1. Top Trump campaign adviser Rick Gates is close to a plea deal with Robert Mueller. Gates has been involved in plea negotiations for about a month, and sources familiar with the case say he is poised to cooperate with the investigation. If Gates agrees to a plea deal, he will be the third known cooperator in the special counsel's probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. (CNN)

  2. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 16-5 in favor of the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act, despite protests from Jeff Sessions and some senators. The bill, along with its similar counterpart in the House, will likely face steep challenges from the White House and the rest of the Legislature. (CNN)

  3. Trump apparently engaged in another extramarital affair before he was elected, this time with former Playmate of the Year, Karen McDougal. Trump also allegedly took elaborate steps to cover his tracks and prevent McDougal from speaking out about the alleged affair. The New Yorker obtained an eight-page, handwritten note from McDougal's friend, in which McDougal details her relationship with Trump. (The New Yorker)

  4. A top FCC watchdog is investigating FCC Chairman Ajit Pai for improper coordination with Sinclair Broadcasting. Pai led the charge at the FCC to introduce new rules that allow television broadcasters to drastically increase the number of stations they own, just weeks before Sinclair announced a $3.9 billion deal to buy Tribune Media. The deal would not have been possible without the new rules. The investigation into Pai's relationship with Sinclair began at the end of last year. (New York Times)

  5. Trump has set the record for the longest time without a formal press conference in the last 50 years. The last time a president went more than a year without holding a formal press conference was during the Lyndon B. Johnson administration. (The Daily Beast)

  6. Paul Ryan says it's not yet time to wage political battles over the issue of guns in America. "This is one of those moments where we just need to step back and count our blessings," Ryan told reporters at a news conference on Thursday. He added: "We need to think less about taking sides and fighting each other politically, and just pulling together. (CNN)