Democrats turn down White House invitation for shutdown talks  —  No Democrats will attend a lunch on Tuesday with President Trump designed to reach an agreement to end the government shutdown and fund a border wall, the White House said.  —  Trump had invited several moderate House Democrats …

Mueller Probe Likely to Restrict Michael Cohen's Testimony  —  Trump's former lawyer may be barred from discussing matters related to talks with the special counsel and Manhattan federal prosecutors  —  WASHINGTON—The testimony of Michael Cohen, President Trump's former lawyer …

Democratic National Committee drops partnership with Women's March  —  The Democratic National Committee has dropped its partnership in the Women's March over anti-Semitism concerns, according to a Democratic source.  —  This development comes amid accusations of anti-Semitism within …

After Her Brexit Deal Is Crushed in Parliament, Theresa May Faces a No-Confidence Vote  —  LONDON — Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday suffered a humiliating defeat over her plan to withdraw Britain from the European Union, thrusting the country further into political chaos with only 10 weeks …

NBC News Tells Staffers Not To Directly Call Steve King's Racist Remarks Racist  —  “It is ok to attribute to others as in ‘what many are calling racist,’” an email from the standards department reads in part.  —  NBC News' standards department sent an email to staffers Tuesday telling …

Chris Christie accuses Jared Kushner of political ‘hit job’ in explosive new book  —  Exclusive: ex-New Jersey governor, who had prosecuted Kushner's father, was sacked as head of Trump's transition team  —  Chris Christie, who was ousted as chairman of Donald Trump's White House transition team in 2016 …

Trump Discussed Pulling U.S. From NATO, Aides Say Amid New Concerns Over Russia  —  WASHINGTON — There are few things that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia desires more than the weakening of NATO, the military alliance among the United States, Europe and Canada that has deterred Soviet and Russian aggression for 70 years.

CNN Analyst Calls Out Fox News' David Webb On-Air For ‘White Privilege’.  Webb Informs Her He's Black.  —  2019 is so woke that you don't even need to be white to be accused of “white privilege” anymore.  —  CNN analyst Areva Martin mistakenly accused Sirius XM radio host …

Mueller plows ahead, issuing more subpoenas to associates of conservative commentator  —  Special counsel Robert Mueller has zeroed in on at least three new witnesses associated with a conservative commentator connected to former Trump campaign adviser Roger Stone, signaling …

El Chapo Trial: Former Mexican President Peña Nieto Took $100 Million Bribe, Witness Says  —  Former Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto took a $100 million bribe from international drug traffickers, according to a witness at the trial of Joaquín Guzmán Loera, the infamous crime lord known as El Chapo.

John Kasich signs with CNN as senior political commentator  —  (CNN)John Kasich's time as Ohio governor just came to an end.  And his time as a CNN contributor just began.  —  On Tuesday morning CNN announced that Kasich is the newest addition to the network's stable of contributors.

Federal judge sides with Trump, allowing workers to go unpaid during shutdown  —  A federal judge declined to stop the Trump administration from requiring government employees to work without pay during the shutdown, rejecting the arguments of two federal unions and other individual federal employees.

Poll: A majority of Americans support raising the top tax rate to 70 percent  —  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and her Republican critics have both called her proposal to dramatically increase America's highest tax rate “radical” but a new poll released Tuesday indicates that a majority of Americans agrees with the idea.

The polar vortex has fractured, and the eastern U.S. faces a punishing stretch of winter weather  —  Forecasts call for a very cold and stormy pattern, just underway, to peak in a few weeks  —  The swirling winds tens of thousands of feet high in the sky above the Arctic — the dreaded polar vortex …

Judge bars citizenship question from 2020 census  —  NEW YORK (AP) — The Trump administration cannot put a question about citizenship status on the 2020 census, a federal judge in New York ruled Friday in a boost to proponents of counting immigrants.  —  In a 277-page decision …

McConnell blocks House bill to reopen government for second time  —  Senate Republicans blocked a House-passed package to reopen the federal government for a second time in as many weeks on Tuesday.  —  Democratic Sens. Chris Van Hollen (Md.) and Ben Cardin (Md.) asked for consent …

Did the Wall Street Journal Fall for a Prank Directed at Laura Loomer?  —  Laura Loomer, who operated as an anti-Muslim online activist before she was suspended permanently from Twitter, was duped by internet pranksters into believing that her suspension occurred due to alleged lobbying …

A Failure to Adjust  —  We can't blame all of the struggles of the working class on “China Shock.”  —  A debate has erupted, particularly on the right, in response to a recent Tucker Carlson monologue on how “Washington elite” policy choices, in particular international trade liberalization …

Beto O'Rourke's immigration plan: No wall but no specifics  —  EL PASO — In a digital ad that recently went viral, Beto O'Rourke tore into President Trump's desired border wall with soaring footage of the Rio Grande Valley and an explanation of what the wall would do: cut off access to the river …

Adam Schiff makes specialty hires for reopened Russia probe  —  Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee have wasted no time in beefing up the investigative staff dedicated to continuing the committee's work on its semi-dormant Russia probe, even as the committee's new membership is still taking shape.

Hallandale commissioner: Muslim congresswoman might ‘blow up’ Capitol Hill  —  Hallandale Beach Commissioner Anabelle Lima-Taub posted a comment on Facebook suggesting Muslim Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib might “blow up” Capitol Hill.  (South Florida Sun Sentinel file) South Florida Sun Sentinel

APNewsBreak: Feds say ‘star’ DEA agent abroad stole millions  —  MIAMI (AP) — A U.S. federal narcotics agent known for his expensive tastes and high-profile drug seizures has been implicated in a multimillion-dollar money-laundering conspiracy that involved the very cartel criminals he was charged with fighting in Colombia.