deal to Keep Ex-Porn Star Quiet  —  An assistant general counsel at the president's flagship holding company intervened in arbitration proceeding in California to enforce a nondisclosure deal with former porn star  —  Documents marked “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL PROCEEDING” …

Conor Lamb Wins Pennsylvania House Seat, Giving Democrats a Map for Trump Country  —  Conor Lamb, a Democrat and former Marine, scored a razor-thin but extraordinary upset in a special House election in southwestern Pennsylvania after a few thousand absentee ballots delivered Democrats a win …

Andrew McCabe, a Symbol of Trump's F.B.I. Ire, Faces Possible Firing  —  WASHINGTON — Attorney General Jeff Sessions is reviewing a recommendation to fire the former F.B.I. deputy director, Andrew G. McCabe, just days before he is scheduled to retire on Sunday, people briefed on the matter said.

“Trump Wants Them Out of There”: After Swinging the Axe at Tillerson, Trump Mulls What to Do with McMaster, Sessions, Jared, and Ivanka  —  With tariffs done, Trump's sights are now on the Iran deal—and, possibly, the Russia investigation.  “The president is finally realizing he is the president …

Trump plans to name Larry Kudlow his top economic advisor, replacing Gary Cohn: Sources  —  President Donald Trump plans to name Larry Kudlow as his top economic advisor, sources told CNBC.  —  Trump could announce his decision to choose Kudlow as his National Economic Council director as soon as Thursday.

Donald Trump Jr. and wife headed for divorce, friends say  —  Donald Trump Jr. and his wife, Vanessa Trump, are struggling through marital problems and friends say they are heading for divorce, multiple sources have exclusively confirmed to Page Six.  —  Vanessa and the eldest son …

Axios PM  —  Subscribe  —  1 big thing: “The most toxic working environment on the planet”  —  In 14 months covering this White House, Axios' Jonathan Swan emails, he's never registered such a mood of acute anxiety from within the West Wing.  —  What we're hearing: Nobody knows what exactly …

‘She Should Be in Jail’—Rights Groups Rally to Stop Torture Overseer Turned Trump CIA Pick Gina Haspel … There were no legal consequences when Gina Haspel oversaw the torture of two men at a secret CIA prison in Thailand 16 years ago.  There were no legal consequences 13 years ago …

Beware of Devin Nunes's Next Move  —  This week Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee announced that they will be ending their investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, having found no evidence of wrongdoing on the part of the Trump administration.

Toys R Us to close all 800 of its U.S. stores … Toy store chain Toys R Us is planning to sell or close all 800 of its U.S. stores, affecting as many as 33,000 jobs as the company winds down its operations after six decades, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Exclusive: Defense Dept. charged nearly $140,000 at Trump branded properties  —  (CNN)Defense Department employees charged just over $138,000 at Trump branded properties in the first eight months of Donald Trump's presidency, according to a CNN review of hundreds of records.

Russia threatens retaliation after Britain expels 23 diplomats  —  May says Kremlin responded with ‘sarcasm, contempt and defiance’ to 24-hour deadline set by UK … Play Video  —  Britain is braced for retaliation from Moscow after Theresa May blamed the Russian state for the Salisbury poisoning …

Trump's lawyer in Mueller probe, John Dowd, cited for Trump campaign contribution above the legal max  — President Donald Trump's lawyer, John Dowd, contributed more money last year to the president's re-election campaign than is legally permissible.  — A March letter from the Federal …

Boston students show up on school snow day to protest gun violence  —  Students in Boston marched from the city's Park Street Station to the state house in protest of gun violence, participating in the national walkout despite their schools being closed for inclement weather.

U.S. Kept Silent About Its Role in Another Firefight in Niger  —  WASHINGTON — Green Berets working with government forces in Niger killed 11 Islamic State militants in a firefight in December, the American military acknowledged for the first time on Wednesday.

24 Pets Died Flying With U.S. Carriers Last Year.  18 Were On United.  —  Department of Transportation data show that 18 pets died last year in United's cargo program.  —  News that a dog died aboard a United Airlines flight on Monday has renewed interest in the airline's track record of safely transporting animals.

Sources: Trump Wants Army Veteran Pete Hegseth to Replace VA Secretary Shulkin  —  President Donald Trump is expected to fire VA Secretary David Shulkin and is strongly considering replacing him with U.S. Army Veteran Pete Hegseth, according to three sources who spoke to Townhall under the condition of anonymity.

First on CNN: Emails show Ben, Candy Carson selected $31,000 dining set  —  Washington (CNN)Newly released emails cast doubt on claims by Secretary Ben Carson and his spokesman that he had little or no involvement in the purchase of a $31,000 furniture set for his Department of Housing and Urban Development dining room.

In rare Republican rebuke, Grassley blasts Scott's DCF  —  The Senate's Judiciary Committee chairman issued a rare public criticism of fellow Republican Rick Scott's child-welfare agency on Wednesday, saying the governor's proposal “dropped the ball” and “let the American people down” …

Limbaugh questions Stephen Hawking's promotion of the Big Bang Theory: “Since nobody could see it, how the hell do they know it really happened?”  —  RUSH LIMBAUGH (HOST): If there are questions we can ask to which we will never have the answers, then that gives me confidence that there is more than just life on Earth.