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.

Sanders surges as progressives flock to him over Warren  —  IOWA CITY, Iowa — Something's happening with Bernie Sanders that looked unlikely to many a few months ago: Progressive leaders and organizations are lining up behind him, not Elizabeth Warren, in the lead-up to voting.

With its 228 delegates and Super Tuesday slot, Texas looms in the presidential primary  —  The focus is on the early states, but candidates are also paying attention to Texas.  Early voting starts here before the Nevada and South Carolina primaries wrap up.

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

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.

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.

UPDATING Oscar Nominations: Snubs Include JLo, Beyonce, Eddie Murphy, “1917” for Editing, No Women Directors, “The Farewell,” “Cats,” Just 1 African American Nominee  —  The 2020 Oscar nominations are here.  Snubs include Jennifer Lopez for “Hustlers.”  Eddie Murphy for “Dolemite” and everything for that movie.

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 …

FISA court selects former Obama admin lawyer, left-wing blogger to oversee FBI's surveillance reforms  —  Devin Nunes, R-Calif., discusses the FISC's appointment of former Obama DOJ lawyer, as well as whistleblower matters.  —  The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) …

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 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 …

Protesters interrupt Buttigieg at Iowa rally  —  Protesters with a local Black Lives Matter group disrupted an event being held in Des Moines, Iowa, by South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D) on Sunday.  —  Videos showed demonstrators wearing “Black Lives Matter” shirts being led out by security while chanting …

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 …

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 …

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.