GOP confronts anxiety about Trump primary challenge  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump declared himself “the most popular president in the history of the Republican Party” on Wednesday.  Yet his allies fear a primary challenge from a high-profile Republican could doom his re-election.

Pelosi has a message for Trump: ‘Nothing for the wall’  —  “We can go through the back and forth,” the incoming House speaker told NBC News in an exclusive interview.  “No. How many more times can we say no?”  —  Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi told NBC's “Today” show in an interview set …

Harry Reid Has a Few Words for Washington  —  The former Senate majority leader on President Trump and Senator Chuck Schumer, and on why he doesn't regret ending the filibuster for judicial appointments.  —  Early on the afternoon of Dec. 11, about an hour after an Oval Office meeting between President Trump …

Apple warns on Q1 results as iPhones and Apple Watch sales disappoint  —  Apple has lowered its Q1 guidance in a letter to investors from CEO Tim Cook Wednesday.  —  Apple lowered revenue guidance to $84 billion, down from the $89 to $93 billion it had previously projected.

Source: Trump tells Schumer he can't accept Dems' offer because he'd ‘look foolish’  —  Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump told a group of lawmakers he can't accept Democrats' offer to re-open the government as the two sides negotiate border wall funding because he “would look foolish if I did that …

I Don't Hate Women Candidates — I Just Hated Hillary and Coincidentally I'm Starting to Hate Elizabeth Warren  —  “How does Warren avoid a Clinton redux — written off as too unlikable before her campaign gets off the ground?”  — Politico, 12/31/18  —  I have no problem with women.

Home alone no more: Trump's chatty recovery from cabin fever  —  Home alone no more, President Donald Trump had a lot to share when he convened a rambling Cabinet meeting on Day 12 of the government shutdown.  —  The president, eager for company after a lonely stretch in a near-empty White House …

For Bernie Sanders, Claims of Sexism in 2016 Campaign Hang Over 2020 Bid  —  In February 2016, Giulianna Di Lauro, a Latino outreach strategist for Senator Bernie Sanders's presidential operation, complained to her supervisor that she had been harassed by a campaign surrogate whom she drove …

Former NY Times editor rips Trump coverage as biased  —  President Trump appears content to ride out partial government shutdown stalemate over border security funding  —  A former executive editor of the New York Times says the paper's news pages, the home of its straight-news coverage, have become “unmistakably anti-Trump.”

Democrats to ask for 10 years of presidential tax returns in new bill  —  Fact Check: Trump's false tax return claims  —  (CNN)Democrats are making presidential tax returns a focal point in one of their first pieces of legislation, an effort to build the case to the American people …

Old Post Office Tower at Trump hotel to open during shutdown  —  Want access to the top energy and environment news?  —  Sign up for a free trial!  —  Enter your email to register or log in.  —  By signing up, you agree to receive E&E News email updates and offers.

CNN Asks Brother Of Detained American About His Anti-CNN Posts On Social Media  —  A CNN anchor asked the brother of a detained American about his anti-CNN social media posts in an interview Wednesday morning.  —  Forty-eight-year-old Michigan businessman and ex-Marine, Paul Whelan …

Brazil's Bolsonaro targets LGBT people, Indigenous groups on 1st day in office  —  SAO PAULO — Newly installed President Jair Bolsonaro targeted Brazil's indigenous groups, descendants of slaves and the LGBT community with executive orders in the first hours of his administration …

Oscars: It's January, So Why Is There Still No Host?  —  The Hollywood Reporter's awards columnist breaks down the challenges — and possibilities — facing the Academy as it nears a record-late date for announcing a host or hosts.  —  As the holiday break comes to an end and Hollywood's denizens stagger …

NASA: Icy object past Pluto looks like reddish snowman  —  LAUREL, Md. (AP) — A NASA spacecraft 4 billion miles from Earth yielded its first close-up pictures Wednesday of the most distant celestial object ever explored, depicting what looks like a reddish snowman.

No One Can Get A Marriage License In DC During The Government Shutdown  —  WASHINGTON — Danielle Geanacopoulos and Dan Pollock are no strangers to a government shutdown, having gone through a few when they used to work in Congress.  —  But when the two former congressional staffers walked …

Blackburn, Ernst become first GOP women to serve on Senate Judiciary  —  Freshman Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa will become the first Republican women to serve on the Judiciary Committee when the new Congress is seated this week, according to a roster obtained …

‘They destroyed me.’ Wells Fargo's mistake forced her to sell her home … Michaela Christian lost a long battle with Wells Fargo in 2013 to save her Las Vegas home, a defeat she says changed the course of her life.  When the bank refused to modify her mortgage, Christian moved in with a friend and scrambled to rebuild her life.

Trump's bizarre history lesson on the Soviet Union, Russia and Afghanistan … President Trump said a lot of strange, untrue things after Wednesday's Cabinet meeting.  But the most bizarre snippet might have been his “history” lesson on the Soviet Union.  —  Trump, who has assured us …

Exculpatory Russia evidence about Mike Flynn that US intel kept secret  —  Sometimes public silence can be deafening or, for that matter, misleading.  —  For nearly two years now, the intelligence community has kept secret evidence in the Russia collusion case that directly undercuts …

Trump illegally asked Russia to help him win in 2016.  He shouldn't get away with it.  —  Trump's public request for Russian help in finding Hillary Clinton's emails was a violation of US law.  There are ways to hold him accountable.  —  CONNECT  —  Prosecutors triggered a national firestorm …

Sen. Amy Klobuchar to decide soon on presidential bid  —  The Minnesota senator says she hasn't made a final decision, but already has thoughts on message, political path.  —  TEXT SIZE  —  WASHINGTON — Sen. Amy Klobuchar said Wednesday that she is “getting close to a decision” about running for president in 2020.

GOP congressional candidate says he will ask N.C. court to certify his victory as election officials delay fraud hearing  —  The still-unresolved race in North Carolina's 9th Congressional District was thrown into further turmoil Wednesday as state election officials delayed a hearing …