Live updates: More than a dozen missiles hit U.S. bases in Iraq; Iran claims they caused heavy casualties  —  Iranian forces launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against two military bases in Iraq early Wednesday local time, marking the most significant Iranian attack in a growing conflict with the United States.

A Strategy for the Mideast That Has Even Trump's Allies Scratching Their Heads  —  Conflicting statements, crossed signals and mixed messages have left the president and his top officials scrambling to explain his mission and goals after the death of Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani.

CNN announces moderators for Iowa Democratic debate  —  10 of 11 Iowa voters picked this Democrat after debate  —  (CNN)The seventh Democratic presidential debate will be moderated by CNN's Wolf Blitzer and Abby Phillip as well as The Des Moines Register's Brianne Pfannenstiel next week, the network announced on Wednesday.

Can You Locate Iran?  Few Voters Can.  —  A 47% plurality support the airstrike that killed Soleimani  —  Morning Consult Illustration by Vladimir Gorshkov  —  As tensions between the United States and Iran rise in the aftermath of the American drone strike that killed the country's …

Ukrainian airplane crashes near Iran's capital, killing 176  —  SHAHEDSHAHR, Iran (AP) — A Ukrainian passenger jet carrying 176 people crashed on Wednesday, just minutes after taking off from the Iranian capital's main airport, turning farmland on the outskirts of Tehran into fields of flaming debris and killing all on board.

McConnell's win on impeachment trial procedure was months in the making  —  Chuck Schumer demanded Tuesday morning that Republicans allow witnesses to testify during President Donald Trump's impeachment trial.  But Mitch McConnell already knew he had the votes to roll over his adversary.

Wisconsin GOP Cowards  —  Republicans on Tuesday effectively blocked access to the ballot for potential primary challengers to President Donald Trump.  It's a bizarre, cowardly twist in the history of Wisconsin presidential primaries.  —  The Republican members of the Presidential Preference …

Some administration officials believe Iran intentionally missed areas with Americans  —  Washington (CNN)There is a growing belief among some Trump administration officials that Iran's missiles intentionally missed areas populated by Americans when they targeted two Iraqi bases housing US …

Are Democratic Leaders and Presidential Candidates ‘Mourning’ Qassem Suleimani's Death?  —  Joining Sean Hannity's Fox News show on Monday night, former U.N. Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley discussed the response to the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Suleimani, saying that …

U.S. contractor killed in Iraq, which led to strike on Iranian general, buried in Sacramento  —  The Iraqi-American contractor who was killed in a rocket attack in Iraq in late December was buried in Sacramento on Saturday.  His death was the start of a chain of events that U.S. leaders …

Bloomberg to join Abrams' voting rights summit on Friday in Atlanta  —  White House hopeful Mike Bloomberg will take part in a voting rights summit in Atlanta on Friday organized by the group Stacey Abrams launched after her 2018 campaign for governor.  —  The former New York mayor …

A popular theory for Trump's popularity among Republicans appears to be wrong  —  It is not the case, despite President Trump's regular assertions, that his approval rating among Republicans is a consistent 95 percent.  While that figure appears regularly in the president's Twitter feed …

Progressives play whack-a-Joe with Biden  —  Many activist groups expected the former veep to crumble by now.  —  Former Vice President Joe Biden campaigns in Independence, Iowa.  Stephen Maturen/Getty Images  —  The progressive movement is kicking off 2020 with a full-scale …

The media should spotlight a different kind of war expert: Those who voted ‘no’ on Iraq  —  There she was: Judith Miller, the former New York Times reporter most closely identified with the paper's flawed reporting in the run-up to the Iraq War, chattering away on Fox News.

The Right's Bullsh*t Problem  —  Unless you're very, very, new to political debates, you're probably familiar with the “No True Scotsman” fallacy.  —  My favorite practitioner of it is the Twitter account of the Socialist Party of the United Kingdom.  Somewhat like Beto O'Rourke's short-lived …

As potential conflict looms, some pundits suggest reporting skeptical of the administration is unpatriotic.  It's not the first time.  —  Pete Hegseth is dubious about the news media's loyalty and patriotism.  Hegseth, a decorated military veteran and weekend co-host of President Trump's favorite program …

John James out-raising incumbent Democrat in high-profile Senate race  —  John James, the likely Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, started the new year by announcing he's gathered more donations than his incumbent Democratic opponent for the second consecutive fundraising quarter.

Robert Caro's Papers Headed to New-York Historical Society  —  After decades of dogged (and still-unfinished) efforts to chronicle every detail about Lyndon B. Johnson, the master biographer's vast paper trail finds a permanent home.  —  Robert Caro is famous for colossal biographies of colossal figures.

Trump, Who Actually Loves Dictators, Smears Democrats As Iran Lovers  —  The Iran conflict has placed President Trump in a heretofore novel position of outflanking his domestic foes as a hawk.  Having previously cast himself as a deal-maker or isolationist, Trump now occupies …

Iran Threatens Further Retaliation After Missile Strikes Against U.S.  —  Hours after Iran fired at U.S. forces in Iraq, Ayatollah Khamenei stops short of promising more military action  —  TEHRAN—Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed further retaliation for the U.S.'s targeted killing …

Trump Administration Quietly Goes After Disability Benefits  —  A proposed regulation would add a new layer of scrutiny to disability claims.  —  Some Americans could lose Social Security Disability Insurance benefits under a recent Trump administration proposal ― …