Sen. Cory Gardner to break with Republicans on Trump's wall — it's the right thing to do  —  Colorado senator's spokesman says Gardner intends to vote for clean funding bill that would open the government with no border-security strings attached.  —  Colorado Republican Sen. Cory Gardner's …

Wilbur Ross doesn't understand why furloughed federal workers need food banks  —  Commerce secretary suggests they should be able to take out bridge loans  —  Chuck Grassley reminds U.S. Olympic Committee about requirements for its tax exemption Senate sets up Thursday test votes on ending shutdown …

Where's the ‘art of the deal’?  Trump has simply stopped negotiating to end the shutdown  —  First Read is your briefing from “Meet the Press” and the NBC Political Unit on the day's most important political stories and why they matter.  —  WASHINGTON — As workers continue without pay …

Michael Cohen subpoenaed by Senate Intelligence committee  —  (CNN)President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen was subpoenaed Thursday to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee in mid-February, according to a source close to Cohen.  —  It is not clear how Cohen will respond.

Fox News Poll: Voters see shutdown as bigger problem than border situation  —  Most voters consider the partial government shutdown a major problem or, even worse, an emergency, according to a new Fox News Poll.  —  After a 33-day stalemate over the funding for a U.S.-Mexico border wall …

“She Was a Cartoon Villain Brought to Life”: A Former Trump Aide Recalls Conway's Leaking Tactics in the West Wing Viper's Nest  —  In this exclusive excerpt from Team of Vipers: My 500 Extraordinary Days in the Trump White House, a former Trump aide recalls the leaking, the gossiping …

Nathan Phillips is a liar, not a victim  —  Days after Nathan Phillips' story of his confrontation with a group of students in Washington was thoroughly discredited, many on the left are still rallying behind him, pretending he was somehow a victim.  —  This, even after both the New York Times …

Ocasio-Cortez's misfired facts on living wage and minimum wage  —  “I think it's wrong that a vast majority of the country doesn't make a living wage, I think it's wrong that you can work 100 hours and not feed your kids.  I think it's wrong that corporations like Walmart and Amazon can get paid …

Air Traffic Controllers, Pilots, Flight Attendants Detail Serious Safety Concerns Due to Shutdown  —  Washington, D.C. — On Day 33 of the government shutdown, National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) President Paul Rinaldi, Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) President Joe DePete …

Why do people such as Lindsey Graham come to Congress?  —  Back in the day, small rural airports had textile windsocks, simple and empty things that indicated which way the wind was blowing.  The ubiquitous Sen. Lindsey O. Graham has become a political windsock, and as such, he …

Why Trump's immigration compromise is a shrewd move  —  For the past month, Democrats have insisted they will not negotiate with President Trump while the government remains in partial shutdown.  The president has spent most of that time insisting he will not negotiate on his demand for $5.7 billion in funding for the border wall.

This Time It's Russia's Emails Getting Leaked  —  The Russian oligarchs and Kremlin apparatchiks spared by Wikileaks in the past will not be so lucky this week, when transparency activists drop a massive archive of leaked docs.  —  Russian oligarchs and Kremlin apparatchiks may find …

Republican Senator Joni Ernst Says She Was Raped in College  — Ernst speaks in first interview since divorce details divulged  — Fourth-ranking Senate Republican up for re-election in 2020  —  Republican Senator Joni Ernst says that she was raped in college by someone she knew …

Why the 2020 Democratic primary could turn into ‘Lord of the Flies’  —  Top party insiders see a real possibility that superdelegates could play a role at a brokered convention.  —  WASHINGTON — The 2020 Democratic presidential race has just begun, but party insiders and strategists …

Kamala Harris faces Democrats' Rocky Mountain divide  —  © Getty Images, The Hill photo illustration  —  If Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) wins her party's nomination to run against President Trump, she will have broken through one of the impenetrable barriers of modern politics.

Maduro isolated as Latin American nations back Venezuela opposition leader  —  LIMA (Reuters) - Most Latin American nations recognized Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president on Wednesday, leaving Nicolas Maduro ever more isolated as he faces unrest at home and threats from the United States.

Is it time for journalists to sign off Twitter?  —  New York (CNN Business)A version of this article first appeared in the “Reliable Sources” newsletter.  You can sign up for free right here.  —  “Never tweet.”  —  Sometimes the insanity on Twitter makes my brain hurt.  Sometimes the hatred makes my heart ache.

Google Privately Urged Narrower Protection for Activist Workers  —  While Google publicly supported employees who protested company policies, it quietly asked the government to narrow the right to organize over work email  —  Google, whose employees have captured international attention …

The Unfinished Business of Bernie Sanders  —  He went from the rumpled bit player of the progressive movement to a legit presidential candidate and liberal kingmaker.  But now that Sanders wields such enormous power in Democratic politics, the question is, what's he going to do with it?

This Is What Happens When You Try to Sue Your Boss  —  Millions of American workers sign away legal rights without knowing what they're in for: Arbitration Hell.  —  Illustrations by Michael Deforge  —  :00  —  The proof that the fight between Alex Beigelman and UBS had descended …

‘Extraordinarily angry and very upset taxpayers’: IRS faces chaotic tax season amid shutdown  —  The IRS is facing tax season amid the shutdown with new rules that could complicate filing for millions of Americans — and a potential shortage of workers to handle the returns …

Taliban Agrees to Oppose al Qaeda and Islamic State in Afghanistan  —  The deal to try to stop militant groups using the country to mount attacks abroad is a major concession to the U.S.  —  KABUL—In a landmark concession to the U.S., the Taliban has agreed to oppose any attempts …