Exclusive: Robert Mueller met with Trump's pollster  —  Washington (CNN)Special counsel Robert Mueller sought information directly last year from one of Donald Trump's campaign pollsters who is also a former business associate of Paul Manafort's.  —  Mueller's team met with pollster Tony Fabrizio …

Before Trump, Steve King Set the Agenda for the Wall and Anti-Immigrant Politics  —  Years before President Trump forced a government shutdown over a border wall, triggering a momentous test of wills in Washington, Representative Steve King of Iowa took to the House floor to show off a model of a 12-foot border wall he had designed.

Rubio: Are You Ready For President Kamala Harris Declaring A National Emergency Over Climate Change?  —  Does anyone care about long-term consequences for precedents set in the short term any more?  I thought this argument died when Harry Reid pursued the nuclear option in the Senate to allow Barack Obama to stack the DC Circuit.

Test of steel prototype for border wall showed it could be sawed through  —  NBC News obtained a photo showing results of a test on a steel wall prototype.  —  President Donald Trump has repeatedly advocated for a steel slat design for his border wall, which he described as …

Trump White House urging allies to prepare for possible RBG departure  —  The White House is reaching out to political allies and conservative activist groups to prepare for an ailing Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's possible death or departure from the Supreme Court — an event that would trigger …

Q13 FOX staffer fired after TV station airs altered Trump video  —  A staffer at local FOX affiliate Q13 has been fired after the station aired what appears to be a doctored video of President Trump's Tuesday night speech from the Oval Office.  —  A staffer at local FOX affiliate Q13 …

Trump: I never said Mexico would ‘write out a check’ for border wall  —  President Donald Trump said Thursday that he never promised Mexico would literally write a check to pay for a border wall — even though his 2016 presidential campaign said it had a plan to make Mexico fork over the cash.

Kamala Harris Ready To Enter Race For President, Sources Say  —  She's Finalizing Plans For Bay Area Rally To Announce Candidacy  —  Sen. Kamala Harris has decided to run for president in 2020 and will announce her candidacy on or around Martin Luther King Jr. Day, probably at a campaign rally in Oakland …

Democrats will object to Senate adjourning amid shutdown  —  Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) plans to object to the Senate adjourning for the week Thursday afternoon amidst a 20-day government shutdown, according to Senate sources.  —  Kaine and his fellow Senate Democrats want to ratchet up pressure …

Texas landowners prepare wall fight; Trump to visit border  —  HIDALGO, Texas (AP) — As President Donald Trump travels to the border in Texas to make the case for his $5.7 billion wall, landowner Eloisa Cavazos says she knows firsthand how the project will play out if the White House gets its way.

O'Rourke talks border during Instagram video at dentist  —  Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-Texas) recorded his trip to the dentist on Thursday to showcase his hygienist's experiences growing up near the southern border.  —  “So I'm here at the dentist and we're going to continue our series …

Ocean Warming Is Accelerating Faster Than Thought, New Research Finds  —  Scientists say the warming of the world's oceans is accelerating more quickly than previously thought, a finding with dire implications for climate change given that the vast majority of the heat trapped by greenhouse gases ends up stored there.

Texas county GOP set to vote this week to remove leader because he is Muslim  —  The Tarrant County Republicans in Texas will vote this week to remove their vice chairman because he is Muslim.  —  Republican Dorrie O'Brien is leading a group of colleagues in an attempt to unseat Shahid Shafi …

The ‘doomsday’ scenario: Here's what happens if the shutdown drags on  —  Economists warn that a catastrophe is in the making if the partial government closure continues for weeks or months.  —  The country would face an economic hellscape if the government shutdown lasts “months or even years …

Evangelical Pastor Defends Trump's Border Plan: ‘Heaven Itself Is Gonna Have A Wall’  —  Robert Jeffress cited the Bible on “Fox & Friends” to support the president's plans for a border wall — but not all Christians agree.  —  An evangelical preacher is using the Bible …

Trump Nominates Andrew Wheeler As Permanent EPA Administrator  —  The former coal lobbyist and longest-serving acting chief in the EPA's history is set to become its 15th administrator.  —  President Donald Trump on Wednesday nominated Andrew Wheeler as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency …

POLITICO Playbook: Trump's one way out  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  SHUTDOWN ... DAY 20 ... TRUMP'S ONLY WAY OUT ...  THERE IS AN INCREASING RECOGNITION in the White House and among his most important allies on Capitol Hill that the only way for PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP to get movement …

Here's Trump Allies' Plan To Meddle In The 2020 Democratic Primary  —  The pair of outside groups tied closely to President Donald Trump has retained the top Republican opposition group in an effort to smother Democrats seeking to challenge him — and perhaps even help pick his 2020 challenger.

Fact-checking the mob song from ‘Beauty and the Beast’ … An angry mob, having learned that a Beast lives near their village in rural France, 18th century  —  GASTON AND VILLAGERS: We're not safe until he's dead.  —  First off, there are many ways to die that are not directly related to beast attacks!

Police Issue Warrant for Soccer Superstar Ronaldo's DNA in Rape Case  —  After discovering DNA on dress of alleged victim, Las Vegas police want to know if it matches Ronaldo's  —  Authorities in Las Vegas have issued a warrant to obtain the DNA of soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo …

Joshua Tree National Park To Close For Cleanup, Repairs To Vandalism, Illegal Roads  —  Illegal roads, cut down Joshua trees, and damaged federal property, along with the need to clean up garbage, prompted Joshua Tree National Park Superintendent David Smith to announce Tuesday that the park …

White House Intervened in Case of Trump's Casino Pal Steve Wynn  —  The move came just before the administration drafted new guidance that could have paid off for the gambling boss, and months before his resignation.  —  In the summer of 2017, the Trump White House asked for a meeting …

Rick Scott blindsides DeSantis on his way out  —  Scores of 11th-hour appointments by outgoing Gov. Rick Scott.  Roadblocks for the new transition team.  A rival inaugural ball.  —  The contentious handoff of the Florida governor's office from Scott to fellow Republican Ron DeSantis …