Senate Republicans, who have promised a repeal of the Affordable Care Act for seven years, took a major step on Thursday toward that goal, unveiling a bill to cut Medicaid deeply and end the health law’s mandate that most Americans have health insurance, reports The New York Times.

• Politico: McCabe: FBI Has ‘Great Number of Folks’ Working for Trump-Russia Special Prosecutor
• WashExaminer: Trump: Democrats Should Keep Pelosi and Schumer in Charge to Help GOP
• The Hill: Senate GOP Releases Obamacare Repeal Bill With Deep Cuts to Medicaid
• Free Beacon: Iran Threatens to ‘Depose’ Trump as Military Readies Missile Strikes on US Forces
• The Hill: Supreme Court Limits Government’s Power to Revoke Citizenship

Former President Obama’s Homeland Security secretary on Wednesday defended his response to Russian interference in the 2016 election, arguing the last administration’s careful characterization was intended to ensure it was not seen as taking sides in a political fight, reports The Hill.

• The Hill: Trump Jr. Touts Handel as Georgia’s First GOP Woman
• Reuters: Kremlin Calls U.S. Statement on Eastern Ukraine Inappropriate
• The Hill: Bloomberg: Trump Will Win Reelection Because ‘Democratic Party Will Be Torn Apart’
• Politico: Poll: Opposition to GOP Health Bill Is on the Rise
• Reuters: Kremlin Calls U.S. Statement on Eastern Ukraine Inappropriate

Federal investigators probing the lobbying work of ousted national security adviser Michael Flynn are examining the role of Bijan Kian, Flynn’s former business partner, according to an FBI interviewee, reports Reuters. Investigators are also looking at whether payments from foreign clients to Flynn and his company, the now-inactive Flynn Intel Group, were lawful, according to two separate sources with knowledge of the inquiry into Flynn’s business activities.

• The Hill: US Shoots Down Pro-Assad Drone in Syria
• WashTimes: New Study Supports Trump: 5.7 Million Noncitizens May Have Cast Illegal Votes
• Daily Caller: Soros, Clinton-Linked Teneo Among Donors to McCain Institute
• The Hill: No. 2 Senate Republican: We’re Going to Have 50 Votes on Obamacare Repeal
• AP: US Coroner Investigating Death of Student Freed From N Korea