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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

‘The essence of involuntary servitude’: Federal unions sue the Trump administration to get paid for shutdown work  —  BREAKING: A federal judge Tuesday refused to compel the government to pay federal employees who have been forced to work without pay during shutdown.  This article will be updated.

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 …

For the first time, Coast Guard not receiving a paycheck amid partial government shutdown  —  Despite a one-time emergency payment to U.S. Coast Guard members two weeks ago, the money has run out.  —  Adm. Karl Schultz, the Coast Guard commandant, tweeted Tuesday that the Coast Guard …

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 …

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 …

At Trump's Inauguration, $10,000 for Makeup and Lots of Room Service  —  At Trump's Inauguration, the Money Flowed Like Never Before  —  New details of spending on Mr. Trump's inaugural two years ago show that it roughly doubled that of his immediate predecessors.

‘Vino Vixen,’ alleged blacklist creator, leaves State  —  The wine blogger-turned State Department official allegedly created a list of career government staffers disloyal to President Donald Trump.  —  The “Vino Vixen,” a Trump administration appointee who gained notoriety over allegations …

White House Considering Indra Nooyi to Head World Bank  —  WASHINGTON — The White House is considering Indra K. Nooyi, the former chief executive officer of PepsiCo, for the position of World Bank president, according to several people familiar with the process.

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 …

Pelosi, Democrats should discipline Tlaib's anti-Semitism … It took far too long, but the breaking point finally came for Republicans.  For years, Rep. Steve King has been pushing the envelope with far-right ideology and racist language targeting immigrants.

Barr fields questions on Mueller probe, independence from Trump at attorney general confirmation hearing  —  William P. Barr, President Trump's nominee to be the next attorney general, is appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee for confirmation.  —  Barr, a former attorney general …

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

Goodbye, New York.  Adam Moss Is Leaving the Magazine He Has Edited for 15 Years.  —  Adam Moss, whose visual savvy and ear for the zeitgeist made him one of the leading magazine editors of his generation, said on Tuesday that he would step down from New York magazine, his canvas for the past 15 years.

Mueller files status report highlighting cooperation by key witness  —  Former Trump campaign aide Richard Gates is still cooperating with federal prosecutors on “several ongoing investigations,” according to a status report filed by special counsel Robert Mueller and Gates' defense attorneys on Tuesday.

Former top FBI lawyer James Baker subject of criminal media leak probe, transcript reveals  —  Republican's questions uncovered revelations that FBI leadership debated if Trump was directed by Russians to fire Comey  —  The former top lawyer at the FBI has been under federal investigation …