Leaders get Russia briefing

WASHINGTON — House and Senate lawmakers from both parties are meeting with top intelligence officials Thursday for classified briefings as President Donald Trump has raised new suspicions about the federal investigation into his 2016 campaign.

Trump is calling his newest attempt at discrediting special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation “spygate.” In recent days, he has been zeroing in on - and at times embellishing - reports that a longtime U.S. government informant approached members of his campaign during the 2016 presidential election in a possible bid to glean intelligence on Russian efforts to sway the election.

Trump intensified his attacks Thursday, tweeting that it was “Starting to look like one of the biggest political scandals in U.S. history"

Trump's broadsides set the stage for the unusual decision by the White House to arrange a briefing about classified documents that was originally scheduled for just two Republican House members, Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes and Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Trey Gowdy, along with intelligence officials.

After Democrats strongly objected that a GOP-only intelligence briefing was inappropriate, the Justice Department late Wednesday scheduled a second briefing for bipartisan congressional leaders and the same intelligence officials. N. J. FIELD TRIP

Loic Venance / AF P/ Getty Images Disgraced former Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein is expected to surrender to authorities in New York Friday following a monthslong investigation into allegations that he sexually assaulted women.