Thursday's Headlines: As Russia inquiry intensifies, Republicans take aim at Mueller and the FBI

Donald Trump Jr. grilled about Russian contacts by House intelligence committee; In Jerusalem move, Trump delivers on campaign promise despite warnings; Why Al Franken is done-for...

Democracy Dies in Darkness     The morning's most important stories, selected by Post editors   As Russia inquiry intensifies, Republicans take aim at Mueller and the FBI Several law enforcement officials said they are concerned that the drumbeat of criticism from GOP activists and lawmakers seems designed to erode special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's credibility, making it more politically palatable to ignore his recommendations as his inquiry moves further into President Trump's inner circle. By Devlin Barrett and Sean Sullivan  •  Read more » Donald Trump Jr. grilled about Russian contacts by House intelligence committee In his roughly seven-hour interview, the president's eldest son was queried about a June 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer and his contact with WikiLeaks in October 2016. By Karoun Demirjian and Rosalind S. Helderman  •   Read more »   In Jerusalem move, Trump delivers on campaign promise despite warnings The president's choice to align himself with prominent proponents of the decision, including Vice President Pence and donor Sheldon Adelson, underscored his determination to break with past policy and keep a pledge to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel — despite the potential risks to U.S. interests in the region. By Josh Dawsey, Missy Ryan and Karen DeYoung  •   Read more »   The Fix | Analysis Why Al Franken is done-for — and Roy Moore isn't The writing has been on the wall. It just took the senator's Democratic colleagues a little longer to see it than it should have. By Aaron Blake  •   Read more »   Franken's office disputes report that he plans to resign The growing push raises the possibility that Minnesota Democrat will become the second lawmaker to step aside over recent accusations of inappropriate behavior. Franken has denied intentional wrongdoing and has apologized. By Elise Viebeck, Ed O'Keefe and Karen Tumulty  •   Read more »   Critic's Notebook A history of the final dying days of the power suit Blame hoodie-clad tech entrepreneurs, blame President Trump, blame the priests of high fashion: The menswear classic — once a requirement for moving into the executive suite — is now merely an option, not a must-have. How did a potent symbol of status meet such an ignominious demise? By Robin Givhan  •   Read more »   GOP lawmakers consider shrinking size of corporate tax cut, sources say The House and Senate passed bills that would lower the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent. But GOP negotiators are now discussing a rate of 22 percent to free up more revenue, people familiar with the discussions said. By Damian Paletta and Erica Werner  •   Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT Opinions   Doesn't Trump ever get tired of losing so much? By Dana Milbank  •   Read more »   Who are Republicans really? Look to Alabama. By E.J. Dionne Jr.  •   Read more »   The Republicans' tax wager is worth the gamble By George F. Will  •   Read more »   Is anyone ever wrong anymore? By Mitch Daniels  •   Read more »   State Department sets up emergency task force for Jerusalem fallout By Josh Rogin  •   Read more »   Trump's Jerusalem move is a big risk By Editorial Board  •   Read more » ADVERTISEMENT More News   'Days that break your heart': Calif. fires consume tens of thousands of acres and encroach on Los Angeles Gov. Jerry Brown (D) declared states of emergency in Los Angeles and Ventura counties due to the fires, and more than 4,000 firefighters and other first responders have been deployed throughout the region. By Scott Wilson, Mark Berman and Eli Rosenberg  •  Read more »     North Korea threat makes U.S. Olympic participation an 'open question,' Nikki Haley says The U.N. ambassador did not confirm that it was a "done deal" the U.S. government would recommend that its athletes compete in PyeongChang amid rising tensions in the region. By Des Bieler  •   Read more »   North Korean 'ghost ships' are washing up on the shores of Japan, prompting questions about why now Many analysts think it's a reflection of tougher sanctions imposed to punish the regime, with fishermen running out of fuel as they try to meet increasing quotas. By Anna Fifield  •   Read more »   In Senate race, Democrat Doug Jones tries firing up Alabama's black voters by bringing in big names Jones and his allies are finalizing plans to organize campaign events that feature several high-profile current or former African American elected officials, including Sen. Cory Booker and Deval Patrick. By Sean Sullivan  •   Read more »   Australian Parliament approves same-sex marriage measure after bitter debate Lawmakers rejected amendments meant to safeguard freedoms of speech and religion for gay-marriage opponents. The law will likely take effect in about a month, with the first weddings expected about a month later. By Rod McGuirk | AP  •   Read more »         Share Today's Headlines:    Twitter     Facebook Trouble reading? Click here to view in your browser. You received this email because you signed up for Today's Headlines or because it is included in your subscription. For additional free newsletters or to manage your newsletters, click here. We respect your privacy. If you believe that this email has been sent to you in error or you no longer wish to receive email from The Washington Post, click here. Contact us for help. ©2017 The Washington Post, 1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071