Trump trails Democratic rivals in national survey as independents move away  —  One year out from the 2020 election, President Trump trails some potential Democratic rivals in head-to-head matchups, with his national support level currently fixed at about 40 percent, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Lev Parnas, Giuliani Associate, Opens Talks With Impeachment Investigators  —  Mr. Parnas could offer Congress a vein of information about a political pressure campaign in Ukraine.  —  An associate of Rudolph W. Giuliani who was involved in a campaign to pressure Ukraine …

So this is why Trump doesn't want officials to testify  —  Now we see why the Trump administration doesn't want officials to testify in the impeachment inquiry.  —  Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) released the first batch of transcripts Monday from the closed-door depositions …

Trump rallied for Kentucky governor, but impeachment was on his mind  —  The president's speech in Lexington on behalf of Gov. Matt Bevin continually circled back to his own grievances.  —  President Donald Trump and Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin at a rally Monday.

Trump calls for ‘war’ against Mexican drug cartel ‘monsters’ after Americans murdered in shootout  —  President Trump on Tuesday offered U.S. assistance as he called on Mexico to “wage war” against the country's murderous drug cartel “monsters” in response to the killing of multiple Americans in a shootout.

A library wanted a New York Times subscription.  Officials refused, citing Trump and ‘fake news.’  —  The librarians of Citrus County, Fla., had what seemed like a modest wish: A digital subscription to the New York Times.  For about $2,700 annually, they reasoned, they could offer …

Tom Steyer aide stole Kamala Harris' SC volunteer data from 2020 presidential voter file  —  COLUMBIA — A South Carolina aide for Tom Steyer's 2020 presidential campaign stole valuable volunteer data collected by Kamala Harris' campaign using an account from when he worked with the S.C. Democratic Party …

Roger Stone's trial could hang on a comedian's drunken texts  —  WASHINGTON — It was late in the evening of Oct. 1, 2016, and radio talk show host Randy Credico was at London's Heathrow Airport doing what he sometimes did in those days: getting smashed.  He ducked into a duty-free shop …

Trump wants to win even more rural votes in 2020.  Democrats are scrambling to catch up  —  Corey Bauch is eager to explain why he regrets not voting for Donald Trump.  —  The 44-year old-agreed to meet with me last week in this rural Wisconsin town (population of 1,500), where he has lived most of his life.

Democrats, You're About to Go to Trial.  This Is How You Win.  —  The House impeachment inquiry into President Trump has already uncovered damning evidence that proves the “quid pro quo” the president continues to deny.  But none of that evidence will matter if House Democrats don't present …

Julián Castro to lay off New Hampshire, South Carolina teams  —  Julián Castro's campaign will fire its staff in New Hampshire and South Carolina, an official familiar with the campaign told POLITICO.  The campaign notified the state teams on Monday and their final day will be next week.

I Said Marvel Movies Aren't Cinema.  Let Me Explain.  —  Cinema is an art form that brings you the unexpected.  In superhero movies, nothing is at risk, a director says.  —  Mr. Scorsese is an Academy Award-winning director, writer and producer.  —  When I was in England in early October, I gave an interview to Empire magazine.

One of the most famous incidents of campus outrage was totally misrepresented  —  How a single article in Oberlin's student paper about food got turned into a major national controversy — and why this matters.  —  There's an enduring feature of the national media that I've taken to calling the “student panic industrial complex.”

YouTube Bans Gorka Because He Won't Stop Playing Imagine Dragons  —  The notoriously combative Trump ally has regularly played Imagine Dragons songs on his radio show, “America First.”  —  YouTube banned Sebastian Gorka from its platform on Monday, apparently because the former Trump White …

Source for ‘Ukraine Collusion’ Allegations Met Devin Nunes  —  Ex-diplomat Andrii Telizhenko said he and Nunes discussed Ukrainian politics and how to fight Russian propaganda.  —  The former Ukrainian diplomat at the center of allegations that Kyiv meddled in the 2016 election has met Rep. Devin Nunes …

Sun Comes Up |  Pete Buttigieg for President … To stay connected with the campaign:  —  About Pete:  —  Pete Buttigieg is a husband, Afghanistan veteran, and the Mayor of his hometown, South Bend, Indiana.  —  Pete is running for president because this is a now or never moment for our nation.

Rudy Allies Are Spreading Dirt About Bannon Behind the Scenes  —  Trump's former chief strategist is coming under attack from allies of the president's personal attorney, with one memo calling Bannon “THE FOX IN THE TRUMP HOUSE.”  —  Allies of President Donald Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani …

Republicans consider moving Jim Jordan to House Intelligence Committee  —  Washington — As the impeachment inquiry enters its public phase, top Republicans in the House are weighing whether to temporarily assign Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence …

Too Much Democracy Is Bad for Democracy  —  Americans who tuned in to the first Democratic presidential debates this summer beheld a spectacle that would have struck earlier generations as ludicrous.  A self-help guru and a tech executive, both of them unqualified and implausible as national candidates …

Juul disregarded early evidence it was hooking teens  —  Juul executives knew young people were flocking to its breakthrough e-cigarette shortly after it went on sale in 2015, a former manager tells Reuters.  Its nicotine blend was so potent, engineers devised a kill switch to limit the dosage - but the idea was shelved.

Inside, But Mostly Outside, the Impeachment Chamber of Secrets  —  Two heavy wooden doors thud to a close, echoing across the marble underbelly of the U.S. Capitol.  —  The click-boom as the door latches signifies movement in and out of the SCIF, a congressional situation room of sorts …