‘All for nothing’: Trump's wall retreat bewilders allies  —  Before President Donald Trump finished speaking from the Rose Garden, putting a temporary end to the five-week government shutdown, a running group text between several of his former aides lit up with complaints.

‘Complete, total surrender’: Why Trump waved the white flag  —  President Donald Trump touted GOP unity for 33 days of a partial government shutdown.  But by the 34th day, it was clearly gone — and so was the shutdown by the end of the 35th.  —  Senate Republicans had finally …

The vindication of Nancy Pelosi  —  How Pelosi delivered Trump the most humiliating loss of his presidency.  —  Flashback 40 days and Nancy Pelosi's return to the speakership was a hard-won prize marred by Democratic grumbling.  —  After the midterm elections, 15 House Democrats signed …

Poll: Majority of Americans hold Trump and Republicans responsible for shutdown  —  Public disapproval of President Trump has swelled five points to 58 percent over three months as a majority of Americans continue to hold him and congressional Republicans most responsible …

Trump's Zombies Applaud as He Lights Himself on Fire  —  It was funny, watching Trump trying to persuade America that this wasn't a colossal failure for which he alone was responsible.  But it wasn't fun.  —  Michael Tomasky  —  What a joke.  What a fraud.  As Bugs Bunny used to say, what a maroon.

Uh-Oh  —  Criminal indictments are typically written in the dry, terse active voice of American legalese.  Special counsel Robert Mueller's criminal indictment of Roger Stone, who was arrested by FBI agents in the wee hours on Friday, is no different—with one notable exception.

What did the president know, and when did he know it?  —  For two years now we've heard, “No collusion!” and “Witch hunt!”  Such disparagement of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's work was never viable (e.g. we knew about the Trump Tower meeting in June 2016 for well over a year); now it's simply wrong.

‘Prisoner of his own impulse’: Inside Trump's cave to end shutdown without wall  —  His poll numbers were plummeting.  His FBI director was decrying the dysfunction.  The nation's air travel was in chaos.  Federal workers were lining up at food banks.  Economic growth was at risk of flatlining …