So far this week, Mr Trump’s calendar showed he took part in one intelligence briefing, a lunch with vice-president Mike Pence, and a private Trump campaign fundraiser at his own Washington hotel.

The president says he’s going after Cliff Sims, but it’s just his usual bluster. What worked in Trump Tower doesn’t work in the White House.

...indictments, international sanctions, a botched assassination and an unprecedented global spotlight have done little to deter Vladimir Putin from continuing to target the West with his hacker army

Scott Walker and Donald Trump promised a huge manufacturing facility and 13,000 jobs. So far Foxconn has hired 178

‘Impressing the NRA’s Russian hosts is the quickest way to secure a private interview with President Putin’

McConnell is saying the quiet part out loud on voting rights.

Dan Coats says situation in Pyongyang and Tehran entirely different to picture painted by president in recent speeches

Trump will often float policy proposals with little strategy for how to implement them, then surrender when the proposals flounder.

When one of the most famous black and gay men in America is not safe, the message is clearer than it has ever been.

The UK Parliament voted to send the British prime minister back to Brussels to seek concessions — even though the European Union has already refused.

Trump reportedly keeps finding a way to meet the Russian leader privately.

...the bill aims to “prevent and limit the duration of future shutdowns and ensure that lawmakers feel the harm they cause federal employees when they fail to fund the government.”

...lawmakers narrowly failed to approve an amendment giving Parliament the power to instruct her to seek a delay to avoid a disorderly, and possibly chaotic, exit

Stone became the 34th person charged by Mueller.

“I’m certainly open to it”

On May 29, A.X allegedly walked into T-Mobile's lab, broke off Tappy's arm, and put it into his bag.

He was hospitalized, and his condition has not been released.

The Senate GOP has no appetite for another political debacle and is pushing Trump away from closing the government again.

Joshua Tree was among the parks hit hardest by the shutdown, with reports of visitors defacing rocks with graffiti, camping illegally, and cutting down trees that have been around for centuries.

The Justice Department said Huawei sidestepped US sanctions on Iran by telling a global bank it had no relationship with Skycom, which the US said is controlled by Huawei.

The decision could complicate acting agency chief Andrew Wheeler's hopes for Senate confirmation.

The judge postponed a sentencing on bank- and tax-fraud charges until the former Trump campaign chairman resolves a separate dispute with Robert Mueller over lying charges.

But now the N.R.A. is seeking to distance itself from the trip, after revelations that a Russian woman who helped arrange it, Maria Butina, was conspiring to infiltrate the organization.

Stone’s criminal case is off to a chaotic start, after his Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based lawyers failed to make the 9 a.m. deadline to file paperwork to appear in federal court in Washington

Stone, meanwhile, was allowed to go free within hours of his Friday arrest after posting $250,000 bond.

Because, according to the court, the law was intended to serve “the broad dominant purpose of preserving the purity and integrity of the white race.”

Coulter repeatedly accused Gingrich of sycophancy—except in more vulgar terms.

“They don’t deserve this. No reporter does.”

“This guy’s mean as a snake!” he said, pointing at McConnell and looking around the room. The entire group burst out laughing.

It promised to create a ‘robust’ waiver process for visa applicants from countries affected by the travel ban. The process is a sham.

“No one had ever seen the Oval Office!” the current president claimed during a recent meeting with business executives

By waiting for Congress to act, the president is undermining the legal basis for any declaration.

What the education secretary gets wrong about workforce training in public schools

The Trump years have been no better than average and mostly below average in 12 of the 14 measures.

That’s darkening a fiscal outlook already made worrisome by rising entitlement-program expenses and higher costs to service America’s nearly $16 trillion in debt.

The House [...] will turn to legislation higher on the Democrats’ priority list, including a bill to raise pay for civilian federal employees.

The “Jillian Turner” he tagged was not Gillian Turner, Fox News’ Washington correspondent, however. She appears to be a California high school student

An attractive narrative emits a powerful force, whether it’s about politics or things less serious, and we’re all susceptible to its allure.

Deripaska is ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin

Republicans are delaying assigning members to a House committee that would help Robert Mueller

Corsi has been identified as "Person 1" in the 24-page federal indictment filed by special counsel Robert Mueller against Stone

"He is willing to do whatever it takes to secure the border. He does take this very seriously. This is a serious humanitarian and security crisis."

The Tu-160s remained in international space and did not enter Canadian or U.S. territory

That is not true.

Unlike the 800,000 career federal employees who have been promised full back pay in coming days, government contractors — who are thought to number in the millions — have no legal claim to the five weeks of lost wages.

Kushner appears to have few allies, occupying what people close to him describe as a no-win position.

The firings show Trump’s business was relying on undocumented workers even as the president demanded a border wall to keep out such immigrants.

The shutdown made for the longest stretch of Trump's presidency that he did not play golf.

Pelosi told reporters a date would be worked out for the president's address but for the time being, "the state of the union is not planned now."

The United States does not grant titles of nobility. There are no lords, barons or dukes here. At least, not officially.

Was this the shutdown to end all shutdowns?

Trump and at least 17 campaign officials and advisers had contacts with Russian nationals and WikiLeaks, or their intermediaries

...he inadvertently revealed how intertwined the government is with millions of households, businesses and the entire U.S. economy.

What’s certain is the administration explicitly warned Senate Democrats in advance that the president would not tolerate anything more for Puerto Rico in a disaster aid bill now pending in Congress.

