Tipsheet: House GOP intensifies assault on Mueller probe

View in your browser     House GOP intensifies assault on Mueller probe By Katie Bo Williams   House Republicans are intensifying a multi-pronged assault to chip away at special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the U.S. election. A vocal group of conservative members has for weeks blitzed the airwaves decrying bias in Mueller’s investigation and on Thursday, two prominent members called for Attorney General Jeff Sessions to step down from the Justice Department — a resignation that could clear the way for the special counsel’s dismissal. Read the full story here     Listen to the HillCast Power Politics podcast: Top Dem says 'no Republican Senate seat is safe' By Reid Wilson and Alexis Simendinger The Democrat charged with overseeing the party’s long-shot bid to reclaim control of the Senate this year maintains the Republican majority is at risk — though he pointedly declined in an interview for The Hill’s Power Politics podcast to predict how the midterms would play out. Listen to The Hill's podcast here     Trump World frustrated, angry over new book By Jordan Fabian Allies of President Trump are aghast at the damage caused by a new book that paints a picture of a chaotic, dysfunctional and incompetent early months of the Trump administration. Read the full story here     ‘Fire and Fury’ author predicts his book will help end Trump’s presidency By Alicia Cohn Michael Wolff, the author of a controversial new book about President Trump’s White House, said Saturday that his book is creating “the perception and the understanding that will finally end ... this presidency.” Read the full story here     Who is ‘Fire and Fury’ author Michael Wolff?  By Joe Concha Author Michael Wolff has become a household name in days after wall-to-wall coverage of “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House.” The book has brought new scrutiny to Wolff, a 64-year-old newsroom veteran who has been a figure in New York media circles for decades. Read the full story here       GOP senators request criminal investigation of Trump dossier author By Jordain Carney Two GOP senators are asking the Justice Department to open a criminal investigation into Christopher Steele, the author of a controversial research dossier on President Trump.The letter is the first known criminal referral from any of the congressional investigations into Russia's election interference. Read the full story here     Bank hands over Fusion GPS records to House panel By Julia Manchester A bank has reportedly handed over a series of financial records from intelligence firm Fusion GPS after the firm pushed to prevent the documents from being given to Congress. Read the full story here     Top GOP candidate drops out of Ohio Senate race By Ben Kamisar Ohio state Treasurer Josh Mandel (R) is dropping his Senate bid, citing his wife's health issues. Mandel had been the top candidate in the race to take on Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) — he was the party's nominee in the 2012 Senate race against Brown, losing by about 6 points that year.  Read the full story here     Trump to make infrastructure push during Camp David retreat By Melanie Zanona President Trump will push for his long-awaited infrastructure package when he huddles with Republican congressional leaders at Camp David this weekend, as the GOP appears divided about whether the rebuilding effort will be a top priority for the party this year Read the full story here     FBI ruled McCabe had no conflict of interest in Clinton probe: docs By Julia Manchester The FBI said in documents released Friday that Deputy Director Andrew McCabe did not have any role in the probe into Hillary Clinton's private email server while his wife ran as a Democrat for state office in Virginia. Read the full story here     Three views of Trump By Stuart Shapiro OPINION | One year into his presidency, there is no more agreement about where Donald Trump fits in American history than there was when he took office. Read the full story here     People will die if HHS weakens requirements for essential health benefits By Carl Schmid OPINION | Through constant attacks on the Affordable Care Act, whether to repeal the individual mandate or denying cost sharing reduction payments, it is crucial that the focus remain on patients to ensure that access to care is not compromised. Read the full story here     The Associated Press: Trump, GOP lawmakers to take up 2018 agenda at Camp David By Jill Colvin and Andrew Taylor President Donald Trump will huddle with congressional Republicans, Cabinet secretaries and aides at Camp David this weekend to discuss their 2018 legislative priorities. Read the full story here     The Washington Post: Author Wolff revels in White House criticism of tell-all book By David Nakamura   Author Michael Wolff remained defiant Friday in the face of personal attacks from the White House and threats of legal action from President Trump’s lawyers over his tell-all book on the West Wing. Read the full story here     NBC News: Justice Department’s policy shift may slow booming pot industry By Jon Schupper America’s marijuana industry, already threading a thicket of conflicting state and federal laws, entered a new era of uncertainty this week when the Justice Department scrapped a policy that allowed pot to flourish in states that legalized it. Read the full story here     CNN: Is the White House declaring a policy war on California? By Z. Byron Wolf   It's Washington versus California on marijuana, climate change, offshore oil drilling and immigration this week as bubbling disagreements between President Donald Trump's administration and California all seemed to spill over at once. Read the full story here     The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Employers Slowed Pace of Hiring in December By Eric Morath The pace of hiring slowed a bit in the final month of 2017, but remained robust for the year as a whole and the jobless rate held at a 17-year low, signs the broader labor market maintained plenty of momentum going into the new year. Read the full story here         Did a friend forward you this email? 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