Matt Whitaker Headed To Trump Hotel After Hearing And People Are Talking  —  “How very swampy.”  —  After an incredibly contentious hearing before the House Judiciary Committee on Friday Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker was spotted at the Trump International Hotel in Washington.

Va. Gov. Ralph Northam says he wants to focus rest of his term on racial equity  —  RICHMOND — Gov. Ralph Northam (D) said Saturday that he believes there is a higher reason for the “horrific” reckoning in the past week over a racist photograph in his medical school yearbook …

West Virginia GOP lawmaker compares gays to the Ku Klux Klan after using ‘f*ggot’ on the House floor  —  A West Virginia Republican delegate compared gay people to the KKK — and drew ire for making homophobic remarks for the second time last week.  —  The Charleston Gazette-Mail reported …

Emails Reveal Jake Tapper Ripping BuzzFeed Editor Ben Smith as ‘Irresponsible’ For Publishing Trump Dossier  —  CNN's Jake Tapper sent BuzzFeed News editor in chief Ben Smith a furious email after the outlet made the controversial decision to publish the Steele dossier on President Donald Trump.

Behind the Scenes, It's Clear Chicago Media and Police Doubt Jussie Smollett's Story  —  I can't recall a large crime story where there was a bigger gap between what the police and media are saying publicly, and what they expressing behind the scenes, than the saga involving the recent alleged hate crime against actor Jussie Smollett.

Trump campaign slams Warren as ‘fraud’  —  President Trump's campaign wasted no time going after Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on Saturday shortly before she was expected to formally announce her candidacy for the White House in 2020.  —  “Elizabeth Warren has already been exposed as a fraud …

The President is coming to El Paso Monday.  He will promise a wall and will repeat his lies about the dangers that immigrants pose.  With El Paso as the backdrop, he will claim that this city of immigrants was dangerous before a border fence was built here in 2008.

A Texas councilman called Ocasio-Cortez a ‘bimbo’ on Twitter.  He's deleted his account.  —  A Dallas-area elected official has apologized after calling Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) a “bimbo” in a now-deleted tweet directed at the congresswoman.  —  Scott Dunn, a member …

Nick Sandmann's lawyer: ‘Nathan Phillips will be sued’ over lies against Covington boys  —  Covington Catholic, Covington Catholic High School, Lin Wood, Nathan Phillips, Nick Sandmann  —  One of the attorneys representing Covington High School student Nick Sandmann and his parents confirmed …

Accused murderer spared abortion charge thanks to Cuomo's new law … Prosecutors initially included a charge of abortion against the Queens man arrested Friday in his pregnant girlfriend's murder — but rescinded it because of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's new Reproductive Health Act.

Don't make the mistake of dismissing Iran's ideology  —  Tony Blair was the prime minister of Britain from 1997 to 2007.  —  This piece has been updated.  —  We view Iran as a state with an ideology; but it is more accurately seen as an ideology with a state.

Trump Defies Congressional Deadline on Khashoggi Report  —  WASHINGTON — President Trump refused to provide Congress a report on Friday determining who killed the journalist Jamal Khashoggi, defying a demand by lawmakers intent on establishing whether the crown prince of Saudi Arabia was behind the grisly assassination.

With Another Shutdown Looming, Flight Attendants Plan Demonstrations on February 16  —  Congressional negotiators told Politico on Friday that they're working on a deal that will prevent a second government shutdown on February 15.  If they fail- or if President Trump again refuses …

'It's Cold as Hell': Inside a Brooklyn Jail's Weeklong Collapse  —  Electricity and heat had been faltering for weeks, but complaints were ignored until a crisis trapped inmates in cold, dark cells.  —  [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.]