The blase attitude of Trump administration officials is a world away from the experience of federal employees – who fear a repeat in three weeks’ time

The president closed the government in the belief that his core supporters would never forgive him if he didn’t build the wall. Instead, the closure showed weaknesses in that coalition.

...we have been asked to make clear that the article contained a number of false statements which we accept should not have been published.

Pelosi (D-CA) became the highest official yet to formally embrace legislation that would effectively prevent the government from closing.

The hashtag #TrumpCaved became the top trend on Twitter.

Even as he agreed to reopen the government, the president used recycled inaccurate claims to press his case for a wall.

Life comes at you fast.

...but said it would take in some of the asylum seekers anyway.

...due to lost productivity from furloughed workers and economic activity lost to outside business

Experts say Trump’s claims are ‘divorced from reality.’

The Senate approves by unanimous consent a bill to re-open the government for three weeks while negotiations continue on border security funding.

The president announced on Friday that he’d sign a short-term spending bill without money for the wall.

MR. STONE: Pardon me?

Reports strongly suggest Steve Bannon was the "high-ranking" Trump campaign official who worked with Roger Stone

After the president caved and ended the shutdown without getting a wall, it's clearer than ever he's not a master negotiator.

On Friday staffing problems at two air-traffic control facilities on the East Coast [...] prompted the F.A.A. to slow traffic in and out of airports.

In an indictment unsealed Friday, the special counsel disclosed evidence that a top campaign official in 2016 dispatched Roger J. Stone [...] to get information from WikiLeaks about the thousands of hacked Democratic emails.

–CNN

The no-nonsense judge assigned Stone’s case has already demonstrated that she’s got little patience for defendants who misbehave.

...after scraping up enough money left over from last year’s funds.

The IRS called back 26,000 staffers to work without pay in a key division during the partial government shutdown, but less than half, around 12,000, actually reported by Tuesday

The longtime Trump adviser has been in Mueller’s crosshairs for some time.

The longtime Trump associate faces allegations he lied to and obstructed the House Intelligence Committee's Russia investigation.

“This is your fault.”

Has Trump shopped for groceries ever in his life?

Exactly how many is unclear.

On one hand, with the situation spiraling out of control, it feels impossible that the status quo could continue. On the other, the same could have been said one, two or even three years ago

The defeated measure is similar to one the Senate approved unanimously in December, only to see Mr. Trump reject it

The documents also reflect a sense of urgency with administration plans, noting that environmental reviews can be skipped and DHS can use waivers to bypass contracting laws.

It is a political hostage situation in which the president has taken part of the government hostage to get money for his wall.

Jared Kushner was rejected for a top secret clearance by 2 career security specialists, but their supervisor overruled them and approved him, say sources.

Senate Intelligence traditionally does their interviews behind closed doors, not publicly.

“Nancy Pelosi, or Nancy, as I call her”

...after Republicans refused to also open the rest of the federal government.

Trump’s interference in congressional travel misused the commander-in-chief power for political purposes, endangered the speaker’s delegation, and obstructed the exercise of Congress’ Article I legislative fact-finding responsibilities.

The European Union punished four Russians this week in connection with the Skripal poisoning, but the U.S. hasn't moved forward with its own penalties.

Ordinarily, one might expect a presidential administration’s leading economic figures to understand something of these financial realities.

“The idea that it’s paycheck or zero is not really a valid idea,” said Wilbur Ross, a billionaire and longtime friend of President Trump. He suggested workers apply for low-interest loans.

Think of it as WikiLeaks, but without Julian Assange’s aversion to posting Russian secrets.

The new proof came in the form of a late 2017 draft memo outlining “policy options” for responding to undocumented immigration. Those options included a plan to “Separate Family Units” and another plan to “Increase Prosecution of Family Unit Parents”

Guaido’s declaration takes Venezuela into uncharted territory, with the possibility of the opposition now running a parallel government recognized abroad as legitimate but without control over state functions.

The victims were not immediately identified.

In truth, none of this should be surprising. Trump promised a totally and completely unorthodox presidency. And literally every day of his two-plus years in the White House, he has delivered on that pledge.

It's the fourth time he's blocked the bill to reopen most of government.

...citing Mr. Trump’s verbal attacks on Mr. Cohen’s family in the days since he scheduled his appearance on Capitol Hill.

The protestors arrived at the Lexington office in hopes of handing off some letters to the senator’s staff about the government shutdown

Trump’s view, which he has applied to numerous bargaining scenarios throughout his career, is that his sociopathic indifference to human welfare gives him a negotiating advantage.

“It is a little bit of pain, but it’s going to be for the future of our country, and their children and their grandchildren and generations after them will thank them for their sacrifice right now.”

When Trump FCC Chairman Ajit Pai cheated his way to a repeal of Net Neutrality, he justified allowing ISPs to decide to slow down the services you want to use by saying that doing so would encourage investment in network buildout

The president's letter is the latest move in a game of brinkmanship between the two over the address amid the partial government shutdown. Nancy Pelosi did not blink.

Manafort appears to be doing something to curry favor with President Donald Trump [...] Manafort is out here helping the president by causing problems for Mueller

U.S. tariffs on European cars and auto parts would mark a significant escalation of trans-Atlantic tensions because the value of EU automotive exports to the American market is about 10 times greater than that of the bloc’s steel and aluminum exports combined.

