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 Might Reelect Trump Because He Doesn't Understand How Politics Works  —  Billionaire coffee-shop mogul Howard Schultz is seriously thinking of running for president as an independent.  Schultz appears to be one of those rich people who has confused his success in one field …

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 …

Mueller investigation is ‘close to being completed,’ acting attorney general says  —  Acting attorney general Matthew G. Whitaker said Monday that he has been “fully briefed” on special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election and that, “right now, the investigation is close to being completed.”

An Open Letter to Howard Schultz  —  I like Starbucks.  Among the smart set, this is class betrayal.  I'm supposed to visit Starbucks begrudgingly because it's square and corporate and the opposite of local.  But I don't feel that way.  I have Starbucks most mornings.

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.

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's former attorney and fixer Michael Cohen to testify behind closed doors to House Intelligence Committee on Feb. 8, chairman says  —  Michael Cohen has agreed to testify behind closed doors in front of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, according to a statement …

Bolton: ‘All options are on the table’ for Trump in Venezuela  —  The U.S. announced sanctions Monday against Venezuela's state-owned oil company amid a constitutional power struggle in that nation.  —  WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is leaving open the possibility of a U.S. military intervention …

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 …

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 …

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.

US levels criminal charges against Chinese tech giant Huawei and top exec  —  A 13-count indictment has been unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn criminal charging four defendants — Huawei Technologies, two Huawei affiliates — Huawei Device USA and Skycom Tech — and Huawei's chief financial officer …

$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 …

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.

Stone indictment makes clear there was no Trump-Russia conspiracy  —  Special counsel Robert Mueller's indictment of Roger Stone elucidates what has been apparent to the public for a year, and therefore must have been known to prosecutors and the FBI for much longer: There was no criminal conspiracy between …

Facebook Moves to Block Ad Transparency Tools — Including Ours  —  Our tool had let the public see exactly how users were being targeted by advertisers.  The social media giant urged us to shut it down last year.  —  A number of organizations, including ProPublica, have developed tools …

Footage Of Shirtless Bernie Sanders Drunkenly Singing With Soviets In '88 Surfaces  —  Na Zdorovye and welcome to another round of Attempted Smear of Political Candidate Via Videos Of Their Youth Only Serves To Make Candidate More Appealing.  —  Forget dancing queen AOC or bangin' Beto …

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 …

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 …

I Am So Progressive That I Am Already Preparing My 2020 Protest Vote For Donald Trump  —  Though the 2020 Democratic campaigns have barely begun, I feel it's important to express my frank outrage with the way the field is shaping up.  With the few announced candidates and the swirling rumors …