Trump presents his own impeachment defense  —  On the eve of his likely impeachment, President Donald Trump has opted to act as his own defense lawyer.  —  In a six-page, stream-of-consciousness diatribe sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and released by the White House on Tuesday afternoon …

Buttigieg omitted high-powered bundlers from disclosure  —  Pete Buttigieg's presidential campaign omitted more than 20 high-level fundraisers from a list of top bundlers it disclosed last week.  —  The public list of bundlers, featuring more than 100 people who have raised at least $25,000 for Buttigieg …

Trump Approval Inches Up, While Support for Impeachment Dips  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump's job approval rating has inched up again and is now at 45%.  The president's ratings have increased six percentage points since the House of Representatives opened an impeachment inquiry against him in the fall.

McConnell selling Pompeo on Senate as perfect platform for 2024 White House run  —  When Mitch McConnell pitches Mike Pompeo on running for the Senate in 2020, a periodic occurrence, the majority leader does not fail to mention that the chamber is a great steppingstone should the secretary of state harbor higher aspirations.

How Out of Control Is Our Surveillance State?  —  Americans deserve a stronger assurance than “hope” that their Fourth Amendment rights are being respected.  —  Mr. Sanchez is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute.  —  The F.B.I.'s investigation of the former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page …

Letter from President Donald J. Trump to the Speaker of the House of Representatives  —  Speaker of the House of Representatives  —  Dear Madam Speaker:  —  I write to express my strongest and most powerful protest against the partisan impeachment crusade being pursued by the Democrats in the House of Representatives.

History's Largest Mining Operation Is About to Begin  —  Unless you are given to chronic anxiety or suffer from nihilistic despair, you probably haven't spent much time contemplating the bottom of the ocean.  Many people imagine the seabed to be a vast expanse of sand, but it's a jagged …

Trump intervened to cut Puerto Rico's Medicaid funding in spending bill: report  —  President Trump reportedly intervened to slash billions of dollars worth of Medicaid funding the federal government was preparing to allocate to Puerto Rico as part of a new $1.4 trillion spending package.

Jared Golden will vote with Democrats on one Trump impeachment article, not the other  —  AUGUSTA, Maine — U.S. Rep. Jared Golden of Maine's 2nd District said Tuesday he will vote to impeach President Donald Trump for abusing the power of his office, but not on a second impeachment that charges …

Most Americans Think There's Enough Evidence To Impeach Trump  —  The House of Representatives is on the brink of making President Trump the third president in U.S. history to be impeached.  It will likely be a deeply divided vote, too, as no Republicans voted in favor of either of the two articles …

Hundreds of Obama alumni endorse Elizabeth Warren  —  (CNN)Hundreds of veterans of Barack Obama's campaigns and administration have signed on to endorse Sen. Elizabeth Warren for president, as multiple Democratic presidential candidates compete to claim the popular former president's political coalition and legacy.

Half of active-duty service members are unhappy with Trump, new Military Times poll shows … President Donald Trump received a loud ovation when he participated in the coin toss ahead of Saturday's Army-Navy football rivalry game in Philadelphia.  But troops' actual feelings about the commander …

GOP Sen. Collins of Maine launches reelection bid  —  FILE - In this Nov. 6, 2019, file photo, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is surrounded by reporters as she heads to vote at the Capitol in Washington.  U.S. Sen. Collins officially launched her bid for a reelection Wednesday, Dec. 18 …

A Surveillance Net Blankets China's Cities, Giving Police Vast Powers  —  The authorities can scan your phones, track your face and find out when you leave your home.  One of the world's biggest spying networks is aimed at regular people, and nobody can stop it.

Among the World's Most Dire Places: This California Homeless Camp  —  We spent three months documenting the conditions of one homeless camp in the wealthiest state.  Then we traveled to a slum in Mexico City for comparison.

European Parliament gives human rights award to Uighur activist  —  One million Uighurs are estimated to be detained in internment camps.  —  The European Parliament on Wednesday gave its human rights prize to jailed Uighur economist Ilham Tohti and called for him to be released “immediately and unconditionally.”

Trump's economic approval hits highest level in a year as Americans remain split on impeachment  — Forty-five percent of Americans disapprove of Congress impeaching President Trump and 44% approve, according to the CNBC All-America Economic Survey.  — The survey shows 49% …

Adam Driver Walks Out of NPR ‘Fresh Air’ Interview Over ‘Marriage Story’ Clip  —  The star actor allegedly left after expressing displeasure with listening to a clip of his own acting—a fear Driver has repeatedly voiced in the past.  —  In the midst of promoting three of his latest starring turns …

Associate of Rudy Giuliani received $1 million payment from Ukrainian oligarch -prosecutor  —  U.S. prosecutors said in court on Tuesday that Lev Parnas, an associate of U.S. President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, received a $1 million payment from Ukrainian oligarch Dmytro Firtash.

Trump Fatigue?  Spare Me  —  Yep, he's exhausting.  And the nation's pundits owe us more than a plea for sympathy.  —  Mark Wilson/Getty Images  —  You can barely taste the opinion pages anymore without being drowned in the carping and moaning from the commentariat about how President …

Men are showing up to The Wing and women are pissed  —  Ladies, leave your man at home.  —  The Wing was supposed to be the ultimate sanctuary for women: decidedly feminine in design, with walls and furniture in shades of millennial pink and a thermometer set at a women's-clothing-friendly 72 degrees.