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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

Elizabeth Warren to propose new ‘wealth tax’ on very rich Americans, economist says  —  Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) will propose a new “wealth tax” on Americans with more than $50 million in assets, according to an economist advising her on the plan, as Democratic leaders vie …

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 …

CNN's Jim Acosta is writing a book about Trump's war with the media  —  New York (CNN)CNN's chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta is authoring a book about the Trump administration and its battles with the news media.  —  The Harper imprint of HarperCollins Publishers announced the book on Thursday morning.

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 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 …

Group launches ‘Draft Ann Coulter’ for president  —  A political action committee that pushes for stricter immigration controls said Thursday it is launching a campaign to draft conservative writer Ann Coulter to challenge President Trump.  —  Americans for Legal Immigration PAC has been among …

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 …

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 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 …

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 …

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.

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 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.

‘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 …

The political scientist Donald Trump should read  —  What Trump would do if he really wanted his wall.  —  It's not often I run across political science that genuinely changes my understanding of how American politics works.  But Frances Lee's research has done exactly that.  Twice.

President of Flight Attendants Union Suggests General Strike to End Government Shutdown  —  That's apparently one way to end the shutdown.  —  As the partial government shutdown stretches into a monthlong slog with no end in sight, TSA workers and other federal employees in the U.S. aviation industry …

Alex Salmond charged with sexual assault and attempted rape  —  Scotland's former first minister accused of multiple counts of assault but says he is innocent  —  Play Video  —  Alex Salmond, the former first minister of Scotland, has been charged with multiple counts of sexual assault and two of attempted rape.