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Axios reports: Donald Trump Jr. is preparing to dive into the 2018 midterm elections. He wants to use his influence within the Republican base to “expand our majority in the Senate and protect our majority in the House,” said a source close to the president’s son. Expect Don Jr. to be raising money for Republican candidates and staging rallies. Don …

CNBC reports: Vice President Mike Pence says it’s time for special counsel Robert Mueller to conclude his probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election. He says: “In the interests of the country, I think it’s time to wrap it up.” Pence spoke to NBC News following the release of three Americans held by North Korea. Pence adds: “I would …

New York Magazine reports: After Gina Haspel’s confirmation hearing on Wednesday it appeared likely that she had the votes to become the next CIA director. But that night Senator John McCain released a statement urging his colleagues to reject her nomination, potentially giving wavering senators the cover they need to oppose her. McCain has been home in Arizona battling brain …

The New York Post reports: Amid his divorce from his wife of 12 years, Donald Trump Jr. has started dating stunning Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle. Multiple sources exclusively tell Page Six that Don Jr. and Guilfoyle, a co-host of “The Five,” have been dating for a few weeks, as his divorce from Vanessa Trump proceeds. One source exclusively told …

NPR reports: Three American men who had been held by North Korea touched U.S. soil once again early Thursday, where they were met by President Trump, who has hailed his diplomacy with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for winning their freedom. The trio — Kim Dong Chul, Kim Hak Song and Tony Kim – all held on charges of …

Politico reports: A Russian company tied to a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin entered a not-guilty plea Wednesday in a U.S. criminal case charging that it funded internet trolls and polarizing social media advertisements in a bid to boost Donald Trump’s chances of winning the 2016 presidential election. Prosecutors from special counsel Robert Mueller’s office allege that the …

Axios reports: Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) said Wednesday that he will vote to confirm President Trump’s nominee for CIA director, Gina Haspel. Why it matters: Several Republicans and outside groups were hoping they could get Manchin, a red-state Democrat, to fold on Haspel because, with his support, Haspel will go to the floor as a bipartisan nominee. They also hope …

Agence France-Presse reports: Saudi Arabia will seek to develop its own nuclear weapons if Iran does, Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told CNN on Wednesday, amid spiraling tension between the regional rivals. Asked whether Riyadh would “build a bomb itself” if Tehran seizes on Washington’s withdrawal from the 2015 Iran deal to resume a nuclear weapons program, Jubeir said: “If Iran …

Politico reports: A Dutch attorney now has the dubious distinction of being the first person imprisoned in connection with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Alex van der Zwaan, 33, reported to a low-security Federal Bureau of Prisons facility near Allenwood, Pennsylvania, on Monday to serve the 30-day sentence he received for …

The Hill reports: President Trump’s nominee to lead the CIA Gina Haspel will be grilled by senators Wednesday at a hearing expected to center on her role in the CIA’s use of harsh interrogation techniques during the George W. Bush administration. Haspel, a 33-year career veteran of the agency, faces a difficult confirmation battle given the GOP’s narrow 51-49 majority. …

The New York Times reports: President Trump declared a diplomatic victory on Wednesday by announcing that North Korea had freed three American prisoners, removing a bitter and emotional obstacle ahead of a planned meeting between him and the young leader of the nuclear-armed nation. The release of the three prisoners, all American citizens of Korean descent, was in some ways …

The Associated Press reports: Iran’s supreme leader denounced President Donald Trump on Wednesday over his decision to pull America out of the 2015 nuclear deal, while lawmakers lit a paper U.S. flag on fire inside parliament, shouting, “Death to America!” In comments before school teachers, Khamenei told Trump: “You cannot do a damn thing!” The exhortation from Khamenei, who has …

The New York Daily News reports: The public dismantling of ex-state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman took less than 24 hours, a fast and freaky plunge from powerful prosecutor to potential perp walk. Schneiderman’s dramatic fall from grace was capped off by Gov. Cuomo’s appointment late Tuesday of a special prosecutor to investigate allegations that the state’s former top lawman physically …

Slate reports: It’s been pretty hard to predict which way the Republican Party would go of late, what with the whole Donald Trump situation, but anyone who bet big on “Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell celebrates a political enemy’s defeat by gleefully comparing himself to Pablo Escobar” is cleaning up in the office pool tonight. After Don Blankenship lost the …

The Washington Post reports: Gina Haspel is expected to tell the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday that she “will not restart” the CIA’s brutal interrogation program if confirmed to lead the agency, according to excerpts of her remarks released by the agency in advance of what is expected to be a contentious confirmation hearing. Haspel’s hearing comes just days after …

CNN reports: Ex-convict and coal baron Don Blankenship has lost his bid for the Republican Senate nomination in West Virginia, CNN projects. CNN projects he will place third, behind Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and Rep. Evan Jenkins, in the race to take on Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin in the fall. The political world was watching to see how Blankenship would …

The Salt Lake Tribune reports: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is ending its relationship with the Boy Scouts of America and will create new youth programs for its members. The church said the move will be effective Dec. 31, 2019, according to a news release. The announcement comes soon after the Boy Scouts of America changed their …

The Associated Press reports: Greg Pence has won the Republican primary for an Indiana congressional seat his younger brother, Vice President Mike Pence, once held for a dozen years. He defeated four others Tuesday in the 6th District race, including Muncie businessman Jonathan Lamb. He’d argued that Greg Pence merely relied on his prominent name and dodged debates. Pence raised …

USA Today reports: Uber executives continue to grapple with a host of challenges, but that hasn’t put the brakes on the company’s futuristic — and somewhat outlandish — plans to develop a network of flying taxis. The project gained a bit more altitude at Tuesday’s kickoff of the two-day Uber Elevate conference in Los Angeles to discuss urban air transportation. …

Penthouse Magazine today published an extensive interview with Stormy Daniels, much of which is as amusing we’ve come to expect. But let’s just jump to the part that is getting all the attention, shall we? “What was your impression of Trump before you met him?” I ask. “Before I met him, I thought that he was on TV and had …