BREAKING NEWS

The Hill reports: Fire officials said late Monday that Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris was saved from “total destruction” after a massive fire broke out, engulfing much of the building and destroying its iconic spire and stained-glass windows. The blaze spread to the cathedral’s two rectangular towers Monday evening but was later contained. The news that the building has been …

USA Today reports: The fire burned for hours, virtually unabated despite the efforts of hundreds of firefighters. The flames continued to glow when darkness fell. “A special mission has been launched to try to save all works of art that can be saved,” Emmanuel Grégoire, first deputy to the mayor of Paris, said on French TV. “Everything is burning, nothing …

Reuters reports: A fire broke out at Notre Dame Cathedral in central Paris on Monday afternoon, a spokesman from the fire department said. Smoke could be seen billowing out from the top of the medieval cathedral, as flames lept out besides its two bell towers, a Reuters witness said. A major operation was under way, the fire department added, while …

NBC News reports: A man riding a scooter set his jacket on fire in front of the White House Friday afternoon, sources said. The U.S. Secret Service and D.C. Fire and EMS went to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW just after 2:45 p.m. The Secret Service put the fire out and provided aid to the man. A suspicious package was found …

Just in from the Department of Justice: Julian P. Assange, 47, the founder of WikiLeaks, was arrested today in the United Kingdom pursuant to the U.S./UK Extradition Treaty, in connection with a federal charge of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion for agreeing to break a password to a classified U.S. government computer. According to court documents unsealed today, the charge …

The Guardian reports: Julian Assange has been arrested at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where the WikiLeaks founder was granted refuge in 2012 while on bail in the UK over sexual assault allegations against him in Sweden. At the time, Assange claimed that if he was extradited to Sweden he might be arrested by the US and face charges relating …

Chicago’s ABC affiliate reports: Charges against actor Jussie Smollett have been dropped, his attorneys said Tuesday. Smollett is in court to make an emergency court appearance. In a statement, Smollett’s attorneys Tina Glandian and Patricia Brown Holmes said, “Today, all criminal charges against Jussie Smollett were dropped and his record has been wiped clean of the filing of this tragic …

The Washington Post reports: The highly anticipated summary of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation was sent to Congress on Sunday, a Justice Department official said. Attorney General William P. Barr gave senior lawmakers the “principal conclusions” of Mueller’s probe into whether any of President Trump’s associates conspired with Russia to interfere with the 2016 election, and whether the …

The New York Times reports: The special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, has delivered a report on his inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 election to Attorney General William P. Barr, according to the Justice Department, bringing to an apparent close an investigation that has consumed the nation and cast a shadow over President Trump for nearly two years. …

The Washington Post reports: A U.S. Coast Guard lieutenant and self-identified white nationalist was arrested after federal investigators uncovered a cache of weapons and ammunition in his Maryland home that authorities say he stockpiled to launch a massive domestic terror attack targeting politicians and journalists. Christopher Paul Hasson called for “focused violence” to “establish a white homeland” and dreamed of …

Chicago’s ABC affiliate reports: An active shooting situation has been reported at the Henry Pratt Company in southwest suburban Aurora in Kane County. The Henry Pratt company is located in the 400 block of South Highland Avenue. The shooting was confirmed by Kane County Sheriff. At approximately 2:20 p.m., several SWAT officers were visible outside the Henry Pratt building and …

The Associated Press reports: Roger Stone, a confidant of President Donald Trump, was arrested Friday morning on several criminal charges stemming from the special counsel’s Russia investigation. Stone is charged in a seven-count indictment with witness tampering, obstruction and false statements about his interactions related to the release by WikiLeaks of hacked emails during the 2016 presidential election. Some of …

The New York Times reports: In the days after President Trump fired James B. Comey as F.B.I. director, law enforcement officials became so concerned by the president’s behavior that they began investigating whether he had been working on behalf of Russia against American interests, according to former law enforcement officials and others familiar with the investigation. The inquiry carried explosive …

Ladies and gentlemen, Speaker Pelosi: On a day of pomp and pageantry, ebullient Democrats assumed control of the House on Thursday and elected Representative Nancy Pelosi of California to be speaker, returning her to a historic distinction as the first woman to hold the post at the pinnacle of power in Congress, second in line to the presidency. The investiture …

CNN reports: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg underwent a pulmonary lobectomy Friday in New York, the Supreme Court announced. CNN is saying on-air at this writing that the operation was successful and she is “resting comfortably.” The surgery was pre-planned. RGB has had multiple surgeries in the last 20 years. Update to follow shortly…. UPDATE from the Supreme Court press office: …

As the Syria withdrawal decision continues to draw furor from conservatives, Trump just announced that Defense Sec. James Mattis will “retire” at the end of February. Update to follow shortly…. UPDATE via NPR: Defense Secretary James Mattis, a living Marine Corps legend who made history by securing special permission from Congress to lead the Pentagon, is stepping down after a …

CNBC reports: Michael Cohen, the former personal lawyer and fixer for President Donald Trump, was sentenced Wednesday to three years in prison for crimes that include ones which put Trump into legal peril. “I take full responsibility for each act that I pled guilty to — The personal ones to me and those involving the president of the United States …

CNBC reports: Special counsel Robert Mueller on Friday said President Donald Trump’s former fixer and personal lawyer Michael Cohen made “substantial and significant efforts to remediate his misconduct,” and help Mueller’s ongoing criminal investigations. Mueller also said he was not taking a position on what sentence Cohen should receive next Wednesday when he is sentenced for the crime of lying …

NBC News reports: Federal prosecutors in New York have filed their sentencing memo for President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen. Here are the quick takeaways from the filing: The Southern District of New York cited sentencing guidelines of 51 to 63 months in prison when referring to the sentence. Prosecutors asked for a “substantial term of imprisonment.” And …

The Washington Post reports: George H.W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States and the father of the 43rd, was a steadfast force on the international stage for decades, from his stint as an envoy to Beijing to his eight years as vice president and his one term as commander in chief from 1989 to 1993. The last veteran …