Why Democrats owe a debt to Mitch McConnell  —  Democrats owe a debt to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.  —  Yes, you read that right.  —  Recall that when Democrats were debating whether to impeach President Trump last year, those opposed to the move argued there was no chance …

Trump's lawyers are playing a bad hand badly  —  The beginning of the impeachment trial of President Trump made clear that Democrats have not only the stronger arguments but also the stronger arguers.  The House impeachment managers did a masterful job on Tuesday of marshaling the evidence …

CNN poll: Bernie Sanders surges to join Biden atop Democratic presidential pack  —  (CNN)Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has improved his standing in the national Democratic race for president, joining former Vice President Joe Biden in a two-person top tier above the rest of the field, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS.

Here Is the Technical Report Suggesting Saudi Arabia's Prince Hacked Jeff Bezos' Phone  —  A report investigating the potential hack of Jeff Bezos' iPhone indicates that forensic investigators found a suspicious file but no evidence of any malware on the phone.

Trump Opens Door to Cuts to Medicare and Other Entitlement Programs  —  The president signaled a willingness to scale back Medicare, a shift from his 2016 platform of protecting welfare programs.  —  WASHINGTON — President Trump suggested on Wednesday that he would be willing to consider cuts …

Glenn Greenwald on Brazil's Charges Against Him  —  On Tuesday, Brazilian prosecutors charged the journalist Glenn Greenwald with “cybercrimes” as part of what the government claims was his role in a “criminal organization.”  They allege that Greenwald—who reported on wrongdoing …

Trump sets new Twitter record for presidency  —  President Donald Trump posted more than 140 times on Twitter on Wednesday, surpassing his mid-December record for the most daily tweets and retweets during his presidency.  —  The president flooded his Twitter account during the second …

Hunter Biden renting $12,000-per-month Hollywood home while defying child support suit  —  Hunter Biden is defying a court order to disclose his financial information as part of a child support fight while renting a $3.8 million designer home in Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, for $12,000 per month.

By a Narrow Margin, Americans Say Senate Trial Should Result in Trump's Removal  —  Majority says Trump has definitely or probably done things that are illegal  —  How we did this  —  As the Senate impeachment trial gets underway, slightly more Americans say that Donald Trump should be removed …

Live from New York, it's Michael Che's weird fixation with me  —  My feud with the ‘Saturday Night Live’ head writer has lasted several months all because I said his show was unfunny.  —  Culture  —  My feud with the ‘Saturday Night Live’ head writer has lasted several months all because I said his show was unfunny.

Reagan's solicitor general says ‘All honorable people’ have left Trump's Cabinet: ‘He is capable of doing serious damage’  —  THE NEWSWEEK INTERVIEW  —  Charles Fried was a fervent, superior officer on the frontlines of the Reagan Revolution.  As solicitor general of the United States from 1985 to 1989 …

San Francisco DA Chesa Boudin ends cash bail for all criminal cases  —  Two weeks after Chesa Boudin took the oath of office as San Francisco's newest district attorney, the city's top prosecutor announced Wednesday that his office will no longer ask for cash bail as a condition for defendants' pretrial release.

A Matter of Facts  —  With much fanfare, The New York Times Magazine devoted an entire issue in August to what it called the 1619 Project.  The project's aim, the magazine announced, was to reinterpret the entirety of American history.  “Our democracy's founding ideals,” its lead essay proclaimed, “were false when they were written.”

Maker of Hit Podcast ‘Serial’ Explores Sale  —  Serial Productions has one of the best-known brands in digital audio; New York Times considered a potential suitor  —  The company behind the hit true-crime podcast “Serial” is exploring a sale, according to a person familiar with the matter …

Ancient viruses never observed by humans discovered in Tibetan glacier  —  Melting ice from climate change could release the pathogens into the environment, one researcher said, calling it a “worst-case scenario.”  —  For the past 15,000 years, a glacier on the northwestern Tibetan Plateau …

A Netflix Deal, a $15 Million Memoir, and Other Likelihoods of Harry and Meghan's Post-Royal Business Model  —  Hollywood and publishing sources say Megxit can definitely be monetized.  But “the idea that there's an Obama analog here strikes me as a real stretch,” says one.

Kushner's FBI interviews to be held for review, Justice Department says  —  (CNN)The Justice Department did not hand over the FBI's summary of Jared Kushner's interviews with special counsel Robert Mueller last week — despite a judge's order to do so — because “a member of the intelligence community” …

Veterans Differ With Trump Over Injuries From Iran Missile Attack  —  President says U.S. injuries in attack in Iraq weren't very serious; veterans say his comments were ignorant  —  WASHINGTON— President Trump said the head injuries suffered by American service members in an Iranian missile strike weren't …

Alan Dershowitz's Strange Constitutional Arguments on Impoundment and Foreign Policy  —  On Jan. 17, the White House announced that Alan Dershowitz would be joining the president's defense team in his Senate impeachment trial.  That same day, Dershowitz published a statement defending President …

Appear in Arkansas court, explain, judge orders Hunter Biden  —  Hunter Biden must appear Jan. 29 in a Batesville courtroom and explain why he shouldn't be held in contempt for violating court orders to provide financial information in his Arkansas paternity case.

Andrew Yang and the New American Tories  —  What links celebrity Yang supporters like Dave Chappelle, Rivers Cuomo, and Norm MacDonald?  —  Power  —  What links celebrity Yang supporters like Dave Chappelle, Rivers Cuomo, and Norm MacDonald?  —  A great groaning and rolling-of-eyes seized …

Democrats shoot down talk of Bolton, Hunter Biden witness swap  —  Senate Democrats are dismissing chatter about attempts at an agreement that would guarantee former national security adviser John Bolton testifies in President Trump's impeachment trial in exchange for former Vice President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden also testifying.

Monty Python star Terry Jones dies aged 77  —  Monty Python star Terry Jones has died at the age of 77, his agent has said … You can also follow @BBCBreaking on Twitter to get the latest alerts.

Mike Pompeo Is Going To Ukraine  —  KYIV — US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to Ukraine next week, just as the Senate's impeachment trial of Donald Trump on charges he sought to pressure Ukraine's government into investigating Joe Biden heats up.