"The Committee on Oversight and Reform is launching an in-depth investigation of the security clearance process at the White House and Transition Team in response to grave breaches of national security at the highest levels of the Trump Administration"

Across the government, initiatives that don’t align with President Donald Trump’s agenda are flickering off faster than favored ones during the partial government shutdown

During much, if not all, of Trump's campaign he sought to enrich himself by pursuing a luxury hotel-condominium-office deal in Russia known as Trump Tower Moscow.

In a bipartisan 357-22 vote, the Democrat-led lower chamber sent the Senate the NATO Support Act, which would prohibit the use of federal funds to withdraw from the 70-year-old alliance.

"When I was interviewed by the special counsel's office, I was asked about the Trump campaign and our dealings with the NRA"

While the judiciary is exploring ways to extend that run by a day, “no further extension beyond Feb. 1 will be possible”

...due to outstanding disagreements over intellectual property rules.

One FBI special agent said the partial government shutdown has "eliminated any ability to operate." Another said the job has "never been so hard or thankless." A third said agents cannot "protect and serve the American people."

...but did not receive it

...the committee could move to impeach the newly-appointed justice if their findings prove he knowingly lied to lawmakers during his confirmation process.

It told the story of a 2016 yachting excursion ... [that] ... revealed that Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Prikhodko was also on board and that he and Deripaska had discussed the U.S. election campaign.

The Senate measure is likely to encompass funding for the president's wall as well as funding for the 25 percent of the government that's been shut down for the last month.

...a challenge to New York City’s prohibition on carrying a licensed, locked and unloaded handgun outside the city limits.

...leaving protections for nearly 700,000 undocumented immigrants who came to the US as children in place for at least the next several months.

...his admission that he fears that lying for Donald Trump will be on his gravestone stood out as the most honest answer among screeds of spin and distraction.

Otisville’s camp has long been the lockup of choice among Jewish white-collar offenders

Both voters and the leadership of the Democratic Party see this sordid episode for exactly what it is: attempted extortion.

...as the justices put on hold lower court rulings blocking the plan on constitutional grounds.

“If anything, I know its a crazy statement to make, but I feel like that’s what the National Mall is supposed to be about. People go there and protest, say whatever you want to say and then you go home. I think that was great display of all First Amendment rights, no Second Amendment. It was a good time.”

That context cannot be divorced from the image of the MAGA hat any more than the Confederate flag can be divorced from the brutality of chattel slavery.

Under Republican leadership, the United States is starting to look an awful lot like the failed Soviet system the party once stood unified against.

A controversial video of Catholic students clashing with American Indians appeared to tell a simple truth. A second video called that story into question. But neither shows what truly happened.

"One of my favorite quotes from Dr. King was 'now is the time to make real the promises of democracy.' ... He inspired us to change through the legislative process to become a more perfect union. That's exactly what President Trump is calling on the Congress to do"

'Apparently, MLK volunteered to be murdered'

...with many employees citing "financial limitations" preventing them from working.

...here is what I see: A microcosm of a movement that has sold itself to a carnival barker making empty promises.

At least four panels are expected to challenge DeVos on her most polarizing policies, among them her overhaul of campus sexual assault rules and her rollback of for-profit college regulations.

...and not intended to convey facts.

But I can tell you, from the moment I read the story, I knew the story was false.

Trump’s right shoulder has been slimmed down and his face is looking thinner. He’s also gotten a haircut—well, a digital one anyway—and in one of the strangest alterations, Trump’s fingers have been made slightly longer. Seriously.

Although many of the details are different, the legal and procedural questions raised are not.

Other kids could be seen laughing, jumping around and making fun of the chants.

What Trump’s offering — temporary extensions of existing protections for both groups of immigrants — isn’t something that Democrats have been wildly enthusiastic about in the past. Furthermore, with Trump’s efforts to strip existing protections held up in court, it’s essentially a short extension of the status quo.

In casting the proposal as a compromise, Mr. Trump sought to shift pressure to Democrats to end the government shutdown.

The group dug under a steel barrier in seven spots about 10 miles east of a border crossing in San Luis and made no effort to elude immigration agents.

That would be the growing antagonism between the countries and the South China Sea and Africa.

...says chief of staff indicated ‘country first, president second’ approach

His campaign was a marketing venture. That’s why he didn’t want to put business on hold.

“BuzzFeed News stands by this story 100%”

The vice president is appalled anyone would criticize her

“BuzzFeed’s description of specific statements to the special counsel’s office, and characterization of documents and testimony obtained by this office, regarding Michael Cohen’s congressional testimony are not accurate”

All three major indexes surged nearly 3% on the week. US markets have advanced four weeks in a row, the longest winning streak since the summer.

This was also a plot point in 2018’s Sicario: Day of the Soldado, a sequel to the 2015 drug-cartel thriller Sicario.

Expressions of regret for past positions out of step with today's Democratic Party have become an early staple of the presidential race.

Meanwhile, the head of the White House budget office issued a memo Friday instructing all agencies that: "Under no circumstances during a government shutdown will any government owned, rented, leased, or chartered aircraft support any Congressional delegation, without the express written approval of the White House Chief of Staff."

...renewing a high-level diplomatic dialogue that has eased tensions with a rogue nuclear state but has shown no progress in eliminating its nuclear arsenal.

A group of 376, including nearly 200 minors, was arrested.

