Who is Rudy Giuliani's friend “Charles”?  An accidental text may have outed his identity  —  Rudy Giuliani's new fixer seems to connect a lot of dots  —  At the end of September, a journalist friend gave me Rudy Giuliani's phone number.  When I called, he picked up on the second ring …

Bloomberg Is Top Choice for 4% of Democratic Primary Voters  —  Former NYC mayor would enter presidential race in 6th place  —  Michael Bloomberg speaks onstage during the Hudson River Park Annual Gala at Cipriani South Street on Oct. 17 in New York City.  A new Morning Consult poll finds …

Suspect accused of stabbing Baby Trump balloon  —  A Donald Trump supporter slashed the Baby Trump balloon on display at Monnish Park Saturday that protesters were using to protest the president's visit to Tuscaloosa.  —  Hoyt Hutchinson, 32, was charged with felony first-degree criminal mischief Saturday …

Rand Paul: Trump has “every right” to use quid pro quo with Ukraine  —  Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said on NBC's “Meet the Press” Sunday that he thinks it's a mistake for the White House to argue there was no quid pro quo with Ukraine to investigate President Trump's political rivals …

In Seeking to Join Suit Over Subpoena Power, Mulvaney Goes Up Against the President  —  In effect, the acting chief of staff hopes the court will tell him whether to listen to his own boss, who wants him to remain silent, or to comply with a subpoena from the House, which wants his testimony.

‘This is a very strong case of bribery’ : Rep. Jackie Speier on impeachment  —  A Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee defended the Democrats' strategy in the impeachment inquiry and responded on Sunday to the Republican witness requests in an interview on ABC's “This Week.”

Republicans Argue Impeachment Case Falls Short of Proving Trump Misconduct  —  The release of House Republicans' witness list signaled that the president's favorite unsubstantiated theories will be a centerpiece of their strategy.  —  WASHINGTON — House Republicans on Saturday offered …

Russian Tory donors named in secret report  —  Intelligence agencies are ‘furious’ over No 10's block on publication  —  Nine Russian business people who gave money to the Conservative Party are named in a secret intelligence report on the threats posed to UK democracy which was suppressed last week by Downing Street.

AP investigation: Aging US dams pose risk to thousands  —  On a cold morning last March, Kenny Angel got a frantic knock on his door.  Two workers from a utility company in northern Nebraska had come with a stark warning: Get out of your house.  —  Just a little over a quarter-mile upstream …

Where Does Trump Really Stand with Voters, One Year Out?  —  Here's what we can tell from polling on impeachment, the economy, and the president's approval rating.  —  Today's polling data can't tell us exactly what to expect on Election Day in 2020.  Events are moving too quickly and on too many fronts …

Warren Would Take Billionaires Down a Few Billion Pegs  —  Elizabeth Warren's tax proposals would significantly curb the gigantic fortunes of America's richest families over time.  —  “Yes, billionaires will have to pay a little more,” Senator Elizabeth Warren said of the revised tax package …

'I'm gonna lose everything'  —  A farm family struggles to recover after rising debt pushes a husband to suicide  —  PLATTE, S.D. — Amber Dykshorn stood at her kitchen window and watched the storm come in.  —  It was a very dark Saturday night in the middle of the summer in the middle …

Democratic Voters Prefer Progressive Policies, Not Centrist Policies  —  On Friday, Upshot / Siena polling suggested that Democratic voters want a candidate who would “promise to find common ground with Republicans,” “be more moderate than most Dems” and “promise to bring politics in Washington back to normal.”

Richest 1% of Americans Close to Surpassing Wealth of Middle Class  — Historic low interest rates boosting riches of top households  — Poorest have 35.7% of liabilities and just 6.1% of assets  —  Explore what's moving the global economy in the new season of the Stephanomics podcast.

Viral Tweet About Apple Card Leads to Goldman Sachs Probe  — Tech entrepreneur alleged inherent bias in algorithms for card  — The card is part of Goldman's new main street business lines  —  A Wall Street regulator is opening a probe into Goldman Sachs Group Inc.'s credit card practices …