Virginia Attorney General Says He Wore Blackface at College Party  —  Richmond, Va. (AP) — Virginia sank deeper into political turmoil Wednesday when another top Democrat — Attorney General Mark Herring — admitted putting on blackface in the 1980s, when he was a college student.

House Expands Russia Inquiry as Pelosi Declares Democrats Will Not Be Cowed  —  WASHINGTON — The House Intelligence Committee on Wednesday launched a broad inquiry into the potential influence that Russia and other foreign powers may be exercising over President Trump, acting just hours …

Sen. Amy Klobuchar's Abuse Of Staff Scared Off Candidates To Manage Her Presidential Bid  —  At least three people withdrew from consideration to lead the senator's nascent campaign — in part because of Klobuchar's history of mistreating her staff.  —  At least three people have withdrawn …

Beto O'Rourke Was Once Adrift in New York City.  Now He's Searching Again.  —  As the former Texas congressman weighs a run for president, his rebel-in-moderation youth offers revealing parallels to his search for direction now.  —  All at once, New York City seemed to be conspiring against Beto O'Rourke.

Paul Erickson, Russian Agent Maria Butina's Boyfriend, Indicted for Fraud  —  The federal indictment in South Dakota alleges that he ran a criminal scheme from 1996 to 2018 using a chain of assisted living homes.  —  Betsy Woodruff  —  Paul Erickson, the American political operative …

Fact Check: Trump's State Of The Union Address  —  President Trump is delivering his State of the Union address Tuesday night, a speech that had been delayed during the government shutdown.  —  The annual remarks come as a bipartisan group of lawmakers continue to negotiate border security funding …

Negotiators have deal within sight in talks to avert shutdown  —  Congressional deal-makers working to stave off another government shutdown said they believe a breakthrough is in reach, following a closed-door Wednesday briefing from Border Patrol officials.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez didn't take kindly to being called ‘sullen’ at State of the Union address  —  During President Trump's State of the Union address, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stood out among a sea of women wearing white as a tribute to U.S. suffragists.  —  At times she remained seated as others stood.

Justice Department opens probe into Jeffrey Epstein plea deal  —  The Department of Justice has opened an investigation into Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta's role in negotiating a controversial plea deal with a wealthy New York investor accused of molesting more than 100 underage girls in Palm Beach.

CNN to host town hall with Howard Schultz  —  Howard Schultz: Both parties have failed at immigration  —  Washington (CNN)CNN will host a town hall next week in Houston with former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz as he mulls a presidential bid in 2020.  —  Schultz, who said last month …

Many popular iPhone apps secretly record your screen without asking  —  And there's no way a user would know  —  Many major companies, like Air Canada, Hollister and Expedia, are recording every tap and swipe you make on their iPhone apps.  In most cases you won't even realize it.

‘This One Here Is Gonna Kick My Butt’—Farm Belt Bankruptcies Are Soaring  —  Throughout much of the Midwest, U.S. farmers are filing for chapter 12 bankruptcy protection at levels not seen for at least a decade, a Wall Street Journal review of federal data shows.

Mueller hauled before secret FISA court to address FBI abuses in 2002, Congress told  —  Robert Mueller, the former FBI director and current special prosecutor in the Russia case, once was hauled before the nation's secret intelligence court to address a large number of instances …

The State Of American ‘Fact-Checking’ Is Completely Useless  —  With a veneer of impartiality, fact-checkers engage in a uniquely dishonest style of partisanship.  —  If media wants to challenge the context and politics of Republican arguments, that's their prerogative.

Daily Caller reporter Benny Johnson joining Turning Point USA  —  Benny Johnson, a former reporter at the Daily Caller, is joining Charlie Kirk's Turning Point USA, The Hill has confirmed.  —  In his new role, Johnson, whose past work has included serving as a viral politics editor at BuzzFeed and TheBlaze …

Trump: Dean Heller lost re-election because he didn't excite voter base  —  WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump called former Sen. Dean Heller “a terrible senator” who lost his re-election bid because he had been “extraordinarily hostile” to Trump during the 2016 election.

Dems grow uneasy with their new moralism  —  **Want FOX News Halftime Report in your inbox every day?  Sign up here.  On the roster: Dems grow uneasy with their new moralism - The Rulebook: Thucydides, FTW - Warren stumbles again on native heritage question - Outlook brightens on a deal after Trump speech …

Top Democrats In The Early 2020 Primary States Haven't Heard Anything From Joe Biden  —  As Joe Biden decides whether or not to run for president in 2020, top Democratic leaders in the first caucus and primary states have heard little, if anything, from the former vice president.

Florida state GOP lawmaker says high school blackface photo is ‘decontextualized’  —  A Florida state lawmaker is resisting calls to resign over a resurfaced high school photo showing him wearing blackface.  —  A photo of state Rep. Anthony Sabatini (R) surfaced last year before he was elected …

Pelosi says Trump ‘threats’ have no place in Congress  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's suggestion in his State of the Union address that Democrats abandon their investigations of his administration is a “threat” that has no place in Congress.  —  Pelosi told reporters Wednesday …

On Trump's calendar, just 17 intelligence briefings in 85 days  —  U.S. officials also say Trump does not regularly read the written intelligence briefing sent over daily.  —  WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump, who doesn't regularly read the daily intelligence summary prepared for him …

T-Mobile executives seeking merger approval booked more than 52 nights at Trump's hotel — more than previously known  —  Executives from the telecom giant T-Mobile — which last year asked the Trump administration to approve its megamerger with Sprint — have booked at least 52 nights …