President Trump installed a room-sized golf simulator at White House  —  President Trump has installed a room-sized “golf simulator” game at the White House, which allows him to play virtual rounds at courses all over the world by hitting a ball into a large video screen, according to two people told about the system.

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 …

Howard Schultz and the media's unlearned lesson  —  A billionaire flirts with a run for president and gets grossly disproportionate free airtime.  We all know the punchline.  Howard Schultz, the running-but-not-yet-running former CEO of Starbucks, has attracted intense media interest …

Kamala Harris Was Accused of Lying About Listening to Tupac and Snoop Dogg.  The Truth Is More Complicated.  —  It began as a lighthearted moment.  Senator Kamala Harris, the California Democrat and former prosecutor who announced her presidential candidacy last month …

Former U.S. Counterintelligence Agent Charged With Espionage on Behalf of Iran; Four Iranians Charged With a Cyber Campaign Targeting Her Former Colleagues  —  Indictment Unsealed as U.S. Treasury Department Announces Economic Sanctions  —  Monica Elfriede Witt, 39, a former U.S. service member …

Michael Bloomberg's $500 million anti-Trump moonshot  —  Billionaire philanthropist Michael Bloomberg is preparing to spend at least $500 million from his own pocket to deny President Donald Trump a second term, according to Democratic operatives briefed on his plans.

Unmistakable Divide Among Women in Virginia Over Accusations Against Fairfax  —  RICHMOND, Va. — To Constance Cordovilla, the president of the Virginia National Organization for Women, the two sexual assault allegations against Lt. Gov. Justin E. Fairfax are not just grounds for him to resign …

MN Jewish leaders talked with Ilhan Omar about anti-Semitism last year.  Why they remain frustrated.  —  Ilhan Omar has been talked to about this before.  —  Last year, before she was elected to the House of Representatives, before she emerged from a crowded Democratic field …

Who is Richard Burr, Really?  Why the public can't trust his voice in the Russia probe  —  On the same day that Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) officially joined the Trump campaign as a senior national security advisor, the U.S. intelligence community released a statement that the Kremlin was trying to interfere in the election.

Justice Department investigating leak of confidential Michael Cohen bank records  —  (CNN)The Justice Department is investigating the leak last year of confidential reports about Michael Cohen's personal bank records which led to revelations that the former Donald Trump lawyer was profiting …

U.S. Revives Secret Program to Sabotage Iranian Missiles and Rockets  —  WARSAW — The Trump White House has accelerated a secret American program to sabotage Iran's missiles and rockets, according to current and former administration officials, who described it as part of an expanding campaign …

Being Raised by Two Narcissists Taught Me How to Deal with Trump  —  Two years in, some people are still expecting one of his scandals to bring him down.  I know better.  —  If you've watched the past three-plus years of the Donald Trump circus looking for some glimmer of hope he'll get owned …

President Trump wants the press to check out the Great Tariff Debate of 1888.  Okay!  —  On tariffs, what can 1888 tell us about 2019?  —  Many things happened at President Trump's El Paso rally on Monday night.  A BBC cameraman was violently attacked by a #MAGA supporter; you can read his colleague's account of that here.

House Democrats plan vast Russia probe  —  Mueller is just the beginning.  House Democrats plan a vast probe of President Trump and Russia — with a heavy focus on money laundering — that will include multiple committees and dramatic public hearings, and could last into 2020.

Investigation finds no evidence of ‘racist or offensive statements’ by Covington Catholic students during Lincoln Memorial incident  —  An investigation released Wednesday into an encounter between Covington Catholic High School students and Native American activists at the Lincoln Memorial …

Trump Approval, Economic Confidence Rebound  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump's job approval rating has risen to 44% after the conclusion of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.  While views of Trump have improved, the public's heightened positivity does not extend …

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 …

NASA rover finally bites the dust on Mars after 15 years  —  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA's Opportunity, the Mars rover that was built to operate just three months but kept going and going, was pronounced dead Wednesday, 15 years after it landed on the red planet.

Joe Biden is talking to top Democratic donors as he moves toward making a decision about a 2020 presidential run  — Former Vice President Joe Biden has been reaching out to top Democratic Party donors to discuss possibly running for president in 2020, CNBC has learned.

Everyone's Running — And That Could Be Dangerous For The Democrats  —  Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar became the 10th major Democratic candidate for president on Sunday.  She almost certainly won't be the last addition to the field.  Another 20 or so prominent Democrats are still considering …

Owning The Libs By Voting On Their Proposals  —  Cocaine Mitch brings the crowd to its feet with his plan to bring the Ocasio-Cortez/Markey Green New Deal resolution to the Senate for a floor vote.  How far out is that “plan”?  The NY Times today presents an “ambitious” plan to achieve half as much in three times as long.

APNewsBreak: Howard Dean to head new Dem voter data exchange  —  Howard Dean is back.  —  The one-time presidential candidate, former Vermont governor and ex-Democratic National Committee chairman is set to return to prominence as head of a new operation that Democrats hope puts them back on par …