GOP senator calls on Congress to end shutdown without border deal  —  Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), who faces a potentially tough re-election in 2020, says Congress should re-open the federal government, even without a deal on funding President Trump's border wall.

Nancy Pelosi Just Outlined Her Agenda for the Most Diverse Congress Ever  —  Newly-elected House Speaker Nancy Pelosi addressed the U.S. House of Representatives Thursday after Democrats officially took control of the legislative body, invoking two Presidents while laying out her leadership agenda.

White House Mulls Jim Webb, Ex-Democratic Senator, as Next Defense Secretary  —  WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is considering Jim Webb, a former Democratic senator and Reagan-era secretary of the Navy, to be the next defense secretary, according to three officials …

Ex-US marine accused of spying in Russia is British citizen  —  Paul Whelan revealed to be dual national after being arrested in Moscow for ‘act of espionage’  —  The former US marine who is being held in Moscow on charges of spying is a British citizen, it has emerged.

Here's who I'd like to see run for president.  (Hint: It's not me)  —  Voters want Former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders to run in the 2020 Presidential election, a new poll suggests.  Veuer's Sam Berman has the full story.  —  Former Democratic candidate makes his pick for 2020

Feds charge powerful Ald.  Edward Burke with attempted extortion  —  Ald.  Edward Burke has been charged with attempted extortion after the FBI raided his City Hall and Southwest Side ward offices.  —  Longtime Ald.  Edward Burke, one of Chicago's most powerful figures and a vestige …

Mitt Romney supports the status quo.  But for everyone else, it's infuriating  —  Newly-elected Utah senator Mitt Romney kicked off 2019 with an op-ed in the Washington Post that savaged Donald Trump's character and leadership.  Romney's attack and Trump's response Wednesday morning on Twitter …

How the Border Patrol union became Trump's closest shutdown allies  —  Union officials: it's okay if our agents don't get paid on time, as long as we get the wall.  —  President Donald Trump's hastily called “press conference” on Thursday afternoon — in which neither he nor press secretary …

Undocumented Worker Says Trump Resort Shielded Her From Secret Service  —  A former employee of the Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey said that her name was removed from a list of workers to be vetted by the Secret Service after she reminded management that she was unlawfully in the United States …

Justice Dept. investigating whether Zinke lied to inspector general  —  The Justice Department's public integrity section is examining whether newly departed Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke lied to his agency's inspector general investigators, according to three people familiar with the matter …

The terrifying depths of Donald Trump's ignorance, in a single quote  —  It's been two years since a reality-television mogul, billionaire real estate grifter and sleazy beauty-pageant impresario who somehow ended up on the Republican ticket in the 2016 U.S. presidential election …

Iran ‘can do what they want’ in Syria: Trump's comments defy the position of his top aides  —  In his first Cabinet meeting of the year, President Trump stuck a dagger in a major initiative advanced by his foreign policy team: Iran's leaders, the president said, “can do what they want” in Syria.

Before you run against Trump, you have to run against Hillary (if you're a woman)  —  Just hours after Elizabeth Warren announced her plans to run for president, a question began surfacing about a possible weakness.  It wasn't derived from opposition research into some facet of her life.

Congressman Cohen Introduces Constitutional Amendments  —  Would eliminate the Electoral College, limit Presidential pardon power  —  WASHINGTON - Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, introduced two Constitutional Amendments today on the opening day of the new Congress.

Why Trump's Generals Have Abandoned Ship  —  After a couple of tumultuous years, President Donald Trump seems to have reached the conclusion that he has had quite enough of generals.  Now, as a retired admiral, I have certainly been annoyed over the years by a number of generals.

Louis C.K. — and his critics — are a plague on comedy  —  American comedy is slowly dying, under assault from two opposing forces.  From without, PC scolds seek to silence comics whose edgy material makes them feel “unsafe.”  And from within, a growing number of comedians have come …

As Democrats take the House, GOP takes a beating along motorcade route  —  As Democrats prepared to take over the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday morning, an anti-Trump political action committee took aim at the GOP with a new billboard along the presidential motorcade route in West Palm Beach.

Former NYT editor claims publisher drafted letter “all but apologizing” to China for tough story  —  In her new book Merchants of Truth, former New York Times executive editor Jill Abramson claims that the news outlet's publisher drafted a letter “all but apologizing” to the Chinese government …

Rubio, top GOP senators hit back at Trump's Syria pullout with sanctions bill  —  They can't make Trump keep troops in Syria.  They've asked for increased sanctions on Syria instead.  —  WASHINGTON — On the first day of the new Senate, top Republicans are pushing back on President Trump's move …

As Trump Holds Firm on Shutdown, He Never Mentions One Group: Federal Workers  —  WASHINGTON — He has talked about the need for “protection” along the country's southern border.  He has said he is willing to keep the government shut down indefinitely to ensure the funding of the wall he says will provide that protection.

Trump Allies Try to Rig the 2020 GOP Nomination … Trump supporters on the Republican National Committee jumped to argue for changing party rules to aid Trump's renomination prospects in 2020.  In particular, Jevon Williams, national committeeman from the Virgin Islands …

China Travel Advisory  —  Exercise increased caution in China due to arbitrary enforcement of local laws as well as special restrictions on dual U.S.-Chinese nationals.  —  Chinese authorities have asserted broad authority to prohibit U.S. citizens from leaving China by using 'exit bans …

Trey Gowdy swears off politics as he joins power firm Nelson Mullins in Greenville  —  Former U.S. Congressman Trey Gowdy, who elevated his profile in American politics leading several high-profile government investigations, has joined the Greenville office of power law firm Nelson, Mullins …