Senate has uncovered no direct evidence of conspiracy between Trump campaign and Russia  —  “We were never going find a contract signed in blood saying, 'Hey Vlad, we're going to collude,” one Democratic aide said.  —  WASHINGTON — After two years and 200 interviews, the Senate Intelligence Committee …

Why the attack on our cameraman was no surprise  —  I would really love to be able to say when I heard about the attack on our cameraman Ron Skeans that I was surprised.  Or shocked even.  I wasn't.  —  Once I found out that he was OK, and that the rest of the team were OK, I thought this was a pretty unsurprising event.

Schumer recruits famed fighter pilot to challenge McConnell in 2020  —  Chuck Schumer is actively recruiting a high-profile fighter pilot to take on Mitch McConnell in 2020 — a calculated act of aggression against a leading Republican foe.  —  Schumer met with Amy McGrath …

McCarthy blames Republican loss of House majority on GOP health care bill  —  Speaking privately to his donors, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy squarely blamed Republican losses in last year's midterm elections on the GOP push to roll back health insurance protections for people …

Trump backer Tom Barrack defends Saudi Arabia  —  Real estate developer said that kingdom was misunderstood by the West  —  Dubai: America is in no moral position to criticise Saudi Arabia, according to financier and key Trump backer Tom Barrack.  —  Speaking on stage at the Milken Institute MENA Summit …

National debt tops $22 trillion for the first time as experts warn of ripple effects  —  President Trump is proposing a $4 trillion-plus budget that projects a $1 trillion or so federal deficit.  AP's Economic Reporter Josh Boak says the plan is like a ‘Christmas list, a wish list’ that amounts amounts to a ‘massive bet’.

The Sick Double Standard In The Ilhan Omar Controversy  —  The following two things are true.  First, Representative Ilhan Omar was wrong to tweet that the American government's support of Israel is “all about the Benjamins.”  Secondly, she's being judged by a grotesque double standard.

Did Kamala Harris Really Smoke Marijuana While Listening To Snoop Dogg And Tupac In College?  —  What began as a bizarre but amusing inquiry into Harris' listening habits while smoking weed in college has since turned into a story to discredit her.  —  During a recent appearance on The Breakfast Club …

Multiple White Supremacist Gang Members among 54 Defendants Charged in RICO Indictment  —  Charges Include Solicitation of Murder, Kidnapping, Maiming, and Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine  —  Dozens of members of a white supremacist gang allegedly responsible for multiple acts …

The official fast food French fry power rankings  —  Look, it's been a long two years for everyone.  We're tired, our brains have been melted to a thin pap by the news cycle, and we've soundly backslid into our slothful ways despite resolving to exercise off all the cookies we cry-ate over the holiday.

A Veep Joke About Leg-Shaving Was Inspired by a Rumor About Amy Klobuchar  —  Last week, in the lead-up to Amy Klobuchar announcing her presidential run, HuffPost and BuzzFeed published stories in which several anonymous former staffers confirmed long-circulating rumors that the Minnesota senator …

Without Pelosi as a Foil, Trump Tries Out Some Alternatives  —  WASHINGTON — The Democratic takeover of the House of Representatives was a blessing in disguise for a president who needed a foil, Republicans predicted last November.  President Trump, who had only the press and the special counsel …

Before Bezos Fight, Enquirer Publisher AMI Faced Steep Losses  — AMI had negative net worth as of Sept. 30, documents show  — Losses spurred borrowing, leading to more than $1 billion debt  —  The publisher of the National Enquirer, currently under attack by Amazon.com Inc. founder Jeff Bezos …

‘Not All Fun and Memes’: BuzzFeed News Employees Plan to Form a Union  —  Last month, BuzzFeed laid off more than 220 employees, or 15 percent of its work force.  On Wednesday, employees at the company's news division responded with the announcement that they planned to form a union.

The Senate just passed the decade's biggest public lands package.  Here's what's in it.  —  The bipartisan measure would create more than 1.3 million acres of wilderness out West, add three national park units and expand eight others.  —  The Senate on Tuesday passed the most sweeping …

Newsom says California high-speed rail must focus on Central Valley  —  SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to scale back two major California infrastructure projects backed by his predecessors that have come under increasing financial and regulatory challenges.

Howard Schultz's campaign is based on 3 ideas, and they're all wrong  —  Howard Schultz isn't solving America's problems.  He's reinforcing them.  —  Tuesday night, CNN will host a live town hall with former Starbucks CEO, and potential presidential candidate, Howard Schultz.

Bullock steps closer to White House run with Iowa visit  —  Gov. Steve Bullock of Montana will travel to Iowa at the end of the week as he further explores a run for the Democratic presidential nomination, his Big Sky Values PAC told POLITICO on Tuesday.  —  Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller …

Venezuelan Professional Women Working As Prostitutes To Feed Their Families  —  Social justice is supposedly what socialism is all about.  Instead of a system that allows some to be rich and some to be poor based on how they apply themselves and what they contribute to society, democratic socialism promises to smooth things out.

How Klobuchar Missed Her Steak in Iowa  —  The Minnesota Democrat is expected to compete hard in the caucuses next year.  —  Last summer, the Polk County Democrats commissioned a local artist to sketch promotional illustrations for one of Iowa's long-standing marquee events.

6 Things To Listen For When The 2020 Democrats Talk About Policy  —  The 2020 Democratic primary is really an electoral story.  Nothing the candidates say about policy on the campaign trail will become law during the campaign.1 But the language of presidential primaries is not electoral …