Civilization Is Accelerating Extinction and Altering the Natural World at a Pace ‘Unprecedented in Human History’  —  WASHINGTON — Humans are transforming Earth's natural landscapes so dramatically that as many as one million plant and animal species are now at risk of extinction …

Mulvaney aims for ‘more proactive, less reactive’ Trump message  —  One of Mick Mulvaney's first acts after he started working as President Donald Trump's acting chief of staff in December was to hit the television airwaves.  With Trump under fire for forcing a government shutdown to fund …

Trump is a policy simpleton, but he's a shrewd survivor  —  President Trump may be simple-minded about policy, but he is sharp when it comes to survival.  If Democrats aren't careful, they are going to step into a trap in the infrastructure negotiations that the president is hoping will bolster his reelection prospects.

U.S. Deploys Forces to Mideast to Deter Iran  —  The U.S. is deploying a carrier strike group and a number of bombers to the Middle East to serve as a deterrent to Iran based on new intelligence that suggests allied interests and American forces could be imperiled.

Scoop: Inside a top Trump adviser's fundraising mirage  —  A political organization run by David Bossie, President Trump's former deputy campaign manager, has raised millions of dollars by saying it's supporting Trump-aligned conservative candidates — but has spent only a tiny fraction of that money supporting candidates.

Trump Objects to Mueller Testifying Before Congress  —  WASHINGTON — President Trump said on Sunday that the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, should not testify before Congress, setting up another confrontation with Democrats over presidential authority and the separation of powers.

Michael Cohen heads to prison in Trump hush-money scheme  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Michael Cohen, the former lawyer, media attack dog and all-around fixer for President Donald Trump, is scheduled to begin serving a three-year prison sentence Monday for crimes including campaign finance violations related …

Trump's Other Impeachable Offense  —  As Nixon learned, Congress will not abide a president who defies its subpoenas.  —  Mr. Reston is the author of “The Conviction of Richard Nixon: The Untold Story of the Frost/Nixon Interviews.”  —  On July 30, 1974, nine days before President Richard Nixon resigned …

Democrats lose their enthusiasm advantage in latest NBC News/WSJ poll  —  First Read is your briefing from “Meet the Press” and the NBC Political Unit on the day's most important political stories and why they matter.  —  WASHINGTON — Democrats had two advantages that fueled their midterm victories …

Cory Booker unveils “bold” plan to curb gun violence  —  Democratic presidential candidate and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker introduced a sweeping gun violence prevention plan.  If elected, the campaign announced Monday that on day one of his presidency, Booker will use executive action …

CBS News announces anchor changes at “CBS This Morning” and “CBS Evening News”  —  Gayle King will be joined by Anthony Mason and Tony Dokoupil as co-hosts of “CBS This Morning,” and Norah O'Donnell has been named anchor and managing editor of “CBS Evening News,” CBS News announced Monday morning.

Trump-era economy: A rising tide is lifting all boats  —  The central theme of Democratic campaigns this year is that American capitalism doesn't work for the working man, and so we need to replace it, or at least dramatically reshape our economy.  These folks should take a look …

The FBI's Trump-Russia Investigation Was Formally Opened on False Pretenses  —  The State Department and an Australian diplomat grossly exaggerated Papadopoulos's claims — which were probably false anyway.  —  Chicanery was the force behind the formal opening of the FBI's Trump-Russia investigation.

Waiting for Peak Trump  —  There's a certain rhythm to Donald Trump's presidency over the past two years.  First he does something even more egregious than usual, like defend violent white nationalists or side with Russian President Vladimir Putin.  Then he hunkers down for the barrage of public criticism.

Anatomy of a smear: How far-right websites spread a fake story about Pete Buttigieg  —  (CNN)This is a story about how political operatives tried to take down a presidential candidate, and ended up just humiliating themselves.  —  It's also a story about how a smear was spread by right-wing websites …