Democrats sharpen their differences as Iowa caucuses loom  —  DES MOINES — The Democratic presidential candidates spent the final day of 2019 sharpening their differences as they braced for the final sprint to the Iowa caucuses, with polls showing a fluid and unsettled race five weeks before the first nominating contest.

Chief Justice John Roberts says Americans may ‘take democracy for granted’  —  Photos:  —  In photos: Chief Justice John Roberts  —  Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts listens to President Donald Trump's State of the Union address in January 2018.  —  1 of 20  —  Photos:

North Korea Is No Longer Bound by Nuclear Test Moratorium, Kim Says  —  Kim Jong-un said North Korea was free of a self-imposed pause on testing nuclear weapons and long-range missiles, which President Trump had called a diplomatic victory.  —  SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea's leader …

Pentagon expects to deploy troops to Mideast after Iraqi protesters assault US embassy, torch guardhouse to protest airstrikes  —  Two Apache helicopters conducted a show of force over the embassy as a warning.  —  The Pentagon expects to send additional U.S. troops to the Middle East …

Global Apathy Toward the Fires in Australia Is a Scary Portent for the Future  —  Right now, on the outskirts of a hyper modern first world megapolis, at the end of a year in which the public seemed finally to wake up to the dramatic threat from global warming, a climate disaster …

Susan Collins Becomes Second GOP Senator to Question McConnell Over Impeachment Trial  —  With only a four-vote Senate majority, a small bloc of Republican senators could upend majority leader's efforts  —  WASHINGTON—Maine Sen. Susan Collins has become the second Republican to question …

Trump's Tumultuous Year, From Policy Wins to Impeachment  —  The president started his third year during a government shutdown and concluded it impeached, scoring some victories along the way  —  President Trump ended 2019 with a strong economy, a string of domestic policy achievements …

DLCC's Top Ten Victories of 2019  —  There are a lot of victories for Democrats to celebrate from 2019, a major battleground year in the states.  We had newly blue chambers ready to enact forward-thinking legislation.  We won critical elections that flipped seats, and legislatures, blue.

Illinois governor clears thousands of marijuana convictions  —  CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois' governor granted more than 11,000 pardons for low-level marijuana convictions on Tuesday, describing the step as a first wave of thousands of such expungements anticipated under the state's new marijuana legalization law.

From the Brig to Mar-a-Lago, Former Navy SEAL Capitalizes on Newfound Fame  —  After receiving presidential clemency, Edward Gallagher has left the SEALs to become a pitchman and conservative activist.  —  A year ago, Navy SEAL Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher was wearing drab prison scrubs …

FBI Agents: McCabe Apologized for Changing His Story on Leak  —  McCabe flip-flopped on the origins of a Wall Street Journal story during the 2016 campaign—then apologized for his changing account.  —  Former FBI chief Andrew McCabe faced scorching criticism and potential criminal prosecution …

Ghosn's Escape Followed Weeks of Planning  —  Aim of associates was to help spirit him to a more friendly legal environment  —  Carlos Ghosn's escape to Lebanon from Japan followed weeks of planning by associates aimed at getting the former auto executive to a country they believed would provide …

Trump cuts loose with unpredictable characters at Mar-a-Lago  —  At Trump's luxury South Florida resort, the president is just another guy in the buffet line.  —  Guests wait for the arrival of President Donald Trump to his New Year's Eve party at his Mar-a-Lago property on Dec. 31, 2019.

FDA to Ban All E-Cigarette Pod Flavors Except Tobacco and Menthol  —  Impact on small businesses and Trump's re-election prospects drive compromise  —  The Food and Drug Administration plans to ban the sale of fruity flavors in cartridge-based e-cigarettes, but the restriction won't apply …

NC voter ID law written with ‘discriminatory intent,’ says judge who just struck it down  —  Racial discrimination was at least part of the motivation for a new voter ID law in North Carolina, a federal judge wrote Tuesday, striking the law down for now.  —  The judge's ruling Tuesday …