McConnell walks impeachment tightrope  —  FLORENCE, Ky. - It is not easy these days to lose as a Republican running in ruby-red Kentucky.  But that is what happened here in November in the governor's race, when the caustic incumbent managed to alienate enough of his base to fall just short.

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 …

Bloomberg blasts role of early states in Democratic nominating process in CNN op-ed  —  Bloomberg: Trump would ‘eat alive’ other candidates  —  Washington (CNN)Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg blasted his party's nominating system in a CNN op-ed for placing an outsized emphasis …

Trump authorized Soleimani's killing 7 months ago, with conditions  —  The timing raises new questions about the Trump administration's stated justification for taking out the top Iranian general.  —  WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump authorized the killing of Iranian …

Canadian billionaire Frank Giustra providing luxe hideout for Prince Harry, Meghan Markle  —  Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been hiding out at the home of Canadian billionaire Frank Giustra, whose close ties to the Clintons have created international controversy, Page Six can exclusively reveal.

Video: Iran police shoot at those protesting plane shootdown  —  DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian security forces fired both live ammunition and tear gas to disperse demonstrators protesting against the Islamic Republic's initial denial that it shot down a Ukrainian jetliner, online videos purported to show Monday.

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.

In surprise, Benedict openly defends clerical celibacy as Francis considers married priests  —  VATICAN CITY — Retired Pope Benedict XVI has coauthored a new book defending the Catholic Church's practice of a celibate priesthood, in a shocking move that comes as Pope Francis is considering …

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.

William Barr, Trump's Sword and Shield  —  The Attorney General's mission to maximize executive power and protect the Presidency.  —  Last October, Attorney General William Barr appeared at Notre Dame Law School to make a case for ideological warfare.  Before an assembly of students and faculty …

Foiled in U.S. Courts, Anti-Trump Lawyer Got Results Taking Ukraine Cases to Mueller and FBI  —  When the FBI began investigating Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman - the indicted pair who worked with Rudy Giuliani on his Ukraine inquiries - one of the first people agents interviewed early last year was Kenneth McCallion.

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 …

The Republican case for Biden  —  It isn't easy to support a Democrat after an attachment to Republican politics that began when I watched the 1992 GOP convention at age 12.  Eventually I worked on Capitol Hill as a Republican senior counsel for the House Financial Services Committee …

Pompeo Plans Dinner With Tech Leaders Including Oracle's Ellison  —  (Bloomberg) — Secretary of State Michael Pompeo is planning to attend a private dinner on Monday with tech leaders including Oracle Corp.'s Larry Ellison, according to people familiar with the matter.

James Fallows' thought experiment about Trump  —  James Fallows asks the audience to “try to think of a personality like the one who's currently in the White House in any other position of responsibility,” and asks, “would you want somebody with this kind of temperament to be in a position …

In McGahn Case, an Epic Constitutional Showdown  —  1.7k  —  WASHINGTON — “Has there ever been,” the judge asked, “an instance of such broad-scale defiance of a congressional request for information in the history of the Republic?”  —  It was the first Friday of the new year …