‘My confidence has been shook’: Dems furious after…

House Democrats walked out of a classified briefing sputtering with anger over FBI Director James Comey's response to claims of Russian election hacking. Several of the lawmakers who took part in Friday's meeting said they'd lost confidence in Comey and had become convinced he's unfit to lead the agency, reported The Hill .

Daily Dish: 1/13/2017

Hollywood heavyweight Robert De Niro has come to the defense of Meryl Streep, saying her speech at the Golden Globes was "great." The multiple Oscar-winner wrote a letter of support to his "The Deer Hunter" co-star following fallout after her attack on President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday.

Ex-MI6 man linked to Trump dossier was hired by England’s World Cup bid team

The former British spy behind a dossier of embarrassing allegations about Donald Trump was hired by England's 2018 World Cup bid team because he was an expert on Russia, a source said. An England 2018 senior bid official confirmed to the Press Association that Christopher Steele was brought in to gather information on the ultimately successful Russian bid for the football tournament.

Kerry defends trade pact on last trip abroad as top US diplomat

Secretary of State John Kerry, making his last trip as the top U.S. diplomat, on Friday defended the 12-nation trade pact that the incoming administration said it would scrap and urged countries to refrain from provocative acts in the South China Sea. "I can't predict what the new administration is absolutely going to do with the trade, but I can absolutely tell you that the fundamental reasons for the TPP haven't changed," Kerry told students of University of Technology and Education in southern Ho Chi Minh City, referring to the Trans Pacific Partnership agreement.

The Latest: Trump calls Clinton ‘guilty as hell’

President-elect Donald Trump says Democrats shouldn't be "complaining" about the FBI's handling of Hillary Clinton because she is "guilty as hell" and shouldn't have been allowed to run for president in the first place. Trump seems to be responding to a Justice Department inquiry into the FBI's handling of its investigation into Clinton's private email server, and the FBI's decision to release information about the review days before the election.

Trump raises millions to cover inauguration’s steep costs

In this Dec. 8, 2016 file photo, construction continues on the Inaugural platform in preparation for the Inauguration and swearing-in ceremonies for President-elect Donald Trump, on the Capitol steps in Washington. Trump's Presidential Inaugural Committee has raised a record $90 million-plus in private donations, far more than President Barack Obama's two inaugural committees.

Trump and spy chief differ on what was said in call on Russia dossier

U.S. spy chief James Clapper and President-elect Donald Trump gave different accounts of a phone conversation they had about a dossier of unverified, salacious claims linking Russia to Trump, who is locked in a war of words with the intelligence agencies he will command in eight days. A newcomer to politics, businessman Trump has been at odds with U.S. spy agencies for months, disputing their conclusions that Russia used hacking and other tactics to try to tilt the 2016 presidential election in his favor.

Some U.S. House Republicans doubtful ahead of vote to begin Obamacare repeal

The U.S. House of Representatives moved toward a Friday vote to begin dismantling Obamacare despite anxiety among some Republicans they were rushing into a major step without knowing the budget consequences or having a firm idea of how they would replace the healthcare law. The Republican-led Congress, under pressure from President-elect Donald Trump to act quickly, made the first move toward scrapping Obamacare on Thursday as the Senate voted to instruct key committees to draft legislation to repeal it.

CMO Today: AT&T Chief Meets With Donald Trump, But Doesn’t Discuss Merger

DEAL MAKER : As Donald Trump prepares to take office, one of the big questions hanging over the media industry is whether AT&T's proposed purchase of Time Warner Inc. will receive approval. As The Wall Street Journal reports, AT&T Chief Executive Randall Stephenson headed to Trump Tower on Thursday morning to meet with the president-elect , who vowed before the election to block the $85 billion deal.

Why Trump’s pick for Education could face unusually stiff resistance

In this Dec. 9 photo, Betsy DeVos, Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of education, speaks while on stage with the President-elect at a rally in Grand Rapids, Mich. Issues related to DeVos's wealth, power and influence with lawmakers and stance towards teachers unions and the LGBT community swirl around her nomination.

Ex-MI6 man linked to Trump dossier is no cowboy, say former colleagues

The former British spy apparently at the centre of a dossier containing embarrassing allegations involving Donald Trump has been described by ex-colleagues as a "thorough" and "highly regarded" professional who would not simply "pass on gossip". Ex-MI6 officer Christopher Steele has apparently gone into hiding after being identified as the author of the report claiming Moscow held incriminating material on the US president-elect which it could use to blackmail him.

Two Mother Lode Republicans to attend D.C. ceremonies

Tuolumne County Republicans will host a free event Friday night at the Sonora Opera Hall for people 21 and over to celebrate President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration, and at least two are scheduled to be in Washington, D.C., that day to witness the dawn of a new era in American politics. Becky Wilkins, of Sonora, and County Supervisor Evan Royce, who represents District 3, are planning to fly to the nation's capitol this week after snagging tickets to Friday's inauguration ceremony through Mother Lode U.S. Rep. Tom McClintock's office.

Poll: Israelis believe Trump pro-Israel, Obama pro-Arab

An overwhelming majority of Israelis believe that outgoing President Barack Obama and his administration were pro-Palestinian Authority, as opposed to pro-Israel, according to a new poll by the Smith polling institute. According to the survey, which was released on Thursday, nearly two-thirds of Israeli Jews believe the Obama administration is pro-Palestinian Authority, but an even larger majority say his successor is pro-Israel.