Nancy Pelosi frustrates Democratic activists on impeachment but party strategists like what she's doing  —  KEY POINTS  — In the rising congressional impeachment debate, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi occupies the hottest seat.  Some think she's burning herself, writes CNBC's John Harwood.

Judge partially blocks Trump border wall plan  —  A federal judge has partially blocked President Donald Trump's plan to fund construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.  —  The preliminary injunction issued Friday immediately halts a $1 billion transfer of Pentagon counterdrug funding …

Barr could expose secrets, politicize intelligence with review of Russia probe, current and former officials fear  —  President Trump's new executive order giving the attorney general broad authority to declassify government secrets threatens to expose U.S. intelligence sources and could distort …

Trump to sidestep Congress to clear arms deals benefiting Saudi Arabia, UAE  —  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo notified lawmakers Friday that President Trump is invoking his emergency authority to sidestep Congress and complete 22 arms deals worth approximately $8 billion that would benefit Saudi Arabia …

Trump Staff Dreads Traveling Overseas With Toddler President  —  Traditionally, White House staffers cherish the opportunity to travel with the president overseas on Air Force One as a perk of their service.  But traditionally, the president they are traveling with is not Donald Trump.

DNC boss says candidates to be involved in debate lottery  —  Democratic candidates for president or their representatives will be involved when the Democratic National Committee (DNC) does a lottery to determine who stands on stage during the party's initial two-day debate …

Trump to place Ken Cuccinelli at the head of the country's legal immigration system  —  President Trump plans to install Ken Cuccinelli as the new director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, placing the conservative activist and former Virginia attorney general at the head of the agency …

Scoop: Trump's plan to let adoption agencies reject same-sex parents  —  The Trump administration will soon make it easier for adoption agencies to reject same-sex couples, senior administration officials told Axios.  —  Why it matters: Trump is steadily rolling back Obama-era nondiscrimination …

Epstein sex abuse victims tell court it's time for Acosta to explain his actions  —  Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta, already under federal investigation for a secret immunity deal he gave to a suspected sex trafficker of underage girls, may have to face some of those victims — who are now adult women — in a federal courtroom.

President Trump Wants a Promotion  —  A flurry of power moves shows that being the “leader of the free world” isn't enough for him.  So, for Democrats, when does patience turn into submission?  —  During a recent trip north to Santa Barbara, I escaped the rain in a used bookstore and struck …

The Grandkid Strike: A Bold New Plan to Change Your Parents' Bad Voting Habits  —  Here's an idea!  Change your parents' bad voting habits by refusing to breed.  —  The actress and activist Alyssa Milano has drawn criticism in recent weeks for encouraging women to stop having sex in protest …

Rural Americans would be serfs if we abolished the Electoral College  —  Elections are confusing.  Learn what the Electoral College is in under a minute.  —  If the National Popular Vote drive kills the Electoral College, rural and small town Americans who supply our food and energy will lose their voice.

CrossFit, Inc. Suspends Use of Facebook and Associated Properties  —  CrossFit is a contrarian physiological and nutrition prescription for improving fitness and health.  It is contrarian because prevailing views of fitness, health, and nutrition are wrong and have unleashed a tsunami …

Trump administration to pull out of rural Job Corps program, laying off 1,100 federal workers  —  The Trump administration announced Friday that it will kill a Forest Service program that trains disadvantaged young people for wildland fire fighting and other jobs in rural communities …

Exclusive: Former CNN Pro-Trump Contributors Allege Network ‘Openly Despises Conservatives’  —  Finding a pro-Trump voice on CNN got more difficult this week as it was reported that the president has called upon former Virginia Attorney General and CNN contributor Ken Cuccinelli to fill a Homeland Security post.

Lone Republican blocks disaster aid package on House floor  —  Rep. Chip Roy became the man who delayed $19.1 billion in disaster aid to communities throughout the country on Friday.  —  House leaders tried to pass a multibillion-dollar disaster assistance measure, by unanimous consent, but the Texas Republican objected on the floor.

Some federal prosecutors disagreed with decision to charge Assange under Espionage Act  —  Two prosecutors involved in the case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange argued against the Justice Department's decision to accuse him of violating the Espionage Act because of fear …

Brian Stelter Defends Past Praise of Avenatti: ‘He Showed a Trump-Like Mastery of the Media Last Year’  —  CNN's Brian Stelter insists he doesn't take Michael Avenatti seriously anymore, but he will not apologize for how he appraised the embattled lawyer's skill in driving the media.

The Secret of Bernie's Millions  —  BURLINGTON, Vt.—Early on in his eight years as the mayor of this city, when he typically dressed in a tieless ensemble of work boots and corduroys, Bernie Sanders one day left City Hall and found a ticket on the windshield of his rusty Volkswagen Dasher.

Beam me up, Kentucky?  George Takei tweets he's ‘tempted’ to take on Mitch McConnell  —  Could George Takei boldly go where no man has gone before?  —  No, not into the far reaches of space, but someplace even harder to reach: Defeating long-time U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell for his seat in Washington.

Giuliani meets with former diplomat as he continues to press Ukraine inquiries  —  Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani had a lengthy meeting last week with a former Ukrainian diplomat as part of aggressive efforts aimed at gathering information to undermine Democrats in the United States.