White House official expected to back up diplomat's testimony over Trump push for Ukraine probe into Bidens  —  Why the ‘quid pro quo’ defense may not matter  —  (CNN)Tim Morrison, a top Russia and Europe adviser on President Donald Trump's National Security Council, is expected to testify …

Justice Dept. Is Said to Open Criminal Inquiry Into Its Own Russia Investigation  —  The move is likely to open the attorney general to accusations that he is trying to deliver a political victory for President Trump.  —  WASHINGTON — For more than two years, President Trump has repeatedly attacked …

Mahalo, Hawaiʻi  —  I am so grateful.  —  Grateful to call Hawaiʻi home; grateful for our people and the spirit of aloha that binds us all together; and grateful for our precious 'āina, beautiful oceans, and towering mountains.  —  Most of all, I'm grateful to all of you …

U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper says U.S. will leave forces in Syria to defend oil fields from Islamic State  —  BRUSSELS — Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper said Friday that the United States would leave forces in Syria to protect oil fields and keep them from falling into the hands of the Islamic State.

DNC raises thresholds for December debate  —  The halfway mark of the Democratic debate calendar is coming up, and the sixth debate will likely feature the smallest stage yet.  —  New thresholds announced by the Democratic National Committee for the sixth debate — which will be hosted …

Could Lindsey Graham be any more obsequious?  —  It was another sad milestone in the decline of John McCain's faithful sidekick into President Trump's Lickspittle Lindsey.  —  Not quite two weeks ago, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) vowed to be Trump's “worst nightmare” and called the Syria pullout …

Scoop: “Anonymous” to expose private Trump conversations  —  The anonymous “senior Trump administration official” who will release a tell-all book, “A Warning,” next month was a frequent participant in meetings with President Trump and plans to recount specific conversations, sources tell me.

Giuliani probe snowballs  —  Rudy Giuliani's problems keep piling up.  —  His responsibilities are shrinking as Donald Trump's TV-friendly personal attorney.  His efforts to dig up dirt on the president's political opponents have landed his highest-profile client in a congressional impeachment investigation.

Rand Paul: Is Quid Pro Quo the Status Quo?  —  Isn't all foreign aid supposed to be quid pro quo?  —  We give you this aid — on the expectation that you will not steal any of it for personal use, that you will spend it as we instruct, and on the understanding that if you don't spend the money …

‘Powerful woman’ Kellyanne Conway mocks and threatens reporter for mentioning her husband (AUDIO)  —  Top White House aide Kellyanne Conway, describing herself as “a powerful woman,” aggressively and disparagingly told a female reporter that it was improper to write about her husband …

On “Human Scum” and Trump in the Danger Zone  —  After Ambassador William Taylor's testimony, the President is freaking out about impeachment.  —  At 1:48 p.m. on October 23rd, Donald Trump posted a tweet that, in any other political moment, would be a strong contender for the worst public statement ever …

Morrissey is anti-immigrant and backs a white nationalist political party.  Why don't fans care?  —  For years, when professor Melissa Mora Hidalgo wasn't teaching classes at Cal State Fullerton or UC San Diego, the Los Angeles-based culture writer could often be found on stages throughout the region …

Women Confront Harvey Weinstein at Actors Event, Asked to “Shut Up” and Leave  —  Performer Amber Rollo described on Twitter how her friend Kelly Bachman went after the “Freddy Krueger” in the room — and she wasn't the only one.  —  Harvey Weinstein is making headlines yet again.

Trump Cuts Out Media That Doesn't ‘Make Him Feel Beautiful’  —  It's a comfort mechanism for the president that intensifies whenever he feels under siege and when scandal swirls.  —  For months, President Trump has refused to grace CNN or MSNBC with what he views as the gift of his presence.

Scoop: The West Wing's impeachment war room  —  Top Trump officials have quietly created a de facto impeachment war room, with a chief goal of policing and solidifying Republican Senate support for acquittal.  —  What's happening: Most senior officials in the White House recognized quickly …

Revenge porn is being used to smear and discredit a sitting Congresswoman  —  Katie Hill may not be a perfect victim, but posting a naked photo of her in retaliation is a rightwing smear campaign  —  The conservative website Red State published revenge porn of a sitting congresswoman last week.

Vulnerable Senate Republicans Shrink From Defending Trump  —  Senate Republicans up for re-election in 2020, fearful of straying too far from Mr. Trump yet at pains to defend him, have adopted a strategy of saying as little as possible.  —  WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans facing steep re …

The Daily 202: Republicans are increasingly flailing while defending Trump from impeachment inquiry  —  THE BIG IDEA:  —  Republicans are flailing to defend President Trump from the impeachment inquiry, right as some key members of the Senate shift from implicitly defending Trump …

Senate Republicans must weigh the full cost of complicity  —  Sometimes, idiocy is a form of confession.  —  With the storming of a secure hearing room, President Trump's strongest supporters in the House essentially admitted their cupboard of personal dignity and rational arguments to be bare.