Trump Appeals to Nation for Wall: ‘This Is a Choice Between Right and Wrong’  —  WASHINGTON — President Trump sought to go over the heads of Congress to enlist public support for his long-promised border wall on Tuesday night, raising the stakes of an ideological and political conflict …

Attorney General pick Barr expresses confidence in Mueller  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The incoming chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee said Wednesday that Attorney General nominee William Barr has confidence in special counsel Robert Mueller and will let him complete his Russia investigation.

Exclusive: Mueller Is Holding Top Secret Intelligence That Will Sink the Trump Presidency  —  Another day, another bombshell emanating from the Special Counsel investigation into President Donald Trump and his links to the Kremlin.  We now have more proof that Robert Mueller really does …

Law firm that represented Russian interests part of mystery Mueller subpoena case  —  Supreme Court rules against mystery company  —  Washington (CNN)One law firm involved in a foreign government-owned company's challenge of a mysterious grand jury subpoena related to the Robert Mueller investigation …

Reduced inspections ‘put our food supply at risk’  —  The furloughing of hundreds of Food and Drug Administration inspectors has sharply reduced inspections of the nation's food supply — one of many repercussions of the partial government shutdown that make Americans potentially less safe.

Trump Jr. suggests border wall is like a zoo fence  —  Donald Trump Jr. used Instagram Tuesday night to endorse his father's border wall policy, saying the evidence that a wall works is because they protect people from zoo animals.  —  “You know why you can enjoy a day at the zoo?

Josh Hawley to furloughed federal workers: No comment  —  Josh Hawley, Republican U.S. senator from Missouri  —  Josh Hawley has a message to federal workers in Kansas City who won't receive paychecks this week: No comment.  —  Wednesday, the freshman Republican Missouri senator was asked …

People Bet On How Much Trump Would Lie In His Oval Office Address And Won $276,424  —  A gambling site is paying out thousands of dollars to people who correctly bet that President Donald Trump would tell more than 3.5 lies in his Oval Office address on Tuesday.

Cracks emerging among Senate Republicans as Murkowski calls for end to shutdown  —  (CNN)Patience is beginning to wear thin among Senate Republicans for a prolonged government shutdown, with a growing number at risk of revolting if the fight over funding President Donald Trump's border wall drags out indefinitely.

Proud Boy Accused of Murdering ‘Lizard’ Brother With Sword  —  Prosecutors say Buckey Wolfe was convinced his sibling was a lizard.  —  A self-proclaimed member of the far-right Proud Boys group who also believes in the QAnon conspiracy theory allegedly murdered his own brother with a sword.

House Dems to subpoena Donald Trump Jr. first in Russia probe  —  House Democrats probing allegations that the Trump presidential campaign worked with Russian operatives to win the 2016 election plan to issue their first subpoena to Donald Trump Jr., according to a top lawmaker.

Tensions rise between 2 of Hawaii's Congressional leaders over ‘religious bigotry’ comments  —  HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard appears to have “called out” Hawaii Senator Mazie Hirono over her questioning of a judicial nominee, accusing her and others of religious bigotry.

Louis C.K. and Aziz Ansari have an opportunity for redemption.  They're squandering it.  —  Their post-#MeToo comedy is a loss for us all.  —  “God, I love being white,” said Louis C.K.  —  “Here's how great it is to be white,” the comedian went on: “I could get in a time machine …

Elizabeth Warren Knows Something Other Presidential Hopefuls Don't: Exactly Why She's Running For President  —  In Council Bluffs, her mic went dead.  —  “No sound!” someone in the back yelled.  —  “I know!” she yelled back in a laugh, before continuing on with her speech.

Drugs and syringes have become such a problem in Starbucks bathrooms that the company is installing needle-disposal boxes in certain locations  — Starbucks is installing needle-disposal boxes in some bathrooms, as well as exploring other solutions to workers' concerns regarding improperly disposed …

Trump is still considering an emergency declaration to get the funds to build a border wall  —  A source close to President Trump tells Jonathan Swan that he thinks a declaration of a national emergency at the border — which Trump stopped short of last night — remains the most likely ultimate option …

The G.O.P.'s Plan to Take Down Beto: Unleash the Bernie Bros  —  Republicans are digging into O'Rourke's voting record and Big Oil ties in an attempt to isolate him from progressives.  —  In the run-up to Texas's closely watched Senate election, Republicans' attempts to smear Beto O'Rourke centered …

Angela Davis Says She's ‘Stunned’ After Award Is Revoked Over Her Views on Israel  —  Angela Davis, the activist and scholar, said this week that she was “stunned” after a civil rights group in her native Birmingham, Ala., reversed its decision to honor her with an award amid protests over her support for a boycott of Israel.

He Was Found Not Guilty In Court Of Sexual Assault.  His School Still Expelled Him.  —  A male student accused of sexually assaulting a drunk female student was found not guilty in a court of law, but that didn't stop his university from expelling him over the same accusation.

The partisan warrior leading the White House's shutdown response  —  The White House nerve center spearheading the erratic response to the government shutdown is run by an interim director and longtime conservative firebrand whose confirmation last year was nearly derailed because of his inflammatory comments about Muslims.

Pentagon: Military Logistics System Not Ready for War With China or Russia  —  Defense Science Board warns military supply system ‘decayed’ and needs rapid upgrading  —  The strategic American military system for moving troops, weapons, and supplies over long distances has decayed significantly …

Jeff, MacKenzie Bezos Say They're Divorcing After 25 Years  —  Amazon.com Inc. founder Jeff Bezos, the world's richest person, and his wife MacKenzie are divorcing after 25 years.  —  “After a long period of loving exploration and trial separation, we have decided to divorce and continue …