What happened to Michael Cohen?  Mystery ex-Trump fixer arrives at home with apparent black eye and arm in sling hours after bombshell report that president ordered him to LIE to Congress  — Longtime Donald Trump lawyer Michael Cohen arrived at his Manhattan apartment with was treated at a New York hospital with his left arm covered

White House pushes long odds strategy for wall  —  The White House has a new, long-shot idea for getting President Donald Trump's border wall: persuading the Senate to take up the president's wall request to force a deal with the Democrats, then reopen the government.

The shabbiest U.S. president ever is an inexpressibly sad specimen  —  Half or a quarter of the way through this interesting experiment with an incessantly splenetic presidency, much of the nation has become accustomed to daily mortifications.  Or has lost its capacity for embarrassment, which is even worse.

Mnuchin Flew to L.A. on Private Jet of Billionaire Michael Milken  —  WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin flew from Washington to Los Angeles this month on the private aircraft of Michael R. Milken, the billionaire “junk bond” king who pleaded guilty to securities fraud in 1990 and served two years in prison.

Justice Department's Reversal on Online Gambling Tracked Memo From Adelson Lobbyists  —  Analysis sent to Justice Department argued that 2011 opinion that helped online gambling was wrong  —  The legal reasoning behind the Justice Department's unusual reversal this week of an opinion …

Why I refuse to walk with the Washington Women's March  —  It should not be this difficult to condemn hate speech.  Until national leaders get it right, local marches will carry the mission forward.  —  CONNECT  —  I walked away from the Women's March on Washington two years ago absolutely electrified …

Trump says he'll make “major announcement” about border  —  President Trump said on Twitter that he will be making a “major announcement” about the southern border and the government shutdown on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET.  —  “I will be making a major announcement concerning the Humanitarian Crisis …

Republican Congressman: Trump's Border Crisis Is a ‘Myth’  —  A conversation with Texas Rep. Will Hurd, who knows the border better than most of his colleagues  —  WASHINGTON — Congressman Will Hurd of Texas is an increasingly lonely voice in the “build the wall” Republican Party of Donald Trump.

Rep. Steve King raising money off controversy from white nationalism, supremacy comments  —  The House has approved a Democratic measure disapproving of Republican Rep. Steve King's comments about white supremacy.  The nine-term Iowa congressman was among those supporting the measure, which was approved, 416-1.

Advisers to former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz are looking at him running as an independent for president in 2020  —  Advisers to former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz have been exploring the possibility of launching an independent bid for the White House in 2020, according to two people who have been informed of the discussions.

Upper East Side Restaurant Nello Bans Single Women From Eating At The Bar  —  Because, apparently, the owners consider all of us escorts, and they have “special” seating rules for them.  —  And yes, this is as disgustingly ridiculous as it sounds, so let's backtrack.

AJC poll shows a deeply divided Georgia and tough numbers for Kemp  —  Editor's note: For a detailed explanation about how this poll was conducted, see the end of this story.  —  After an intensely partisan race for Georgia governor, an Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll released Friday shows …

POLITICO Playbook PM: What the shutdown tea leaves tell us  —  NEW ... ACTING OMB DIRECTOR RUSS VOUGHT has issued official guidance about congressional travel during the shutdown.  The guidance  —  READING THE SHUTDOWN TEA LEAVES ... VP MIKE PENCE and White House aide JARED KUSHNER met …

Even College Graduates Can't Afford a Home on the West Coast  — College graduates priced out of some of the biggest job hubs  — But, grads can find affordable housing in many thriving cities  —  College graduates earn a lot of money in San Jose but are still $100,000 short to afford …

Trump Begins Third Year With Low Job Approval and Doubts About His Honesty  —  Views of economy remain positive, divided by partisanship  —  At the second anniversary of his inauguration, public views of Donald Trump's job performance, as well as his honesty and administration's ethics, are decidedly negative.

St. Louis newscaster apologizes for inserting slur into Martin Luther King Jr.'s name on air  —  ST. LOUIS  • A St. Louis newscaster apologized on air Thursday morning, saying that his mispronunciation of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s name that included a racial slur was “not intentional in any way.”

The really scandalous part of Michael Cohen's poll-fixing efforts  —  On Thursday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Michael Cohen, President Trump's former personal attorney, tried to rig online “polls” in favor of Trump.  The story isn't the latest nefarious revelation to emerge from Cohen's downfall.

Bush calls on Trump, Democrats to ‘put politics aside’ and end the shutdown  —  Former President George W. Bush on Friday called on President Trump and congressional leaders to “put politics aside” and end the partial government shutdown, which is about to enter its fifth week.

$11 toothpaste: Immigrants pay big for basics at private ICE lock-ups  —  NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Detained in a California lockup with hundreds of other immigrants seeking asylum, Duglas Cruz faced a choice.  —  He could content himself with a jailhouse diet that he said left him perpetually hungry.

Trump said he beat ISIS.  Instead, he's giving it new life.  —  The president decided to withdraw U.S. forces without consulting allies or understanding the facts on the ground.  —  On Dec. 17, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asked for an important call with me and a few …

Defying Trump Administration, Calif. Offers Federal Workers Unemployment Benefits  —  California Gov. Gavin Newsom says the Trump administration has told states they can't offer unemployment benefits to federal employees who are required to report to work without pay during the government shutdown.

Anti-vaxxers are among the WHO's top 10 global health threats, and Ebola fake news is killing people … Anti-vaxxers are one of the top 10 global health threats.  The World Health Organization identified “vaccine hesitancy” — “the reluctance or refusal to vaccinate despite the availability of vaccines” …

Showboat: billionaire NFL team owner installs Imax cinema on superyacht  —  Dan Snyder made a ‘special and unusual’ request when ordering Lady S from Dutch boatbuilder  —  Dan Snyder, the American billionaire owner of the Washington National Football League (NFL) team …

9 experts on Theresa May's “Plan B” and what's next for Brexit  —  The United Kingdom still doesn't have a plan for how to break up with the European Union.  —  Prime Minister Theresa May returns to Parliament with her so-called “Plan B” for Brexit on Monday, not even a week …