“THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW” SCORES HISTORIC RATING OF 4.5M TOTAL VIEWERS IN EXPLOSIVE INTERVIEW WITH LEV PARNAS  —  Maddow's Exclusive Interview with Giuliani Associate Lev Parnas Dominates News Cycle and Draws Largest-Ever Audience for “The Rachel Maddow Show,” Kicking Off 2020 With Huge Ratings Win

GOP senator's vicious outburst shows the corruption of Trump's defenders  —  If you were a United States senator who just snapped angrily at a reporter for politely asking whether compelling new information about a matter of great import to the nation was weighing on your understanding …

Justice Dept. Investigating Years-Old Leaks and Appears Focused on Comey  —  An inquiry into years-old disclosures of classified information is highly unusual and leaves law enforcement officials open to accusations of politicizing their work.  —  WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors in Washington …

Virginia Capital on Edge as F.B.I. Arrests Suspected Neo-Nazis Before Gun Rally  —  The three men had obtained guns and discussed traveling to Virginia for protests against new gun control measures, officials said.  —  RICHMOND, Va. — Alarming calls online for a race war.  The arrest of three suspected neo-Nazis.

Eleven US Troops Were Injured in Jan. 8 Iran Missile Strike  —  The troops were medevaced this week to Germany and Kuwait to be treated for traumatic brain injury after experiencing concussion symptoms.  —  Nearly one dozen American troops were wounded in Iran's Jan. 8 missile attack on Iraq's al-Asad air base.

A Meticulous Account of Trump's Tenure Reads Like a Comic Horror Story  —  The essence of irony, Henry Fowler wrote in “A Dictionary of Modern English Usage,” is that it “postulates a double audience” — one that's in on the joke, and another that isn't.  The title of Philip Rucker …

Bernie ‘will play dirty’: Ex-Vermont governor slams Sanders  —  A former Vermont governor and ex-chair of the Democratic Governors Association is taking aim at Bernie Sanders and his campaign, accusing the senator of trying to “Hillarize” Elizabeth Warren.  —  In an interview with POLITICO …

White House hold on Ukraine aid violated federal law, congressional watchdog says  —  The White House violated federal law in its hold on security aid to Ukraine last year, according to a decision by a congressional watchdog released on Thursday and reviewed by The Washington Post.

Inside Jared Kushner's Unusual White House Role  —  Jared Kushner's White House office is a shrine to his own influence.  Gold-framed accolades from his father-in-law hang on the walls, written in thick black Sharpie in President Donald Trump's spiky hand.  To Jared, Great job on Mexico.

Georgia election server showed signs of tampering, expert says  —  The server was left exposed to the open internet for at least six months, a problem the same expert discovered in August 2016.  —  BOSTON — A computer security expert says he found that a forensic image of the election server central …

Exclusive: Rep. Ayanna Pressley Reveals Beautiful Bald Head and Discusses Alopecia for the First Time  —  We'd like to have A Word with you.  In The Root's op-ed video series, thought leaders across various disciplines give their perspectives on the important issues you should know about.

This Trump Supreme Court Short-Lister Says God Can Instruct Juries on Guilt and Innocence  —  Judge William Pryor of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, a jurist from Alabama with a long record in law enforcement, has twice now been high on President Donald Trump's short list of potential Supreme Court nominees.

“It's Quite an Upheaval”: In an Ongoing Makeover of the Times Opinion Babel, the Old Editorial Voice of God Is Being Rationed  —  Even as controversies (Bret Stephens) explode like bombs, Opinion chief James Bennet, the second-most powerful journalist at the Times, pursues his cacophonous plans.

The Latest: Pelosi says Trump has options for State of Union  —  The Latest on President Donald Trump's impeachment (all times local):  —  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says President Donald Trump can keep his Feb. 4 appointment with Congress to deliver his State of the Union address or he can ask …

‘The View’ Has a Meghan McCain Problem  —  The daytime co-hosts' heated bipartisan debates are played down as disagreement among friends.  But the strain for “civility” is tiring.  —  Ms. Ibrahim is a culture writer and reporter.  —  During an episode of “The View” earlier this month …