McConnell Faces Pressure From Republicans to Stop Avoiding Shutdown Fight  —  WASHINGTON — For weeks, Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader, has remained conspicuously on the sidelines, insisting that it was up to President Trump and Democrats to negotiate an end to the partial shutdown of the federal government.

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.

U.S. economy added 312,000 jobs in December and the unemployment rate was 3.9%, marking a strong finish to 2018  —  The future is more uncertain. … The December numbers follow a year of steady growth across industries — particularly manufacturing, which had its biggest boost in about a decade.

That Viral Video of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Dancing Is a Meta-Meme  —  THURSDAY MARKED ONE of the most important days in congressional history for diversity.  A record 102 women took office, 35 whom were newly-elected.  They include Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, the first Muslim women …

Trump's Cracked Afghan History  —  His falsehoods about allies and the Soviets reach a new low.  —  By The Editorial Board  —  President Trump's remarks on Afghanistan at his Cabinet meeting Wednesday were a notable event.  They will be criticized heavily, and deservedly so.

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 …

Hours after making history, Rep. Rashida Tlaib profanely promises to impeach Trump  —  Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) made history Thursday afternoon for being the first Palestinian American woman sworn into Congress.  —  Hours later, she made headlines for simply swearing at a Washington, D.C. bar.

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.

Bernie Sanders' fans can't be allowed to poison another Democratic primary with personal attacks  —  Bashing Beto O'Rourke (and every other Democrat) doesn't help liberals' cause in 2020.  It only helps Trump.  —  I'm hardly the only political observer who blames Hillary Clinton's general election defeat …

Run or retire?  Pat Roberts will announce his decision on 2020 Senate race Friday  —  Sen. Pat Roberts will announce Friday whether he plans to end his political career or kick off another campaign as he approaches his fourth decade in Congress.  —  Roberts, R-Kansas, will announce …

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 …

Apple's stark warning may be ominous news for China  —  ANALYSIS: For most of the past two decades, China - with 400 million middle-class consumers growing richer by the day - was a one-way bet for the world's corporations and a driver of the global economy.

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.

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.

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 …

House Democrats Not Rushing To Get Trump's Tax Returns  —  The delay by the Ways and Means Committee seems like an effort to be civil and statesmanlike ... in the Trump era.  —  WASHINGTON The first thing Democratic lawmakers have to do to obtain copies of President Donald Trump's personal …

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 …

Marijuana Is More Dangerous Than You Think  —  As legalization spreads, more Americans are becoming heavy users of cannabis, despite its links to violence and mental illness  —  Over the past 30 years, a shrewd and expensive lobbying campaign has made Americans more tolerant of marijuana.