The stakes have never been higher.  Here's who I plan to vote for in April's Dem primary  —  I believe in my political independence, but I also believe in fate.  In 2016, declaring the stakes were just too damn high, I ended nearly three decades as a registered independent to become a Democrat …

Esper Says He Saw No Evidence Iran Targeted 4 Embassies, as Story Shifts Again  —  The disparity between the defense secretary and President Trump added another twist to an ever-evolving explanation for a strike on an Iranian general that led to the brink of war.

Pelosi does not rule out possibility of subpoenaing testimony if Senate skips witnesses  —  “Let's just see what the Senate does,” she said on ABC's “This Week.”  —  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday did not rule out the possibility of a House subpoena for testimony from former national …

'I'm spending all my money to get rid of Trump': Michael Bloomberg  —  SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Reuters) - U.S. presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg told Reuters he is ready to spend much of his vast fortune to oust Republican President Donald Trump from the White House in 2020 …

Two States.  Eight Textbooks.  Two American Stories.  —  TWO STATES.  EIGHT TEXTBOOKS.  TWO AMERICAN STORIES.  —  American history textbooks can differ across the country, in ways that are shaded by partisan politics. … We analyzed some of the most popular social studies textbooks used in California and Texas.

Jeff Bezos announces Amazon is donating $690,000 to help the country recover from the devastating brushfires  —  Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced that the tech company will donate $1 million Australian dollars to help Australia recover from the fires.

Killing of Soleimani reflects an aggressive national security team not inclined to curb Trump  —  President Trump has from his earliest days in office raised the possibility of killing Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, the powerful Iranian military commander who died this month in a U.S. military drone strike.

Trump may reduce troops in Afghanistan without Taliban deal  —  White House national security adviser Robert O'Brien told Axios in an exclusive interview that “it is possible” Trump will cut a deal with the Taliban this year but that even if a deal can't be struck, the president is still poised to reduce troops in Afghanistan.

Hillary Clinton: The most exonerated politician ever  —  Hillary Clinton has a unique distinction: She has been exonerated twice after extensive federal investigations, the latest entirely unjustified and the result of a politicized Justice Department.  President Trump of course was NOT exonerated …

Exclusive: Trump tells Kim Jong-un he wants to resume talks  —  White House national security adviser Robert O'Brien tells Axios that the Trump administration has “reached out to the North Koreans” to ask them to resume diplomacy that has been all but dead since October.

Trump attacks former DOJ official appointed to review the FBI's proposed wiretap reforms  —  Taking a cue from a GOP ally, President Trump on Sunday attacked a former senior Justice Department official appointed by a federal judge to review the FBI's proposed wiretap application reforms …

Majority of Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of Iran, feel less safe after strike: POLL  —  The results come from a new ABC News/Ipsos poll.  —  In a week dominated by increased tension with Iran and speculation over when impeachment articles would be delivered to the U.S. Senate …

This playboy tortoise had so much sex he saved his entire species.  Now he's going home  —  (CNN)A womanizing tortoise whose rampant sex life may have single-handedly saved his entire species from extinction has retired from his playboy lifestyle, returning to the wild with his mission accomplished.

Public schools in Virginia can censor student journalists any time, for any reason.  A proposed law would change that.  —  Kate Karstens knew she'd nailed the story when the Yale-bound son of a school board member confessed to skipping class more than two dozen times — without consequences.

Iran's sole female Olympic medalist says she's defected  —  (CNN)Iran's sole female Olympic medalist, Kimia Alizadeh, has announced that she's permanently left her country for Europe.  —  “Let me start with a greeting, a farewell or condolences,” the 21-year-old wrote in an Instagram post explaining why she was defecting.

Can Amy Klobuchar pull off a surprise in Iowa's presidential caucuses?  —  Amy Klobuchar, campaigning across Iowa in the first days of the New Year, told voters about a text a friend sent her after a surge in polls and fundraising.  —  “It had autocorrected by mistake …