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 …

Stone indictment: Serious Russia investigation charges hint Mueller has more coming  —  The FBI arrested Roger Stone, longtime campaign associate of President Donald Trump.  Stone is indicted for lying about the Russian investigation in the 2016 election.  —  Mueller clues show possibility …

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.”

Pence, Ivanka, Kushner no-show as Mattis gets standing ovation at elite DC dinner  —  Trump blasts Mattis: What's he done for me?  —  Washington (CNN)Former Defense Secretary James Mattis received a standing ovation Saturday at the annual black-tie Alfalfa Club dinner after delivering …

Trump Thought Firing Flynn Would End ‘Russia Thing,’ Chris Christie Writes in Book  —  President Trump and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, believed that the “Russia thing” would end as a side effect from the firing of the national security adviser, retired Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn …

We demand BuzzFeed pay out earned paid time off to its recently laid-off employees.  —  To Jonah Peretti, Lenke Taylor, and Ben Smith:  —  We are the BuzzFeed News Staff Council, a group of employees appointed to open up the lines of communication between News employees and company management.

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.

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 …

On Meet the Press, Tom Brokaw Says ‘The Hispanics Should Work Harder at Assimilation’  —  On Meet the Press, venerable news anchor Tom Brokaw made what may seem a surprising statement about immigration Sunday when he argued “the Hispanics” should “work harder” at assimilation.

Cancel in protest?  Or stay with a local newspaper that's being strip-mined for profits?  —  Jeffrey Miller might be the ideal news consumer: He's well-informed, thoughtful and understands the role good journalism plays in American democracy.  —  And he has a question, one that might seem small …

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.

The Foolish Quest to Be the Next Barack Obama  —  Kamala Harris was dubbed the “Female Obama” even before she announced she was going to “pull off an Obama-sized feat in 2020,” as McClatchy put it when the California senator formally entered the Democratic presidential primary this week.

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 …

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 …

Mixed attitudes toward investigations of Trump  —  Poll Questions  —  Q: Special Counsel Robert Mueller has been investigating possible collusion between Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and Russia, among other issues.  How much confidence do you have Mueller's final report will be fair and even-handed?

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.”

End Of Shutdown Still Leaves Contract Workers Hanging  —  BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Federal employees are turning on office lights and computers and reopening national parks and museums for the first time in weeks, but others employed by government contractors face still more uncertainty …

Twitter is the crystal meth of newsrooms  —  I saw the future of political reporting half a dozen years ago, and I've been hoping to unsee it ever since.  —  In the final week of August 2012, after Tropical Storm Isaac delivered a scouring rain to Florida's Gulf Coast …

Hillary Clinton tells friends she's leaving 2020 door open  —  1. Still with her?  —  Hillary Clinton may not be ready to give up on her Oval Office dreams, CNN's Jeff Zeleny reports.  —  “Clinton is telling people that she's not closing the doors to the idea of running in 2020,” Zeleny said.