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 …

CNN Poll: Trump bears most blame for shutdown  —  WASHINGTON (CNN)Amid the longest government shutdown in US history, a majority say Donald Trump bears more responsibility for it than the Democrats in Congress, and the President's disapproval rating has climbed five points since last month, according to a new CNN Poll conducted by SSRS.

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 …

Ocasio-Cortez is driving more Twitter conversation than the top 5 news companies combined  —  Note: Kamala Harris tweets under both a private and a Senate account.  Her total is combined; Data: CrowdTangle; Chart: Chris Canipe/Axios  —  A freshman congresswoman who has held office for less …

Referenda Delenda Est  —  Brexit shows how direct democracy can be dangerous  —  “In my country the people can do as they like, although it often happens that they don't like what they have done.”  — Winston Churchill, 1946  —  During the Second World War, as U.S. power was eclipsing Britain's …

Old, young, liberal, centrist: Democrats will have no end of choices for president in 2020 … There are fresh faces and old hands.  Thirty-somethings and senior citizens.  Billionaires and at least one person still paying off student loans.  A skateboarder, a brewery founder and a coffee magnate are all taking a look.

Dems fly to Puerto Rico on chartered jet, meet with lobbyists, see ‘Hamilton’ as shutdown drags on  —  Despite a partial government shutdown with no end in sight, about 30 Democratic members of Congress traveled to Puerto Rico this weekend — with their families and lobbyists …

Students in Rural America Ask, ‘What Is a University Without a History Major?’  —  STEVENS POINT, Wis. — Chancellor Bernie Patterson's message to his campus was blunt: To remain solvent and relevant, his 125-year-old university needed to reinvent itself.  —  Some longstanding liberal arts degrees …

Congress now interested in that other Trump Tower once planned for Russia  —  Two Congressional aides told NBC News Trump's proposed Moscow development with Aras Agalarov is drawing new scrutiny from House and Senate investigators.  —  WASHINGTON — Before Donald Trump's lawyer was pitching …

Woman banned from Walmart after riding cart while drinking wine from Pringles can, police say  —  Police were called to a Texas Walmart after a woman was reportedly drinking wine from a Pringles can and riding an electric cart in the parking lot.  —  Officers responded to a call around 9 …

William Barr's confirmation hearing expected to be a battle over Mueller's future  —  Two years of simmering tension between the White House, the Justice Department and Congress will culminate in Tuesday's confirmation hearing of William P. Barr to be the next attorney general …

Nancy Pelosi Spanks the First Brat  —  WASHINGTON — Two men, sons of immigrants, rising to be the head of their own empires, powerful forces in their ethnic communities.  Both dapper and mustachioed with commanding personalities.  And both wielding a potent influence on the children …