...they got wind that the administration had leaked the delegations plans to travel to Afghanistan on commercial charter after their office was approached by reporters citing multiple administration officials asking about those plans.

Trump revived an old and still unproved rumor that hints that Islamic migrants were entering the United States through Mexico and could pose a terrorism threat.

China has offered to go on a six-year buying spree to ramp up imports from the U.S.

First Lady Melania Trump reportedly used another military aircraft to fly to Florida for a weekend vacation at the Trump family’s private Mar-a-Lago resort.

Democratic lawmakers’ aides are discussing how to divide up the investigative work among committees and prevent overlap on requesting documents

The irony is that more Americans than realize it have Mexican blood.

Trump received 10 personal updates from Michael Cohen and encouraged a planned meeting with Vladimir Putin.

Shutdown or no, the consolidated lawsuits facing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over its 2017 rules that wiped out net neutrality protections nationwide will go forward on Feb. 1

"Out of consideration for the 800,000 great American workers not receiving pay and to ensure his team can assist as needed..."

...following disagreements with other members of the Trump administration over housing policy and the White House’s attempt to block disaster-recovery money for Puerto Rico

Former Republican Gov. Scott Walker signed the new restrictions into law roughly three weeks before he was to leave office

...the saturnine Senate leader issued a Washington Post op-ed that reads a lot like a series of spell-checked Donald Trump tweets

Democrats aren’t only coming after free speech. They’re also taking aim at your wallet.

In her message, Marci Whitaker says the Mueller investigation is “wrapping up” and that the government shutdown is affecting her family’s ability to earn a living.

“one sophomoric response does not deserve another”

But these workers may be breaking federal ethics laws with their online fundraising.

...forcing thousands of workers to report to work without pay, many of them in sectors that could minimize damage to the president’s base.

"People make their decision over what's the biggest loss," Voss says. "And, until he's really worried about the loss of his base, he's not going to make a deal."

...a tit-for-tat retaliation that deepened the divide between the leaders and brought the government no closer to reopening.

Hoyer asked unanimous consent to vacate proceedings by which the CR was passed and schedule a recorded vote on it for Wednesday.

"What we've done thus far is a review of the documents. And the review of the documents thus far have revealed all the policies and procedures were followed"

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has said a no-deal Brexit looks "less and less unlikely" and has launched a contingency plan to prepare for it.

...and the separations began months before the policy was announced

...a Walmart bag, blue, containing somewhere over $12,000 in cash and a boxing glove that Michael Cohen, then Trump’s personal attorney, claimed had been owned by a Brazilian fighter.

"Trump's order was reckless and driven far more by domestic political concerns than it was by facts on the ground"

–Michael Cohen

Behind the scenes, Michael Cohen hired RedFinch Solutions, then allegedly stiffed it—and his boss

Trump’s legal spokesman Rudolph W. Giuliani on Wednesday night appeared to grant the possibility that members of Trump’s campaign did, in fact, collude with the Russians during the 2016 presidential election campaign.

...people overstaying their visas made up about 62 percent of new undocumented immigrants in the country, compared with 38 percent who crossed the border outside designated ports of entry.

Legislative defeats, financial problems, and a surprisingly difficult ally in the White House.

"He seems to be running away from us"

Investigators monitored the man for months, and then arrested him when he tried to buy weapons from an undercover F.B.I. employee

The newly signed law aims to swiftly reimburse workers once the government is open

On the same day that an ISIS-claimed attack killed US service members in Syria, Vice President Mike Pence declared that "the caliphate has crumbled and ISIS has been defeated."

“We. . . found that [the agency] improperly ignored these Emoluments Clauses, even though the lease itself requires compliance with the laws of the United States, including the Constitution”

...winning a no confidence vote by 325 to 306.

“Trump should have divested his business interests rather than ignoring the advice of ethics experts.”

The oath of office is a president’s promise to subordinate his private desires to the public interest, to serve the nation as a whole rather than any faction within it. Trump displays no evidence that he understands these obligations.

Trump's economists have now doubled projections of how much economic growth is being lost each week.

Trump spoke with a reporter [...] on July 8, 2017 and insisted that Russia was “falsely accused” of meddling in the 2016 election contest. Trump apparently demanded that most of this conversation be conducted off the record

“This is an outrageous step, and the justifications provided ... are farcical and make it clear that the administration cares only about the impacts on its favorite industry and not its workers, their families, and ordinary Americans”

“We will make our best efforts following regular order in the appropriate committees and mark up bipartisan legislation relating to your request. This would include debating and voting on investments on the Southern border that are necessary, effective, and appropriate to accomplish that goal”

“The fact that Mr Trump didn’t want the State Department or members of the White House team to know what he was talking with Mr Putin about suggests it was not about advancing our country’s national interest but something more problematic.”

...speculation regarding Trump and obstruction is nothing new. The idea that Kushner could face legal jeopardy, on the other hand, adds a new dimension.

The House speaker is citing security concerns, but Democrats also don't want to give Trump a platform to blame them for the shutdown.

The GOP’s 2014 lawsuit against then-President Barack Obama was the first time a district-court judge affirmed the right of the House of Representatives, as an institution, to sue a sitting president.

Such visits raise questions about whether patronizing Trump’s private business is viewed as a way to influence public policy

The more Democrats try to pin the immaturity label on Trump, the more Republicans are likely to eschew it.

