AP-NORC poll: Shutdown drags Trump approval to yearlong low  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — A strong majority of Americans blame President Donald Trump for the government shutdown and reject his primary rationale for a border wall.  That's according to a new poll that shows the turmoil in Washington …

Pelosi tells Trump: No State of the Union address in the House until government is opened  —  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will not allow President Trump to deliver the State of the Union in the House chamber next week, writing to him on Wednesday afternoon that he can give …

House Democrats probe how Jared Kushner got security clearance  —  The probe was launched “in response to grave breaches of national security at the highest levels of the Trump administration,” said Rep. Elijah Cummings.  —  The House Oversight Committee is launching an investigation …

White House seeks list of programs that would be hurt if shutdown lasts into March  —  White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney has pressed agency leaders to provide him with a list of the highest-impact programs that will be jeopardized if the shutdown continues into March and April, people familiar with the directive said.

Venezuelan opposition leader declares himself president; U.S. promptly recognizes him as interim president  —  CARACAS, Venezuela — President Nicolás Maduro on Wednesday faced the gravest challenge to his authority since assuming power in 2013, as the U.S.-backed opposition claimed …

Covington Catholic Teen on ‘Fox & Friends’: Blackface Is ‘School Spirit’  —  'We haven't been able to wear black paint because of the video, but I know the kids meant nothing by it,' one senior explained to Steve Doocy.  —  Covington Catholic High School's increasing notoriety has only pushed it further into the mud.

McConnell blocks bill to reopen most of government  —  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) blocked legislation on Wednesday that would reopen most of the government currently closed during the partial shutdown.  —  Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) went to the Senate floor to ask for consent …

Biden's Paid Speech Buoyed the G.O.P. in Midwest Battleground  — A speech by Joe Biden in October helped Fred Upton, a vulnerable Republican, win re-election in Michigan.  — Mr. Biden, who earned $200,000 for the speech, stunned Democrats and elated Republicans by praising Mr. Upton …

BuzzFeed to cut 15% of staff in new round of layoffs  —  New York (CNN)BuzzFeed is preparing to announce a significant round of layoffs, according to sources familiar with the matter.  —  The coming contraction is the latest example of digital media companies having to make cutbacks in a difficult operating environment.

Five people shot dead at SunTrust Bank in Florida, suspect in custody  —  The Highlands County sheriff's office said a SWAT team stormed the bank after negotiations failed and the suspect “eventually surrendered.”  —  A suspected gunman was in custody Wednesday after five people were shot dead …

Here's Video of Beto O'Rourke Singing “Blitzkrieg Bop” in a Sheep Mask and Onesie  —  By now, most people who follow national politics have probably heard that Beto O'Rourke, the former Democratic congressman from El Paso who is contemplating a run for president, once played bass in a punk rock band called Foss.

Kamala Harris's Logo Is a Disaster.  Here's Why.  —  Does bad graphic design doom good candidates?  Or do lousy candidates inspire bad graphic design?  —  Back in 2016, I was pretty bullish on Marco Rubio's presidential prospects—right up until the moment I saw this:  —  The candidate's name in lower case?

Gawker 2.0 Implodes as Its Only Reporters Quit  —  The new site's only two full-time writers exited Wednesday in protest of editorial director Carson Griffith's offensive remarks about everything from race to penis size.  —  Gawker 2. is blowing up on the launchpad just two weeks after the site's …

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey: The Rolling Stone Interview  —  Sometimes 280 characters just aren't enough.  The social media mogul takes on his critics — and tries to explain who he really is  —  When Jack Dorsey co-founded Twitter in 2006, he had no idea he and his colleagues were creating …

Billionaires in Davos hate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's 70% tax on the rich  —  When billionaire chief executive Michael Dell was asked on Wednesday whether he would support a proposal put forth by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) to tax millionaires at a 70 percent tax rate …

Billionaire Ken Griffin Buys America's Most Expensive Home for $238 Million  —  The record-breaking purchase of a New York City penthouse is the latest in a string of multimillion-dollar real-estate deals by the hedge-fund manager  —  Billionaire Ken Griffin, who is becoming almost as known …

Sheila Jackson Lee Leaves 2 Posts After Aide Says She Was Fired for Reporting Sexual Assault  —  WASHINGTON — Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, facing blowback from a lawsuit claiming she fired an aide who said she was sexually assaulted by a supervisor at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation …

Trump Administration Grants South Carolina Foster Care Agencies Authority to Discriminate Against Jewish and Muslim Families  —  The Trump administration on Wednesday made a quiet move that opens the door for the religious right to use the Religious Freedom and Restoration Act to discriminate …

GOP lawmaker's case for a border wall: At my house, they keep ‘critters out’  —  The final moments of Rep. Adam Kinzinger's interview on MSNBC might not have been so jarring if he had not spent the preceding 10 minutes talking about the need for Republicans and Democrats to communicate better …