Explosive new revelations just weakened Trump's impeachment defenses  —  If Mitch McConnell is going to pull off his scheme to turn President Trump's impeachment trial into a quick and painless sham with no witnesses, the Senate majority leader needs the story to be covered …

Joe Biden says he would consider a Republican for his running mate  —  Exeter, New Hampshire (CNN)Joe Biden told voters in New Hampshire on Monday that he would consider choosing a Republican as a running mate, but added, “I can't think of one right now.”  —  Biden discussed the possibility …

I ignored warnings from friends and family not to marry my husband.  Was I making a big mistake?  —  When I was 20, a man I barely knew proposed without a ring  —  I said yes.  —  Our friends were alarmed about our fast decisions to marry and move from Tennessee to New York City.

Judge dismisses impeachment suit from ex-White House aide  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Monday dismissed a lawsuit from a former White House official who had challenged a congressional subpoena in the impeachment inquiry involving President Donald Trump.

Suspect in Monsey Stabbings Searched Online for ‘Hitler,’ Charges Say  —  Officials said the suspect, who is charged with hate crimes, also expressed anti-Semitic views in his journal.  —  In his journal, prosecutors said, he wrote about Hitler and “Nazi culture.”

Sunbelt Set to Gain Congressional Seats, Data Show  —  Americans are moving to states with warm weather, strong job growth and cheaper housing  —  WASHINGTON—New state population totals released Monday offer fresh signs of how the Sunbelt will gain political power after the 2020 census.

Obama, Trump Tie as Most Admired Man in 2019  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Barack Obama and Donald Trump are tied this year as the most admired man.  It is Obama's 12th time in the top spot versus the first for Trump.  Michelle Obama is the most admired woman for the second year in a row.

AP Exclusive: Trump ally may have broken Venezuela sanctions  —  MIAMI (AP) — Erik Prince, a major Republican donor and founder of controversial security firm Blackwater, has been referred to the U.S. Treasury Department for possible sanctions violations tied to his recent trip to Venezuela …

Ivanka Trump's interview on Face the Nation could have aired on Fox News  —  Ivanka Trump talks with her father during a White House reception on December 11, 2019.  Mark Wilson/Getty Images  —  Margaret Brennan claimed Ivanka was a “vocal” opponent of family separation.  The opposite is true.

Our Year of Trumpschmerz  —  So much for the holidays.  In the quiet of Christmas and New Year's, the President of the United States has repeatedly attacked “Crazy Nancy” Pelosi and her family, inveighed against the “bogus Impeachment Scam” and circulated the alleged name of the C …

West Virginia correctional cadets who gave Nazi salute in photo will all be fired  —  “Now, we must continue to move forward and work diligently to make sure nothing like this ever happens again,” Gov. Jim Justice said in a statement Monday.  —  West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice said Monday …

This is what it is like to be attacked by the president  —  James Comey is a former FBI director and deputy attorney general.  —  What's it like to be personally and publicly attacked by the president of the United States?  Like many others in and out of government, I have some experience.

Pelosi's half right constitutional claim leaves the House all wrong  —  Harvard law professor Laurence Tribe penned an editorial column over the weekend in support of the refusal of Speaker Nancy Pelosi to submit House articles of impeachment to the Senate for trial.

How Big Companies Won New Tax Breaks From the Trump Administration  —  As the Treasury Department prepared to enact the 2017 Republican tax overhaul, corporate lobbyists swarmed — and won big.  —  The overhaul of the federal tax law in 2017 was the signature legislative achievement of Donald J. Trump's presidency.

Virginia Beach to hold special session to consider “Second Amendment Constitutional City” resolution  —  The Virginia Beach City Council will hold a pair of special sessions next week to discuss — and vote — on becoming a “Second Amendment Constitutional City.”

‘Make sure your vote is on target’: Man who stopped Texas church shooter is running for office  —  The man who fired back and saved the lives of his fellow churchgoers in Texas is running for office with the campaign slogan: “Make sure your vote is on target.”

Trump's use of homelessness as a political cudgel exposes his cynical disregard for blue states  —  Trump during a visit to California to inspect wildfire damage in November 2018.  SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images  —  It's not coincidental that he's making a big issue out of homelessness in California and New York but not in Florida.

The frantic effort to save lives after a deadly attack on the CIA  —  Joshua Alley and two medical colleagues were getting ready to watch “The Hangover” at their military hospital in eastern Afghanistan when the loudspeaker blared with the worst possible code: Shamrock Black!  Shamrock Black!

DNC rejects Yang's request for new polls ahead of next debate  —  The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is rejecting a recent request from tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang to commission new early-state polling ahead of the January presidential primary debate to make up for the lack of surveys during the holiday season.

‘Shattered’: Inside the secret battle to save America's undercover spies in the digital age  —  When hackers began slipping into computer systems at the Office of Personnel Management in the spring of 2014, no one inside that federal agency could have predicted the potential scale and magnitude of the damage.

Why This Veteran Is Suing One of the Joint Chiefs for Sexual Assault  —  Twenty-eight-year veteran Kathryn Spletstoser couldn't get the military to take her claims against a decorated Air Force general seriously.  Now she's making those claims in court.  —  Army Lt. Col. Kathryn Spletstoser just wanted to fade into retirement.

Seattle public school students barred from returning until they get vaccinations  —  Thousands of students in Seattle have 10 days to get vaccinated or they will not be allowed to go to school.  This comes after Washington state had two measles outbreaks this year, one forcing a state of emergency.

Wisconsin Elections Commission deadlocks, keeps voters on the rolls for now  —  MADISON - The Wisconsin Elections Commission deadlocked Monday over whether to remove the voter registrations of more than 200,000 people in response to a judge's order.  —  The commission's inability to reach …

CIA devised way to restrict missiles given to allies, researcher says  —  LEIPZIG, Germany (Reuters) - The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency has devised technology to restrict the use of anti-aircraft missiles after they leave American hands, a researcher said, a move that experts say could persuade …

Mark Meadows accused of timing retirement to help elect wife's friend  —  Rep. Mark Meadows' shock retirement — revealed just 30 hours before the filing deadline in North Carolina — has roiled some Republicans in the state who suspect he timed his announcement to benefit a friend of his wife.

Axios AM  —  Subscribe  —  Happy Monday!  — Situational awareness: A Chinese scientist who set off an ethical debate with claims that he had made the world's first genetically edited babies was sentenced to three years in prison because of his research.  (AP)