“One thing that we worry about is what is going to break consumer confidence, what is going to shake consumers and shake business confidence, what is going to make people worried enough that maybe they pull back a little bit”

The interpreters working for Soviet leaders were trained to take nearly verbatim stenographic notes. Declassified Soviet records of Cold War talks are often more detailed than official American notes on the same conversations

The form also reportedly prompts applicants to explain their stance on the “creation/evolution debate.”

Mueller's team released a small mountain of evidence supporting their claim that Manafort lied to them on numerous occasions. The document dump, which is heavily redacted, adds up to almost 200 pages in total, which, investigators wanted Manafort to know, “does not contain all of the evidence compiled by the FBI on these issues.”

Trump doesn’t understand how to negotiate with House Democrats.

May's Brexit deal has been rejected by 230 votes - the largest defeat for a sitting government in history.

...and said he was determined to resist any pressure from Mr. Trump to use law enforcement for political purposes.

Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev warned Tuesday that Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's current pro-West strategy could lead to a total dismantling of the state.

When it became clear that the men wouldn’t be arrested and deported, as was apparently the plan, one of Loomer’s associates groaned and shouted “Catch and release!” at them.

The wine blogger-turned State Department official allegedly created a list of career government staffers disloyal to President Donald Trump.

The Coast Guard was able to issue final paychecks for the year, but will be unable to distribute further pay until a budget deal is reached or another appropriation agreement is made.

Barr has known Mueller both "personally and professionally" for 30 years

"We are recalling inspectors and engineers to perform duties to ensure continuous operational safety of the entire national airspace,"

McConnell blocked the two bills, saying the Senate wouldn't "participate in something that doesn't lead to an outcome."

After days of stoking fears about a “crisis” to get his border wall built, Trump has changed his mind.

The NBPC once opposed “wasting taxpayer money on building fences and walls along the border.”

Others were picked up by waiters in the room and distributed on platters in the style of servers at an elegant cocktail party. “Another Big Mac, sir? Please, help yourself.”

William Barr told senators he didn't think the special counsel would be involved in a 'witch hunt.'

...handing a legal victory to critics who accused the Trump administration of trying to turn the census into a tool to advance Republican political fortunes.

For Britain, the big vote is finally here.

...as party officials scrambled to appear tough on racism and contain damage from comments Mr. King made to The New York Times questioning why white supremacy is considered offensive.

"I think we're going to serve McDonald's, Wendy's, and Burger Kings with some pizza," Trump told reporters

Republicans are shocked, shocked, to learn that Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) is a dyed-in-the-wool racist.

Heading off a Tuesday disbarment hearing, convicted ex-Trump confidant Paul Manafort submitted his resignation as a lawyer in Connecticut.

There are few things that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia desires more than the weakening of NATO

The Chairman's staff said the selling of location data is not a 'threat to the safety of human life or property that the FCC will address during the Trump shutdown.'

According to the court, Schellenberg was dispatched to Dalian by drug traffickers in November 2014 to orchestrate the smuggling of more than 222 kilograms (489.4 pounds) of methamphetamine from the Chinese port city to Australia.

Graham, a close ally of the president, pitched Mr. Trump on a plan for the president to agree to a vote by Congress to reopen the government for about three weeks “before he pulls the plug on the legislative option.”

"On my watch, Bob will be allowed to complete his work," Barr intends to say to Congress at the start of his Senate hearing Tuesday

The news came three days after TSA agents missed their first paychecks since the shutdown began.

“Getting ready to address the Farm Convention today in Nashville, Tennessee.” [...] The event is actually taking place in New Orleans, Louisiana

Trump notes that “elections have consequences,” referring to his 2016 election. But there was another election, in November, and the consequence of that is that Democrats now control the House and they refuse to give Trump money for a wall.

Opponents of his appointment said he was not qualified for the position because he was not subject to Senate confirmation.

“When the smoke cleared, 146 men, women, and children lay dead. Others perished from their wounds or froze to death in the hills.”

...likening the predicament to involuntary servitude

China recorded $323.32 billion in surplus with the U.S. in 2018, representing a 17% jump from the figure in the previous year

We don’t need news reports to tell us that Trump is giving Putin what he wants. Take it from this longtime Russia hand: It’s staring us in the face.

Trump’s willingness to humiliate his top staffer in front of Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi is another reminder — beyond Democratic unwillingness to fund a barrier — of why shutdown talks have made zero progress

...despite Mattis' concerns, the Pentagon provided the White House with options to counterattack against Iran.

As it happens, there is and always has been one mechanism that produces precisely this effect in humans. Today it’s referred to in the medical literature as conversion disorder—that is, the conversion of stress and fear into actual physical illness.

“I don’t see the Democrats condemning Democrats on their side who are doing this kind of thing and using this kind of language.”

Trump said it was the "most insulting" question he'd ever been asked.

The FBI can neutralize a counterintelligence threat several ways.

The constraints that Trump imposed are part of a broader pattern by the president of shielding his communications with Putin from public scrutiny and preventing even high-ranking officials in his own administration from fully knowing what he has told one of the United States’ main adversaries.

We now know that Trump took possession of the translator’s notes from that meeting, and told the translator not to discuss what had happened with other people in the administration.

"If Republicans really believe these racist statements have no place in our government, then their party must offer more than shallow temporary statements of condemnation"

Congressional leaders once let funding expire because they didn’t want to miss a fundraiser.

The report argued that “relative growth” in drug prices has slowed — not that there has been a broad-based decline in prices.

