Thursday's Headlines: Bitter divisions threaten to derail effort to avert government shutdown

Spies fear former CIA officer may not face justice for suspected role in exposure of sources in China ; Why are we only now hearing of a porn star's racy tale about Trump?; The...

Democracy Dies in Darkness     The morning's most important stories, selected by Post editors   Bitter divisions threaten to derail effort to avert government shutdown Republican defense hawks in the House said a short-term spending plan their party had introduced did not devote enough money to the military. Meanwhile, Senate Democrats began lining up in opposition amid pressure from immigration activists. Absent some sort of accord, federal agencies will cease nonessential activities and furlough hundreds of thousands of employees at midnight Friday. By Mike DeBonis, Erica Werner and Ed O'Keefe  •  Read more » Spies fear former CIA officer may not face justice for suspected role in exposure of sources in China  Veteran U.S. spies were elated to learn of the arrest this week of a suspect in a long-running mole hunt within the CIA's ranks. But their mood was tempered by skepticism that the man will ever face charges for what some believe is his role in the exposure and deaths of several CIA agents in China, according to current and former officials. By Shane Harris and Ellen Nakashima  •   Read more »   Why are we only now hearing of a porn star's racy tale about Trump? Journalists said they held back because they couldn't independently corroborate key elements of Stormy Daniels's account, including in one instance from Daniels herself.  By Paul Farhi  •   Read more »   The setting looks like a pro sporting event. But the competition is a team-based video game. The audience for eSports has surged in recent years and major investors have followed, including owners of traditional sports franchises seeking to reach a young audience. As strange as filling a arena to watch people play video games might seem to some, others find it to be on par with watching any other competition, with city-based franchises, salaried players and fans decked out in licensed merchandise. By Noah Smith  •   Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT Opinions   Is Trump's doctor okay? By Dana Milbank  •   Read more »   Ready for an anti-Trump wave in November? Look at Wisconsin. By E.J. Dionne Jr.  •   Read more »   The president, the porn star and us By Christine Emba  •   Read more »   There's nothing more depressing than a cheerful liberal By George F. Will  •   Read more »   Trump's dangerous threat to the third-largest Hispanic group in America By Charles Lane  •   Read more »   Republicans coo reassurances at 'dreamers.' They're false. By Editorial Board  •   Read more » ADVERTISEMENT More News   Fact Checker | Analysis Trump's 'Fake News awards' focused on pieces that were quickly corrected The "Fake News Awards" touted by President Trump pose a conundrum: Does it really count if the news outlet admits error? By Glenn Kessler  •  Read more »     New federal policy would let doctors decline cases based on religious or moral beliefs The Trump administration is creating a civil rights division within the Health and Human Services Department that would clear the way for medical professionals to opt out of providing abortions or treating transgender patients. By Juliet Eilperin and Ariana Eunjung Cha  •   Read more »   She recorded herself making racial slurs on MLK Day. Her college expelled her. Harley Barber, a University of Alabama freshman from New Jersey, posted one offensive video and then responded to the backlash with another. By Marwa Eltagouri  •   Read more »   Energy Dept. staffer who gave pictures to news outlets seeks whistleblower protection Simon Edelman, who was placed on administrative leave, said he gave official photos to The Washington Post and In These Times magazine that show Energy Secretary Rick Perry hugging a coal mining executive with whom he discussed an "action plan" for overhauling regulations. By Steven Mufson  •   Read more »   The new ambassador to The Hague might be Dutch American, but he's not like anyone the Dutch ever met Peter Hoekstra's dealings with the media have jolted the country of his birth. His appointment had unnerved the Dutch political establishment, since his opposition to gay rights and abortion and skepticism about climate change put him well outside the Dutch mainstream. By Michael Birnbaum  •   Read more »   Bannon agrees to Mueller interview but delays return before House panel A lawyer for former White House strategist Stephen K. Bannon argued that his client doesn't have enough time to prepare for a Thursday interview on the House Intelligence Committee's terms. By Karoun Demirjian and Rosalind S. Helderman  •   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. ©2018 The Washington Post, 1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071