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.”

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 …

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 …

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.”

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

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.

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 …