Team Trump Gleeful That Shutdown Will Hijack Pelosi's Big Moment  —  The president's aides see a debate being waged on his issues, not hers, and they couldn't be happier.  —  Days into a partial government shutdown that has left tens of thousands of federal workers furloughed …

Bre's Story  —  Around 8:30 this morning, December 27th, Bre's friend went into her room and found her unresponsive and barely breathing.  She immediately called 911 and Bre was taken to the hospital where she was admitted to the ICU, sedated & intubated, and doctors began working up a diagnosis.

Why the Bernie Movement Must Crush Beto O'Rourke  —  The first skirmish of the 2020 Democratic primary, a wave of attacks on Beto O'Rourke by supporters of Bernie Sanders, took almost everybody by surprise.  On the outside, it looks like one of those inscrutable, personality-driven online spats that characterize the Twitter era.

North Carolina Elections Board Dissolves, Adding New Chaos in House Race  —  The North Carolina state elections board dissolved on Friday under a court order, two weeks before its much-anticipated hearing to consider evidence of possible absentee ballot fraud in the disputed November election for the Ninth District's seat in Congress.

What Do Mueller and the Kremlin Know About Michael Cohen's Alleged Prague Trip?  —  No aspect of the scandal surrounding President Donald J. Trump's hidden relations with Russia has been more controversial than the reputed summer 2016 trip to the Czech Republic by Michael Cohen, Trump's longtime consigliere.

Trump used her slain daughter to rail against illegal immigration.  She chose a different path.  —  BROOKLYN, Iowa — The letters began immediately.  Dozens at first, then hundreds, each day bringing more: from a Texas man telling her this was why we needed to build the wall.

Syria's Kurds, Feeling Betrayed by the U.S., Ask Assad Government for Protection  —  BEIRUT, Lebanon — Syria's most powerful Kurdish militia has called on President Bashar al-Assad's government to send forces to protect it against an attack by Turkey, the first sign of shifting political alliances …

Pompeo heading to Brazil for inauguration of far-right president  —  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will head a U.S. delegation to Brazil seeking to foster closer ties with the far-right incoming president, Jair Bolsonaro, and discuss ways to counter the Venezuelan government.

As 2018 draws to a close, I'm continuing a favorite tradition of mine and sharing my year-end lists.  It gives me a moment to pause and reflect on the year through the books, movies, and music that I found most thought-provoking, inspiring, or just plain loved.

Why Is a Physical Border Barrier Important?  —  So here we are, during Christmas week, and things are a mess, with the 25 percent of the federal government that is now unfunded shut down because no agreement could be reached in Congress.  —  Ironically, the Department of Homeland Security …

Shutdown could block federal aid to farmers hit by trade war  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The end of 2018 seemed to signal good things to come for America's farmers.  Fresh off the passage of the farm bill, which reauthorized agriculture, conservation and safety net programs …

Pelosi Names Douglas N. Letter New General Counsel of the House  —  San Francisco — Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi announced today that she will appoint Douglas N. Letter to be the new General Counsel of the House of Representatives.  —  Until February 2018, Letter served as the Director …

Trump Administration Suggests Furloughed Workers Do Chores for Landlords to Help Pay Rent  —  The U.S. Office of Personnel Management on Thursday tweeted advice to furloughed federal workers on how to explain their precarious financial situation to creditors and landlords …

Trump threatens to close ‘Southern Border entirely’ if Dems don't fund wall  —  President Trump on Friday threatened to “close the Southern Border entirely” if Democrats do not agree to provide money to “finish” building a wall on the Mexican border.  —  Trump made the threat …

For 2018, my personal challenge has been to focus on addressing some of the most important issues facing our community — whether that's preventing election interference, stopping the spread of hate speech and misinformation, making sure people have control of their information, and ensuring our services improve people's well-being.

Living paycheck to paycheck is disturbingly common: “I see no way out.”  —  The struggle is everywhere.  —  “Inescapable.”  —  “It's a constant stressor.”  —  “I see no way out.”  —  What do professors, real estate agents, farmers, business executives, computer programmers and store clerks have in common?

Beto's towering advantage in the 2020 Democratic primary  —  After throwing a scare into Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) in the 2018 midterm elections, Texas Democrat Beto O'Rourke is garnering attention as a possible 2020 presidential nominee.  Political commentators are already arguing …

Angelina Jolie hints at move into politics  —  Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie has hinted that she is considering a move into politics in the future.  —  In an interview on the BBC's Today programme, she said she would have dismissed this 20 years ago but would now go where she was needed.