Mueller preparing end game for Russia investigation  —  WASHINGTON — Special counsel Robert Mueller's prosecutors have told defense lawyers in recent weeks that they are “tying up loose ends” in their investigation, providing the clearest clues yet that the long-running probe into Russia's interference …

Republicans plan vote Tuesday on curbing powers of Gov.-elect Tony Evers, limiting early voting  —  MADISON - Wisconsin lawmakers are set to take up plans Tuesday to diminish the powers of the incoming Democratic governor and attorney general that brought opponents to the state Capitol this week …

Politically connected sex offender Jeffrey Epstein settles suit, averting victim testimony  —  WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A last-minute settlement has been reached in Florida in a long-running lawsuit involving a politically connected financier accused of sexually abusing dozens of teenage girls.

Trump handles Bush's death with abnormal normality  —  A taboo-busting president who has often trashed the Bush clan observes traditional norms of etiquette after its patriarch's passing.  —  For President Donald Trump, there was once no worse insult than being “a Bushie.”

Joe Biden believes he is the “most qualified person in the country to be president”  —  Biden: We must reset our nation's moral compass  —  (CNN)During a stop for his book tour in Missoula, Montana, Monday night, former Vice President Joe Biden discussed his 2020 prospects …

EXCLUSIVE: ‘Get this b***h under control!’  Joy Behar tears into Meghan McCain off-air after the conservative host lashed out at her for throwing shade on President Trump during The View's tribute to George H. W. Bush  — Whoopi Goldberg was forced to cut to commercial break during another …

North Carolina election-fraud investigation centers on operative with criminal history who worked for GOP congressional candidate  —  DUBLIN, N.C. — In a low-slung, aging commercial strip across the street from an online-gaming parlor here, a local operative named Leslie McCrae Dowless ran …

Don't Spend Your Emotional Energy on Sully H.W. Bush  —  In January 2009, a pilot named Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger steered his struggling aircraft to a safe landing in the Hudson River and became a national hero.  Almost 10 years later, a dog named for the pilot has become a beloved “hero” …

Macron makes U-turn on fuel-tax increases in face of ‘yellow vest’ protests  —  PARIS (Reuters) - France's prime minister on Tuesday suspended planned increases to fuel taxes for at least six months in response to weeks of sometimes violent protests, the first major U-turn …

I Served in Congress Longer Than Anyone.  Here's How to Fix It.  —  In my six decades in public service, I've seen many changes in our nation and its institutions.  Yet the most profound change I've witnessed is also the saddest.  It is the complete collapse in respect for virtually every institution …

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's $21 trillion mistake  —  “$21 TRILLION of Pentagon financial transactions ‘could not be traced, documented, or explained.’ $21T in Pentagon accounting errors.  Medicare for All costs ~$32T.  That means 66% of Medicare for All could have been funded already by the Pentagon.”

‘Who is Scott Free?’  A search for meaning after Trump's misuse of a medieval idiom.  —  From the moment he tweeted “covfefe” in the middle of the night, President Trump has been perplexing his millions of Twitter followers with cryptic messages ranging from vague threats to North Korea …

Manafort Discussed Deal With Ecuador to Hand Assange Over to U.S.  —  WASHINGTON — In mid-May 2017, Paul Manafort, facing intensifying pressure to settle debts and pay mounting legal bills, flew to Ecuador to offer his services to a potentially lucrative new client — the country's incoming president, Lenín Moreno.

Bruce Springsteen doesn't think anyone can topple Trump in 2020.  Here's why.  —  WASHINGTON — Bruce Springsteen tried to help Hillary Clinton defeat Donald Trump in 2016.  Now he worries no one can defeat the president the next time.  —  “I don't see anyone out there at the moment …

With State Official's Fate Looking Grim, NH Could Lose First In Nation Status  —  CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The longtime protector of the New Hampshire presidential primary could get ousted by the Legislature this week despite concerns from his supporters that replacing him could jeopardize the state's coveted first-in-the-nation status.

Black Man Killed by Police in Alabama Was Shot From Behind, Autopsy Shows  —  A black man killed by the police in an Alabama mall in November was shot three times from behind, according to a forensic examination commissioned by the man's family.  —  The finding, announced in a news conference on Monday …

'Damn Right, I'm a White Nationalist' Declares Texas GOP Platform Committee Member  —  At the Texas Republican Party's 2018 convention, Ray Myers was a part of a select group of activists charged with crafting the platform for the biggest and most influential state party in the country.

Homeland Security chief Nielsen has saved her job — for now  —  Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, who was recently on the brink of losing her job, is now expected to survive the Cabinet shake-up President Donald Trump has spent weeks teasing — and she may have the caravan to thank.

Tumblr's Porn Ban Is The Middle Of The End Of The Old Internet  —  Today, Tumblr announced it will ban all adult content (with a few exceptions for wholesome nudes) starting in two weeks.  After that, porn will become invisible to everyone but the owner of the blog where it's posted.

It's Almost Impossible to Be a Mom in Television News  —  It was the only time I had cried in front of one of my bosses at CBS News.  —  As we sat in my office, door closed, I was struggling to explain why I was uncertain whether to sign a new three-year contract with the network.

Trump's alienation of younger voters is a generational gamble for GOP  —  (CNN)The sharp turn against the Republican Party by young people in the 2018 election may be only the overture to an even greater political risk for the GOP in 2020.  —  Both historical voting patterns …

The Friendship That Made Google Huge  —  Coding together at the same computer, Jeff Dean and Sanjay Ghemawat changed the course of the company—and the Internet.  —  One day in March of 2000, six of Google's best engineers gathered in a makeshift war room.  The company was in the midst of an unprecedented emergency.