Rural Western states that voted for President Trump are disproportionately affected by the government shutdown, which today sets a record as the longest in U.S. history

–James Comey, former FBI Director

Now, with President Donald Trump proposing an even more dramatic end-run around Congress to build his promised border wall with Mexico, many Republicans are uneasily cheering him on.

...conceded Friday he didn't really know why the network turned him down.

Up until now, the longest government shutdown in U.S. history was the 21-day standoff between President Bill Clinton and a Republican Congress led by Speaker Newt Gingrich that ran from December 16, 1995 to January 6, 1996.

...that said building walls and fences along the border to stop illegal immigration would be “wasting taxpayer money.”

Since arriving in Berlin as U.S. ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell has flouted diplomatic conventions and attempted to interfere in domestic politics. He has since become politically isolated in the German capital.

Federal tax revenues declined in 2018 while economic growth accelerated, undercutting the Trump administration’s insistence that the $1.5 trillion tax package would pay for itself.

Agents and senior F.B.I. officials had grown suspicious of Mr. Trump’s ties to Russia during the 2016 campaign but held off on opening an investigation into him, the people said, in part because they were uncertain how to proceed with an inquiry of such sensitivity and magnitude.

...both GoFundMe and Mr. Kolfage had determined the money raised could not be given to the federal government

McConnell (R-Ky.) could bring a “clean” funding bill to the floor, free up his GOP caucus to support it and could quite possibly secure enough votes to override a presidential veto.

"From the beginning, we have alleged that Alex Jones and his financial network trafficked in lies and hate in order to profit from the grief of Sandy Hook families."

The problems have left workers worried about making ends meet, potential buyers frozen out of loans, and affordable-housing experts concerned about evictions.

Trump is rewriting the premise of his central campaign promise, a pledge that he has repeated hundreds of times and has said would be “so easy” to fulfill.

At least one airport, Miami International Airport, will start closing one terminal early each day

“None of you understand. I'm not locked up in here with YOU. You're locked up in here with ME.”

The dealmaker president can’t make a deal.

AfD politician quits to set up party that uses symbol of 1930s Austrian Nazis in logo

That proposal, titled “COMPELLING MEXICO TO PAY FOR THE WALL,” was the stuff of MAGA fan fiction.

He can’t explain what he’s trying to do or why

More than 24,000 FAA employees are working without pay, since their positions are considered vital for “life and safety.”

Acosta [...] said in his video that he did not "see anything resembling a national emergency situation."

"White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?"

White House officials considered diverting emergency aid from storm- and fire-ravaged Puerto Rico, Florida, Texas and California to build a border barrier, perhaps under an emergency declaration.

McConnell blocked Senate Democrats' attempt Thursday to move forward with legislation that would reopen government agencies

McConnell has made clear that he won't take up any legislation related to the shutdown in the Senate that President Donald Trump won't sign.

"It's an easy decision for Mexico: make a one-time payment of $5-10 billion to ensure that $24 billion continues to flow into their country year after year"

Cohen has agreed to testify publicly before the panel on February 7

They are also chopping down trees, setting illegal fires, and graffitiing rocks.

“If there’s a concrete wall in front of you, go through it, go over it, go around it,” Trump told graduates. “But get to the other side of that wall.”

"They say a wall is medieval. Well, a wheel is older than a wall"

Nearly 5,000 FBI special agents, intelligence analysts, attorneys, and professional staff have been furloughed.

"Meesa propose that the senate give immediately emergency powers to the supreme chancellor"

The South Carolina senator and his GOP allies had been pushing to reopen the government and begin a broad immigration debate in the Senate.

...but will miss oral arguments at the court next week to rest

This is exaggerated. [...] This needs context. [...] This is misleading.

“the age of self-inflicted American shame is over”

Yet he has said Mexico would “make a one-time payment,” that Mexico would reimburse the United States and that the costs could be covered by imposing fees on Mexican diplomats and workers.

"When I said Mexico would pay for the wall in front of thousands and thousands of people ... obviously I never meant Mexico would write a check."

...there appeared to be a strange and inexplicable synergy between the Trump campaign and Russia’s propaganda offensive.

“I very calmly walked out of the room. I didn't smash the table — I should have, but I didn't smash the table.”

Asked if he would make such a declaration, an action that would likely face legal challenges, Mr. Trump said: “If this doesn’t work out, probably I will do it. I would almost say definitely.”

...as part of his tour to reassure regional allies of the US' commitment to security and stability in the Middle East amid a shifting Syria strategy.

Trump slammed his hand on a table and stormed out of a White House meeting with congressional leaders on Wednesday

It means the government will have to come up with revised plans within three days if Mrs May's EU withdrawal deal is rejected by MPs next week.

Rosenstein is planning to stay on for a time after the new attorney general, William Barr, is expected to be confirmed.

The young speechwriter has a signature style: blood, gore, and a penchant for provoking rather than persuading the president’s adversaries.

...his upcoming trip to the border won’t “change a damn thing” and that it’s really just a photo opportunity.

Since the enactment of the Taft-Hartley Act in 1947, federal employees have been legally prohibited from striking.

The President has made this false claim before.

In a nine-minute speech that made no new arguments but included multiple misleading assertions, the president sought to recast the situation at the Mexican border as a “humanitarian crisis”

The visual of Pelosi and Schumer standing side-by-side as they countered Trump’s push for a border wall prompted comparisons to the famous painting “American Gothic,” and to a couple scolding their children.

