$30,000 rumor?  Tabloid paid for, spiked, salacious Trump tip  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Eight months before the company that owns the National Enquirer paid $150,000 to a former Playboy Playmate who claimed she'd had an affair with Donald Trump, the tabloid's parent made a $30,000 payment …

Trump Allies and House Republicans to Paul Ryan: Get Out Now … House Speaker Paul Ryan's retirement announcement Wednesday morning set off a round of heartburn within the White House and among its allies over the damage that may be done in what's left of his term.

Bannon pitches White House on plan to cripple Mueller probe and protect Trump … Stephen K. Bannon, who was ousted as White House chief strategist last summer but has remained in touch with some members of President Trump's circle, is pitching a plan to West Wing aides and congressional allies …

Exclusive: Inside the GOP plan to discredit Comey  —  Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump's allies are preparing an extensive campaign to fight back against James Comey's publicity tour, trying to undermine the credibility of the former FBI director by reviving the blistering Democratic criticism …

Scott Pruitt's Idea to Update an E.P.A. Keepsake: Less E.P.A., More Pruitt  —  When Scott Pruitt wanted to refashion the Environmental Protection Agency's “challenge coin” — a type of souvenir medallion with military origins that has become a status symbol among civilians …

RUSSIA PREPARES FOR WAR WITH U.S., INSTRUCTING CITIZENS TO BUY WATER AND GAS MASKS  —  Claiming that some Americans are preparing for a coming war with Moscow, Russian state-owned television explained to the country's residents how to stock their bunkers with water and basic foodstuffs in case a war breaks out.

Raid on Trump's Lawyer Sought Records on ‘Access Hollywood’ Tape  —  The F.B.I. agents who raided the office and hotel of President Trump's lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, were seeking details on his relationship with the Trump campaign and his efforts to suppress negative information about Mr. Trump …

Woman: Sexual encounter with Greitens was not consensual.  Lawmakers find her credible  —  When she tried to leave, sobbing after a non-consensual sexual encounter, she says the man who would be governor physically stopped her.  —  What happened next, she testified under oath …

Holocaust Is Fading From Memory, Survey Finds  —  For seven decades, “never forget” has been a rallying cry of the Holocaust remembrance movement.  —  But a survey released Thursday, on Holocaust Remembrance Day, found that many adults lack basic knowledge of what happened …

Firing Rosenstein would cross a red line for the rule of law  —  Source: Trump considering firing Rosenstein  —  Fred Wertheimer is the founder and president of Democracy 21, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that seeks to promote government accountability and integrity.

I Downloaded the Information That Facebook Has on Me.  Yikes.  —  When I downloaded a copy of my Facebook data last week, I didn't expect to see much.  My profile is sparse, I rarely post anything on the site, and I seldom click on ads.  (I'm what some call a Facebook “lurker.")

Women are lining up to date Rudy Giuliani  —  The about-to-be-consciously uncoupled Rudy Giuliani is coming off to Upper East Side sex kittens like catnip.  They're purring at him.  Sidling — if not actually front-ling — in his direction.  —  It seems power is the ultimate aphrodisiac.

Pompeo failed to disclose Chinese business connection  —  WASHINGTON  —  CIA Director Mike Pompeo failed to disclose last year that he owned a Kansas business that imported oilfield equipment from a company owned by the Chinese government.  —  That omission, on the questionnaire Pompeo …

Trump Court Pick Thinks Planned Parenthood ‘Kills Over 150,000 Females A Year’  —  Wendy Vitter refused to tell senators if she still agrees with a speech she gave at a 2013 anti-abortion rally.  —  WASHINGTON One of President Donald Trump's judicial nominees, Wendy Vitter …

Single mom of five goes viral with inspiring law school graduation photo  —  Ieshia Champs has wanted to be a lawyer since she was 7 years old.  In her teenage years, however, the odds began stacking up against her and it appeared that her dream might be permanently out of reach.

Stephanopoulos: Comey compared Trump to a ‘mob boss’ … Ex-FBI Director James Comey  —  compared President Trump  —  to a “mob boss” in a taped interview with ABC News, according to a promotional video released Wednesday.  —  “How strange is it for you to sit here and compare the president …

Angelina Jolie and Bill Gates are the world's most admired people in 2018  —  Thirteen Americans, including three newcomers, make YouGov's Most Admired list  —  Bill Gates and Angelina Jolie are once again the world's most admired man and woman in YouGov's annual study of which public figures the people of our planet look up to.