Elizabeth Warren Announces She Is Running for President  —  Senator Elizabeth Warren, the Massachusetts Democrat and a sharp critic of big banks and unregulated capitalism, entered the 2020 race for president on Monday, becoming the first major candidate in what is likely to be a long …

Trump says he ‘NEVER ABANDONED’ the idea of a concrete wall, disputing Kelly  —  President Trump on Monday disputed an assertion by his outgoing chief of staff, John F. Kelly, that the White House has abandoned plans for a solid concrete border wall, writing on Twitter that the idea was “NEVER ABANDONED.”

EXCLUSIVE: NYS Senate Dems say thanks, but no thanks to Simcha Felder's return to Democratic conference … ALBANY — Thanks, but no thanks.  —  As they prepare to take over the majority, state Senate Democrats say Brooklyn Sen. Simcha Felder will not be welcomed back into their conference.

A Trump family aide tried to get a HUD colleague fired by name-dropping Eric Trump  —  Just three weeks into the Trump presidency, Lynne Patton, a longtime Trump family aide and freshly minted HUD senior adviser, had a personnel problem she deemed serious enough to invoke her powerful connections.

Louis C.K. — Goes After Parkland Victims ... In Leaked Audio of New Stand-Up  —  As if Louis C.K. hadn't already hit bottom, he just went even lower by attacking victims of the Parkland massacre in a stand-up set ... this according to leaked audio of his new material.

Trump claims there's a 10-foot wall around the Obamas' D.C. home.  Neighbors say there's not.  —  In one of his most recent arguments for a southern border wall, President Trump on Sunday falsely claimed that the Washington home of former president Barack Obama and Michelle Obama is surrounded by a 10-foot wall.

American Paul Whelan arrested in Russia on spy charges as potential retribution for Maria Butina  —  Russia has arrested an American citizen in Moscow for alleged espionage, according to the country's security services, the FSB.  —  “On December 28, 2018, staff members of the Russian Federal …

Chief Pentagon spokeswoman announces departure  —  Chief Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White speaks during a news briefing April 14, 2018.  —  Washington (CNN)Chief Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White is leaving her post, a move that coincides with Secretary of Defense James Mattis stepping …

Wielding Rocks and Knives, Arizonans Attack Self-Driving Cars  —  CHANDLER, Ariz. — The assailant slipped out of a park around noon one day in October, zeroing in on his target, which was idling at a nearby intersection — a self-driving van operated by Waymo, the driverless-car company spun out of Google.

GOP Rep. Walter Jones Suggests Trump Pay for Part of His Wall  —  Rep. Walter Jones is worried that President Donald Trump's proposed border wall will add to the federal debt — so worried, in fact, that he's proposing the president pony up some of his own money for the wall.

VIP Notice- McAllen, TX  —  Notice: Expect VIP movement January 3rd in the vicinity of McAllen, TX.  Pilots can expect airspace restrictions in conjunction with this VIP movement.  The FAA recommends that all aircraft operators check NOTAMs OFTEN for mandatory airspace restrictions prior to operations within this region.

Is Veganism a “Cultural Appropriation”?  —  We throw a lot of shade here at vegans, chiefly because it has taken on the affectations of ideology, such that cow-hating environmentalists would mandate a vegan diet for all of us if they could.  There's also much truth in the joke: “How do you do you know someone is vegan?

Ocasio-Cortez fires back after McCaskill calls her ‘a bright and shiny new object’  —  Since winning the Democratic primary in June, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has captured the attention of both conservatives and liberals as the new face of the left.  Drawing criticism and commentary for her politics …

National parks dealing with vandals, human waste in shutdown  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Human feces, overflowing garbage, illegal off-roading and other damaging behavior in fragile areas were beginning to overwhelm some of the West's iconic national parks on Monday, as a partial government shutdown left …

Justice Thomas's wife under scrutiny for partisan posts  —  Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, has generated controversy with her use of of social media to spread far-right rhetoric.  —  CNN and The Washington Post published separate reports in recent days highlighting Thomas's use of social media.

C.I.A.'s Afghan Forces Leave a Trail of Abuse and Anger  —  The fighters hold the line in the war's toughest spots, but officials say their brutal tactics are terrorizing the public and undermining the U.S. mission.  —  NADER SHAH KOT, Afghanistan — Razo Khan woke up suddenly to the sight …

Our Exhausted American Mediocracy  —  The unlikely 2016 election of Donald Trump—the first president without either prior political or military office—was a repudiation of the American “aristocracy.”  By “rule of the best” I mean the ancien régime was no longer understood to suggest wealth and birth …