EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Johnny Isakson Stands Up for McCain; Unloads on Trump  —  Georgia's senior senator gives the president a “whipping.”  —  Later today Sen. Johnny Isakson will call out President Trump for his continued disparagement of John McCain.  The chairman of the Senate Veteran Affairs Committee …

Kellyanne Conway defends Trump after he attacked her husband  —  Kellyanne Conway on Wednesday defended President Donald Trump's attacks on her husband George Conway saying he's “a counterpuncher” and asserting that the president is free to respond when he's accused of having a mental illness.

House Democrats Plan to Request More Documents From Trump Associates  —  The House Judiciary Committee is planning to send a second wave of document requests to associates of President Trump, including Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and a former lawyer for Michael Cohen.

Bernie Sanders Is Hiring a Former Hillary Clinton Staffer As Research Chief  —  Bernie Sanders is preparing for the coming onslaught of attacks by hiring someone who knows the material best.  The Vermont senator's campaign is bringing on a veteran of Hillary Clinton's research department …

Bevin exposed his 9 kids to chickenpox, says vaccine not for everyone  —  In a move experts say is medically unsound — and can be dangerous — Gov. Matt Bevin said in a radio interview Tuesday that he deliberately exposed all nine of his children to chickenpox so they would catch the disease and become immune.

The Esquire Interview: Mayor Peter Buttigieg  —  The South Bend, Indiana mayor and Democratic presidential candidate talks socialism, the Green New Deal, “I'm With Her,” what Democrats can learn from James Joyce(!), and more.  —  Like seemingly every other Democrat in or out of office …

Beto, Biden and Bernie: The B-Boys and the media's dangerous, self-fulfilling prophecy  —  As amorous embraces go, few could be more ardent than the one Beto O'Rourke got this month from Vanity Fair magazine.  —  The perfectly timed cover treatment was the full monty: Rugged-glam photo …

Donna Brazile Explains Why She's Working for Fox News  —  Donna Brazile, who has twice served as the interim chair of the Democratic National Committee, is one of the most prominent political strategists of recent times.  Brazile, Al Gore's campaign manager in 2000, was the first African-American woman …

The Time Has Come for Democrats to Impeach Brett Kavanaugh  —  And no, 'he's just not worth it' is not an acceptable excuse.  —  Donald Trump is up for reelection in about 18 months.  Even if he wins, he is term-limited out of office after 2024.  Even if he declares a national emergency …

Florida Republicans Are Sabotaging a Constitutional Amendment That Gave Felons the Right to Vote  —  In November, a supermajority of Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment restoring voting rights to former felons who've completed their sentences.

Federal judge casts doubt on Trump's drilling plans across the U.S. because they ignore climate change  —  The ruling temporarily halts drilling on 300,000 acres of leases in Wyoming.  —  A federal judge ruled late Tuesday that the Interior Department violated federal law by failing …

Trump administration withholds report justifying ‘shock’ auto tariffs  —  A confidential government report has provided President Donald Trump with a legal rationale to impose heavy new tariffs on foreign cars as soon as this spring, a prospect fiercely opposed by White House officials …

IG investigating Shanahan over Boeing comments  —  The Pentagon's inspector general has begun an investigation into Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan's reported Boeing bias, the IG's office said Wednesday.  —  “The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General has decided …

‘Florida Is Tired of Being a Cheap Date’: Andrew Gillum Wants to Help Democrats Win in 2020  —  In an interview, the former mayor and rising Democratic star confirms he's not running for president, and outlines his plans to mobilize Florida voters for the election.  —  Andrew Gillum has more free time than he would like.

NYU Journalism School Hires Ex-New Yorker Fact Checker Who Falsely Said ICE Agent Had Nazi Tattoo  —  New York University has hired Talia Lavin as an adjunct journalism professor less than a year after the former New Yorker fact checker resigned after falsely accusing an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent of having a Nazi tattoo.

Brexit is breaking the British Parliament.  Can the damage be repaired?  —  Long-standing rules and practices are collapsing.  —  Last week's Parliamentary defeat for the Brexit deal has just been followed by another major event.  The Parliament's speaker has ruled that the government cannot introduce …

Trump Has Now Shifted $1.3 Million Of Campaign-Donor Money Into His Business  —  Donald Trump has charged his own reelection campaign $1.3 million for rent, food, lodging and other expenses since taking office, according to a Forbes analysis of the latest campaign filings.

FBI joining criminal investigation into certification of Boeing 737 MAX  —  The FBI has joined the criminal investigation into the certification of the Boeing 737 MAX, lending its considerable resources to an inquiry already being conducted by U.S. Department of Transportation agents, according to people familiar with the matter.

Rep. Clyburn calls Trump family ‘greatest threats to democracy in my lifetime’  —  The House majority whip said congressional investigations can set the table for impeachment if “deserved.”  —  COLUMBIA, S.C. — The third-ranking Democrat in the House on Tuesday called President Donald Trump and his family …

No soccer experience, but she still got a spot on elite UCLA team in college admissions scandal  —  Lauren Isackson's athletic credentials were dwarfed by those of her teammates.  She joined the vaunted UCLA women's soccer program in 2017 alongside members of the U.S. and Canadian national teams …

Trump retweets QAnon conspiracy theorist, via Larry the Cable Guy, to slam the TSA  —  From a QAnon conspiracy theorist to actor James Woods to comedian Larry the Cable Guy to the leader of the free world.  Thus travels information in the age of Twitter and President Trump …

Major Obama fundraiser Mark Gallogly looks likely to support Beto O'Rourke in 2020 run for president  — Top Obama bundler Mark Gallogly has been indicating to friends that he's leaning toward supporting former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke in the 2020 race, according to people who have spoken with him in recent weeks.

Of Suspicious Minds: Medical Experts Cast Doubt On Lesin Autopsy  —  WASHINGTON — A neck bone that rarely breaks, and when it does, it is almost always due to strangulation or asphyxiation.  Soft-tissue hemorrhaging on muscles running along the sides and back of the neck.  A swollen brain.

The New Left Wants To Stop Joe Biden.  There Just Isn't A Clear Plan To Do It.  —  There's a progressive faction of the Democratic Party very much against Joe Biden for president.  Whether their strategy amounts to more than angry tweets remains to be seen.

Iraq's president explains why the U.S. must reengage with Baghdad  —  Barham Salih, the president of Iraq, greeted me this month in his family home in the city of Sulaymaniyah, about 40 miles from the Iranian border.  —  The ensuing conversation was an extraordinary one — and to understand why …

The bread crumb papers: Why Cohen document dump should worry Donald Trump and others  —  Redactions can be used to avoid alerting a defendant before he's charged or tipping off suspects in a pending investigation.  Who might that apply to?  —  CONNECT  —  While the case against former …