Trump claimed women were gagged with tape.  Then Border Patrol tried to find some evidence.  —  An internal email, sent 2 weeks after Trump started making the claim, asked agents for “any information” about what Trump was describing.  —  It's become a staple of President Donald Trump's riffs …

No Escape for Roger Stone: Mueller's Case Is a Slam Dunk and He's Too Slimy to Get Flipped  —  Prosecutor who helped convict Dick Cheney aide Scooter Libby for lying and obstruction says the case against Trump's old pal is virtually perfect.  —  The long-anticipated indictment …

Americans fault Trump for chaotic government shutdown, as more believe US is ‘on the wrong track’: NBC-WSJ poll  — An NBC-Wall Street Journal poll showed that by 63 percent to 28 percent , a margin greater than two to one, Americans believe the country is “off on the wrong track” rather than “headed in the right direction.”

Trump advisers lied over and over again, Mueller says.  The question is, why?  —  They lied to the public for months before Donald Trump was elected — and then repeatedly after he took office.  —  They lied to Congress as lawmakers sought to investigate Russia's attack on American democracy in 2016.

Mulvaney says Trump didn't lose shutdown battle  —  The oft-repeated saying in politics is that no one wins when the federal government shuts down.  On Sunday, acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney did his best to make sure President Donald Trump wasn't branded the loser this time.

Concern around NFL that 4 officials in NFC Championship Game live in Southern California  —  In the latest twist to the simmering controversy from last Sunday's NFC Championship Game, there is some concern in league circles about the NFL's judgment in allowing four game officials who live …

A Better Guide than Elite Opinion Is Public Revulsion at It  —  Some expert in Bayesian probability ought to come up with an algorithm that would enable us to determine which of the multifarious daily outrages are going to catch on and, as the internet has taught us to say, “go viral.”

I was a secret Trump supporter: Model feared politics would kill her career  —  Elizabeth Pipko, a 23-year-old model who has appeared in Maxim, has kept a secret from her industry colleagues out of fear it could derail her career: She was a Donald Trump supporter and worked full-time on his 2016 presidential campaign.

Run, Howard, run!  —  Nick Troiano is executive director of Unite America and a former independent congressional candidate from Denver.  Charles Wheelan is founder and co-chair of Unite America and a senior lecturer in public policy at Dartmouth College.  —  In reportedly exploring …

The Crisis Facing American Journalism Did Not Start With the Internet  —  For decades, newspaper conglomerates lapped up profits and failed to adapt.  Our communities are worse off for their folly.  — It's Been a Bad Week to Work for Elon Musk  —  A recent study by researchers …

Ginni Thomas Storms The Oval Office, Bullies Trump Because She Can  —  Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, is unafraid to throw her weight around, especially when it comes to crony appointments and spewing hatred.  —  The right-wing influence group “Groundswell” is alive, well, and thriving.

Polish far-right trial raises spectre of ‘false flag’ tactics  —  German journalist with links to Russia allegedly organised arson attack in Ukraine to stoke tensions, court told  —  The plot allegedly involved three Polish extremists and a German journalist with ties to the far-right …

20 Dead as Bombs Target Sunday Mass in Philippine Cathedral  —  Jolo, Philippines (AP) — Two bombs minutes apart tore through a Roman Catholic cathedral on a southern Philippine island where Muslim militants are active, killing at least 20 people and wounding 81 others during a Sunday Mass, officials said.

No, Out-of-Work Lefty Journalists, “Learn to Code” Is Not a Secret Alt-Right Phrase  —  On Thursday and Friday the cause of Truth received a huge boost as two loci of lies and disinformation, BuzzFeed and Huffington Post, were hit with the first of what will be a rolling series of layoffs.

The Foolish Quest to Be the Next Barack Obama  —  Reassembling his coalition probably isn't the path to the presidency this time.  —  Bill Scher is a contributing editor to Politico Magazine, and co-host of the Bloggingheads.tv show “The DMZ.”  —  Kamala Harris was dubbed the “Female Obama” …

Ex-GOP senator to Trump: Don't let ‘whack-a-doodles’ run things  —  Former Sen. Alfonse D'Amato (R-N.Y.) called on President Trump to push back on the far-right flank of his base that urged him to recently shut down the government to fund a border wall.  —  “Don't let right-wing whack …

Billionaires have historically been alluring, magical figures, but that view might be changing  —  The largest gathering of billionaires in the world took place last week in the not-particularly-luxurious Alpine resort of Davos, Switzerland.  —  What happened: Axios' Steve LeVine reports …