Mueller Report Exceeds 300 Pages, Raising Questions About Four-Page Summary  —  WASHINGTON — The still-secret report on Russian interference in the 2016 election submitted by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, last week was more than 300 pages long, according to American officials …

How Donald Trump inflated his net worth to lenders and investors  —  Reporter covering the Trump family and its business interests.  —  and Jonathan O'Connell  —  Reporter covering economic development with a focus on commercial real estate and the Trump Organization

McConnell to Trump: Health care's all yours  —  Mitch McConnell has no intention of leading President Donald Trump's campaign to transform the GOP into the “party of health care.”  —  “I look forward to seeing what the president is proposing and what he can work out with the speaker,” …

Is Pete Buttigieg Just Another White Male Candidate, or Does His Gayness Count as Diversity?  —  It's been two months since South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg announced the formation of his presidential exploratory committee, and the national profile of his fledgling candidacy has steadily risen.

Exclusive: Puerto Rico governor warns White House: 'If the bully gets close, I'll punch the bully in the mouth'  —  (CNN)Tensions are escalating between President Donald Trump and Puerto Rico's governor over disaster relief efforts that have been slow in coming for the still-battered island after Hurricane Maria.

Jussie Smollett's Attorney: Nigerian Brothers May Have Been Wearing Whiteface During Attack  —  Actor Jussie Smollett's attorney suggested the Osundairo brothers, two Nigerian men who claim Smollett hired them to stage a hate crime, may have been wearing “whiteface” during the incident.

Two black candidates for Savannah's mayor attend meeting that bars white reporters  —  Race was front and center on Wednesday night during a meeting coordinated to garner support for just one black candidate in Savannah's mayoral election.  —  With signs stating “Black press only” …

Trump Ally Jerry Falwell's Liberty University Landed Pentagon Contract Months After Trump's Election  —  Falwell has used Liberty-owned Freedom Aviation for personal, business, and political travel.  Now it's selling jet fuel to the Pentagon.  —  BEAST INSIDE

Inside the mind of Ben Shapiro, the alt-right sage without the rage  —  The controversial commentator talks to The Economist about Western values, disappointment with Trump and moral clickbait  —  EVERYTHING ABOUT Ben Shapiro is polished.  His answers are smooth.  His appearance is neat.

Majority Says Trump Has Done ‘Too Little’ to Distance Himself From White Nationalists  —  Wide partisan gap in Pelosi's early job rating  —  The public's views of Donald Trump have changed little over the course of his presidency - and this is the case for opinions about whether Trump …

DHS to ask Congress for sweeping authority to deport unaccompanied migrant children  —  Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen's proposal will also include more money for detention beds and the ability to hold families in detention longer than currently permitted.

The Republican Party Has an Older Voters Problem  —  Voting Republican has become an activity analogous to watching an episode of Matlock with a tall glass of Metamucil: ordinary for the elderly, but a marker of eccentricity among the young.  —  In 2016, Donald Trump commanded the support …

Matt Gaetz Has Been Trump's Biggest Defender Against Impeachment.  So Now What?  —  WASHINGTON — Three weeks ago, Matt Gaetz's purpose in Congress was clear.  “This place sucks,” he told BuzzFeed News, but he wasn't going anywhere.  President Donald Trump, to whom the Florida Republican …

Plastic Bags to Be Banned in New York State  —  ALBANY — New York State lawmakers have agreed to impose a statewide ban on most types of single-use plastic bags from retail sales.  —  The ban, which is expected to be part of the state's budget bills that are slated to be passed by Monday …

A Mueller mystery: How Trump dodged a special counsel interview — and a subpoena fight  —  It was March 2018, nearly 10 months into his Russia investigation, when special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, a man of few words, raised the stakes dramatically in a meeting with President Trump's lawyers …

House Chairman Demands Briefing on Kushner's Trip to Saudi Arabia  —  Chairman Engel's request comes after reports that key U.S. officials were kept out of meetings with the Saudis.  —  A key House committee is demanding a briefing from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Jared Kushner's trip …

In Vulgar Diatribe, Cuomo Aide Calls 3 Female Lawmakers ‘Idiots’  —  [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.]  —  ALBANY — A debate over Albany's ingrained culture of shadowy fund-raising has erupted into open warfare among the state's Democrats …

Florida Mayor Wayne Messam announces 2020 presidential bid  —  (CNN)Wayne Messam, the little-known mayor of Miramar, Florida, announced Thursday that he is running for president, launching a campaign that will look to accomplish the unlikely: Turning the mayor of the 140,000-person town into the next president of the United States.

Swamp creature crashes Interior pick's hearing  —  A protester dressed as a “swamp creature” was escorted out of a confirmation hearing for Interior Secretary nominee David Bernhardt Thursday morning.  —  The protester remained seated for two hours before being escorted out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing.

Nellie Ohr: ‘I Favored Hillary Clinton’  — Former Fusion GPS contractor Nellie Ohr told Congress in October that she “favored” Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential election.  — Nellie Ohr, whose husband is DOJ official Bruce Ohr, detailed her work for Fusion GPS …

Trump to pick Fox News contributor for new State Dept spokeswoman  —  Morgan Ortagus will replace Heather Nauert, an ex-Fox News anchor who was Trump's pick for new U.N. ambassador but withdrew herself from consideration.  —  The Trump administration has chosen counterterrorism expert …

Is Trump Keyser Söze — Or Inspector Clouseau?  —  Maybe the president brilliantly played the media.  Or maybe we just played ourselves.  —  Maybe we've had this all wrong.  —  Maybe Donald Trump isn't just some two-bit con artist who lucked his way into the White House thanks to an overconfident opponent.

Twitter considering labeling Trump tweets that violate rules  —  A Twitter executive on Wednesday said the company is considering a new feature that will label tweets from politicians, including President Trump, when they violate Twitter rules.  —  Vijaya Gadde, Twitter's head of legal …

Under partisan fire, Adam Schiff presents his case without apology  —  Politico reported earlier this week that House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) is confronting “a withering Republican assault.”  Three days later, the assault is quite a bit more ferocious.