Mike Bloomberg Statement on Independent Run  —  Last fall I spent over $100 million of my own money to elect Democrats to the House because I believed it was absolutely imperative to ensure a congressional counterweight to President Trump.  Thankfully, we were successful.

Trump ‘very pissed off’ at former White House aide's tell-all  —  President Donald Trump is “very pissed off” and “really hopping mad” at former aide Cliff Sims' new book that reveals firsthand the chaos and infighting that is ever present in his White House, according to several current and former White House officials.

Howard Schultz May Save the Democratic Party From Itself  —  The Starbucks founder Howard Schultz is the Twitter villain of the hour.  If hot takes actually generated heat, Schultz would already have been vaporized under the onrush of magma.  His offense: contemplating a run for president as a self-funded independent centrist.

The government shutdown cost the economy $11 billion, including a permanent $3 billion loss, Congressional Budget Office says  — The federal government shutdown cost the economy $11 billion, according to a new analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

Wall Street freaks out about 2020  —  NEW YORK — Top Wall Street executives would love to be rid of President Donald Trump.  But they are getting panicked about the prospect of an ultraliberal Democratic nominee bent on raising taxes and slapping regulations on their firms.

Do You Still Have A Job At BuzzFeed?  —  “As you know, the company is going thru a reorganization...”  —  This post has not been vetted or endorsed by BuzzFeed's editorial staff.  BuzzFeed Community is a place where anyone create a post.  Learn more or post your buzz!

Trump calls Bible literacy classes in schools ‘great’  —  President Donald Trump on Monday cheered on the controversial push to introduce Bible literacy classes to public schools.  —  “Numerous states introducing Bible Literacy classes, giving students the option of studying the Bible.

Spy vs. Spy: Watchdog Group Turns the Tables on an Undercover Agent  —  Citizen Lab, a cybersecurity watchdog organization at the University of Toronto, has published hard-hitting research on powerful targets in recent years: Chinese government censorship, Silicon Valley's invasion of customers' privacy …

U.S. and Taliban Agree in Principle to Peace Framework, Envoy Says  —  KABUL, Afghanistan — American and Taliban officials have agreed in principle to the framework of a peace deal in which the insurgents guarantee to prevent Afghan territory from being used by terrorists …

Lifestyle guru B. Smith has Alzheimer's.  Her husband has a girlfriend.  Her fans aren't having it.  —  EAST HAMPTON, N.Y. — It was 10 a.m., and B. Smith was shuffling around her house in socks and leggings and a bright red sweatshirt emblazoned with “Wilhelmina,” the prestigious modeling house to which she once belonged.

As Trump slides in new poll, he retreats deeper into Fox News fantasyland  —  A new Post-ABC News poll finds that most Americans believe President Trump is failing spectacularly by many different metrics.  Large majorities say he doesn't have the temperament to be president …

Woman Stuck in Elevator of Manhattan Townhouse for Entire Weekend  —  [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.]  —  The owners of a Manhattan townhouse arrived home Monday morning after a weekend away to discover that a female employee had been stuck …

$1.5 trillion U.S. tax cut has no major impact on business capex plans: survey  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration's $1.5 trillion cut tax package appeared to have no major impact on businesses' capital investment or hiring plans, according to a survey released a year …

Want to know which Democrats can actually beat Trump?  We don't have to guess.  —  In the 2020 primary, Democrats face the same task that every party does in every race: to nominate someone who both represents them and can win.  At this crossroads for the party, polling, demographic data …

State of the Union will not take place Tuesday, Pelosi aide says  —  Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump's second State of the Union address will not take place on Tuesday, an aide to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told CNN.  —  The aide confirmed that the address, which was originally scheduled for Tuesday …

US sanctions Venezuelan state-owned oil company as Maduro seeks talks with Trump  —  The Trump administration announced Monday it is sanctioning Venezuela's state-owned oil company, blocking $7 billion in assets and costing the country $11 billion of oil revenues, according to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

U.S. Authorities Unveil Sweeping Set of Charges Against China's Huawei  —  The Trump administration unveiled a sweeping set of actions—including criminal charges—against China's Huawei Technologies Co. in its latest salvo against the telecom giant, with authorities unsealing a set of indictments …

Who's Benefiting from Medicaid Expansion?  —  There's a new study of how the Affordable Care Act, especially the Medicaid expansion, played out in California: … In other words, the expansion brought in federal money that benefited hospitals and government budgets, and it made care …

Chicago's record for coldest temperature ever could fall as polar vortex has city ‘in the crosshairs’  —  Snow over the Chicago area arrives ahead of an arctic blast of air that may set new record cold temperatures.  —  One of the coldest air masses in years will envelop the Midwest …

Trump AG pick says he's discussed Mueller probe with Pence  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's pick for attorney general, William Barr, says Vice President Mike Pence is among the officials with whom he has discussed the special counsel's Russia investigation.

GOP senator says Trump wants a ‘simple’ border wall deal  —  President Trump signaled to a GOP senator over the weekend that he is searching for a “simple” border wall deal in advance of the new funding deadline next month — casting more doubt on the prospects of a broader immigration deal …

Another Side of #MeToo: Male Managers Fearful of Mentoring Women  —  DAVOS, Switzerland — Men attending the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this year were worried about a lot of things.  A global economic slowdown.  Threats to cybersecurity.  Populism.  War.