It’s likely the administration was lulled into complacency by a previous, abbreviated shutdown that took place in early 2018. This interruption in funding lasted only a few days and had barely any effect.

The president wants you to be very afraid. The facts say you shouldn’t be.

While the “crisis” at the border is largely manufactured by Trump, the powers he could use to declare a state of emergency to get a border wall built really do exist.

And longer lines at airport security checks could be just the beginning of the nightmare.

...tamping down fears that the partial government shutdown could have resulted in rationing or halting of benefits.

Comey is fair and honest. But he’s so confident in his judgment and so wary of his bosses that he cuts them out of decisions.

...for requiring "essential" employees to work without pay during the partial government shutdown.

“The federal government remains shut down for one reason and one reason only: because Democrats will not fund border security.”

The court’s order Tuesday offered no explanation for its decision and no justice publicly signaled any dissent.

The accusations came to light in a document filed by Mr. Manafort’s defense lawyers that was supposed to be partly blacked out but contained a formatting error that accidentally revealed the information.

Veselnitskaya [...] gave a false declaration to the federal court in New York about the Russian government's investigative findings in that case,

...and he would not seek a hearing to contest the allegation he lied

“The threat is real,” she says, citing numbers that actually indicate the opposite.

...polls show a majority of Americans blame him and Republicans for the shutdowns, and the majority have also consistently been opposed to his idea of a border wall with Mexico.

...the vice president argued that it shouldn't undermine the administration's credibility in the eyes of the American public.

“We cannot accept Bolton’s messages given from Israel”

State Department reports on terrorism have expressed more concern about Canada, which unlike Mexico has been home to “violent extremists inspired by terrorist groups such as ISIS and al-Qaida and their affiliates and adherents”

The visit offers Mr. Kim and Mr. Xi an opportunity to coordinate strategy face to face should Mr. Kim have a second summit meeting with President Trump.

...it’s noteworthy that just a few years ago, the networks were comfortable refusing to air a primetime Barack Obama speech about immigration on the grounds that the topic was “overtly political.”

The people in charge apparently “recognized only this week the breadth of the potential impact.”

...potentially pushing his high-profile appearance until after a permanent replacement has already been confirmed

Jimmy Carter became the latest ex-POTUS to come forward and call BS on Trump.

Only about 12 percent of IRS staff is expected to continue working through a shutdown

"We're looking at a national emergency because we have a national emergency -- just read the papers"

This is largely to meet Trump’s demands for more “Executive Time,” which almost always means TV and Twitter time alone in the residence

...accusing the firm’s attorneys of submitting unprofessional and inappropriate court filings attacking Mueller’s office and of unwisely peppering legal briefs with jarring quotes taken from movies like Animal House.

According to the unredacted versions posted online, the blacked-out sections showed that Manafort has been accused by Mueller of lying about his sharing of polling data on the 2016 campaign with Kilimnik.

It’s hard to believe that Norquist, who has dedicated his professional life to tax policy, doesn’t understand how marginal tax rates work, but he is nonetheless misrepresenting it on Twitter.

...the first time in her career as a justice that she has missed a session.

But thanks largely to free-market forces, more coal-fired power plants have been deactivated in Trump's first two years in office then in Obama's entire first term.

...they can assess “whether the persons inside the vehicle avoid looking at the agent,” or conversely, “whether the persons inside the vehicle are paying undue attention to the agent’s presence.” And if those don’t apply, they can simply determine that the car is in an area nearby the border and pull it over on that basis alone.

Speaking during a visit to Israel, Bolton introduced two new conditions for the U.S. troops withdrawal: The final defeat of Islamic State, and assurances from Turkey that U.S.-trained Kurdish fighters would be safe.

The U.S. is seeking concessions in Chinese business practices; in exchange it will eliminate tariffs recently imposed on Chinese goods.

Trump, who has declared the battle won against the militants, [...] said Sunday that he remained committed to the withdrawal but told reporters: “I never said we’re doing it that quickly.”

The president—who was taped saying he wants to grab a woman by her “pussy”—also rebuked Tlaib’s language as “highly disrespectful to the US of A.”

He said certain people might have felt like they had “some kind of immunity” when Republicans were in control of the committee, with lawmakers intervening to tell witnesses they don’t have to answer certain questions or appear at all.

Trump said on Sunday he was in no hurry to find permanent replacements for one-quarter of his Cabinet currently serving in an acting capacity because it gives him “more flexibility.”

...as Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-Wen called for international support to defend the island’s democracy amid renewed threats of unification from the mainland.

How educated, suburban whites ended the over-representation of Republicans

But because of the government shutdown, the program has only $3 billion in emergency reserves for February.

“At the very least, this smells funny”

"With so many leadership gaps in the building, and so much uncertainty about future leadership, this will just add to the growing sense of instability in an institution that thrives on predictability."

“How do we get him to continue to talk about immigration?”

"I know more about drones than anybody. I know about every form of safety that you can have."

Trump claimed without evidence on Friday that past presidents have privately confided to him that they regret not building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The increases were the result of Congress’s failure to renew a longstanding freeze on raises for high-ranking officials and political appointees.

Many of the federal employees affected by the weeks-long shutdown have been working without pay. That is essentially the opposite of a strike.

Union officials stress that the absences are not part of an organized action, but believe the number of people calling out will likely increase.

