Trump has concealed details of his face-to-face encounters with Putin from senior officials in administration  —  President Trump has gone to extraordinary lengths to conceal details of his conversations with Russian President Vladi­mir Putin, including on at least one occasion taking possession …

Trump Tweets Lengthy Attack on F.B.I. Over Inquiry Into Possible Aid to Russia  —  WASHINGTON — President Trump on Saturday unleashed an extended assault on the F.B.I. and the special counsel's investigation, knitting together a comprehensive alternative story in which he had been framed by disgraced …

Trump, GOP blamed for shutdown; no crisis seen but fewer oppose wall (POLL)  —  A majority of Americans hold Donald Trump and congressional Republicans mainly responsible for the partial federal shutdown, now the longest in history, according to a new ABC News/Washington Post poll.

In A Private Meeting, Kirsten Gillibrand Signaled She Will Run For President  —  New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand on Saturday signaled to a group of about 20 influential women that she will run for president, according to a person familiar with the meeting.  —  Gillibrand made her intentions clear …

‘In the White House waiting’: Inside Trump's defiance on the longest shutdown ever  —  When President Trump made a rare journey to the U.S. Capitol last week, he was expected to strategize about how to end the government shutdown he instigated.  Instead, he spent the first 20-odd minutes delivering a monologue about “winning.”

White House Sought Options to Strike Iran  —  State and Pentagon officials were rattled by the request  —  WASHINGTON—On a warm night in early September, militants fired three mortars into Baghdad's sprawling diplomatic quarter, home to the U.S. Embassy.  —  The shells—launched …

Infowars Must Turn Over Internal Documents to Sandy Hook Families, Judge Rules  —  The families of victims in the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School must receive access to internal documents at Infowars, the internet and radio show whose host, Alex Jones, has spread the false claim …

An emotional opening for ‘Hamilton’ in Puerto Rico — not just for Lin-Manuel Miranda but an island still reeling from a storm  —  SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO — With Lin-Manuel Miranda once again as its star, the celebrated Broadway hit “Hamilton” opened for business in Puerto Rico this weekend …

Senator Tim Scott Excoriates the GOP For Being Silent on Rep. Steve King & Racism in Blistering Op-Ed  —  U.S. Rep. Tim Scott, left, speaks to the media during a news conference as South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley looks on at the South Carolina Statehouse on Monday, Dec. 17, 2012, in Columbia …

Ocasio-Cortez whines about criticism by Daily Caller  —  I have some respect for any 29 year-old who gets herself elected to Congress and builds a national political following, especially when the 29 year-old comes from a modest background.  Sure, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is misguided and ill-informed.

By granting asylum to Saudi woman, Canada shows its moral leadership  —  Bessma Momani is professor at the University of Waterloo and Balsillie School of International Affairs.  She is a senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation and author of Arab Dawn: The Demographic Dividend Arab Youth Will Bring.

V.A. Seeks to Redirect Billions of Dollars Into Private Care  —  WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs is preparing to shift billions of dollars from government-run veterans' hospitals to private health care providers, setting the stage for the biggest transformation of the veterans' medical system in a generation.

Blind date: ‘I left my knickers at a house party we crashed’  —  What happened when Joanne, 24, barista, met Morgan, 24, children's social worker?  —  What were you hoping for?  —  A fun evening on the Guardian's dime!  —  First impressions?  —  Cute, chatty and early.  —  What did you talk about?

Former HUD secretary Julián Castro joins 2020 Democratic presidential field  —  SAN ANTONIO — Julián Castro, a former mayor of San Antonio who worked in the Obama administration, announced Saturday morning that he is joining the increasingly crowded field of candidates for the 2020 Democratic nomination.