The grand jury's initial 18-month term was set to expire over the weekend.

The Constitution provides for both the structure of the Electoral College and presidential pardon power, therefore changing either of them would require a constitutional amendment rather than a law passed by Congress.

Newly empowered Democrats are trying to force the administration’s hand on Manafort-linked Oleg Deripaska.

...options could include reprogramming funds from the Department of Defense and elsewhere – a move which would circumvent Congress.

The Trump administration, which had not anticipated a long-term shutdown, recognized only this week the breadth of the potential impact, several senior administration officials said.

Trump threatened to keep nine U.S. departments closed "for a very long period of time — months or even years" — until he gets the funding

Even Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), who introduced an impeachment resolution earlier this week, was shocked.

The pay raises for Cabinet secretaries, deputy secretaries, top administrators and even Vice President Pence are scheduled to go into effect beginning Jan. 5

The president can remove a member of the Fed board only “for cause,” which does not include policy disagreements.

In a new email message Friday to the American people, President Trump is demanding that Congress come to an “agreemnet” to end the partial government shutdown and give him his wall “immediatly.”

The Democratic package to end the shutdown includes a bill to temporarily fund the Department of Homeland Security at current levels through Feb. 8

...potentially bypassing more hawkish Republicans whose names have been floated to replace Jim Mattis.

During the brief appearance, Trump also claimed that "nobody" knows more about drones than he does.

What ensued was not a press briefing, but a cheap stunt to promote a potential border wall.

The IRS will continue to process tax returns, regardless of the ongoing budget fight in Washington. However, when it comes to issuing refunds, that’s not going to happen until the government completely reopens.

But on Thursday, if only for a few hours, the dark clouds of divisive politics parted long enough for a peaceful transition of power from Republicans to Democrats

For weeks, Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader, has remained conspicuously on the sidelines, insisting that it was up to President Trump and Democrats

Mr. Cho and his wife fled the North Korean Embassy and residence in Rome and have been in hiding since early November, about a month before his term there was due to end.

Sherman's resolution, of course, is not a sign that Democrats intend to pursue impeachment yet, although he has the ability to force the issue on the House floor.

The US national debt stood at $21.974 trillion at the end of 2018, more than $2 trillion higher than when President Donald Trump took office

A new era of divided government arrived in Washington on Thursday, as Democrats took control of the House amid a partial government shutdown

...but provided no new information about the murder or the investigation into how it happened.

The president’s endorsement of the U.S.S.R.’s invasion of Afghanistan echoes a narrative promoted by Vladimir Putin.

‘The more carbon-based fuels you can introduce into the developing world, the cleaner the environment gets,’ insisted the founder of a site that fights pollution regulations.

Trump’s acting attorney general just humiliated himself with a display of servile groveling

The pending judicial nominations will be sent back to the White House, where a majority of them are expected to be re-nominated in the coming days.

Starting tomorrow, Democrats in the House will make Trump's life a living hell.

It quickly became a 95-minute stream-of-consciousness defense of his presidency and worldview, filled with falsehoods, revisionist history and self-aggrandizement.

"The reason Russia was in Afghanistan was because terrorists were going into Russia. They were right to be there," Trump said.

The new law also provides that the new board technically cannot take effect until January 21, 2019.

“The Senate will not waste its time considering a Democratic bill which cannot pass this chamber and which the president will not sign,”

Eventually Schumer asked a third time for one reason Trump wouldn't accept the offer, and Trump responded: "I would look foolish if I did that."

Democrats will include a provision in their new bill that would require presidential nominees to disclose 10 years of tax returns shortly after they become the nominee. Vice presidents would also be required to disclose a decade of returns.

Trump boasted that he had “essentially” fired Mattis by moving up the four-star general’s departure date by two months.

Who's going to tell him about Game of Thrones?

About 800,000 federal employees, and the citizens who depend on them, are being hurt for an empty political stunt.

“Trump is an interesting person. He is not immoral but is amoral. Amoral is when you shoot someone in the head, it doesn’t make a difference. No conscience.”

...that could eliminate causes of major instability during the previous eight years of Republican rule in Congress.

...here’s a quick overview for readers who might have missed — or tried to ignore — the tweets between Christmas and New Year’s Day.

...alleging that the partial government shutdown is illegally forcing more than 400,000 federal employees to work without pay.

America is strongest when our arms are linked with other nations.

"The park is being forced to take this action for health and safety concerns as vault toilets reach capacity," the park service said. "In addition to human waste in public areas, driving off-road and other infractions that damage the resource are becoming a problem."

“It may be immoral for them not to support him because he’s got African American employment to record highs, Hispanic employment to record highs,”

...shuttering many of them and allowing several hundred undocumented immigrants to dodge deportation orders each day the shutdown continues.

Conviction on a spying charge in Russia carries a prison sentence of up to 20 years.

Asked specifically about Trump's earlier comment that May's deal is too favorable for the EU and would make a U.S.— U.K. trade deal unlikely, Johnson added: "It doesn't look like it would be possible."

A neighbor confirmed the former president’s house is “100 percent visible from the street”

They’ll join the museums and National Park Service-run sites across the region [...] that have been shuttered since Dec. 22 due to a lack of government funding.

The new measure, which was approved by voters in November, is being challenged in court by gun-rights advocates.

John Roberts highlighted recommendations, including revising codes of conduct for judges and employees, in year-end report