Feinstein leans toward acquitting Trump as his lawyers end their impeachment defense arguments  —  Just after President Trump's defense lawyers ended arguments in their Senate trial Tuesday, Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California became the first Democrat to suggest that she could vote to acquit …

Pompeo Called Me a ‘Liar.’ That's Not What Bothers Me.  —  Journalists are supposed to ask tough questions, then share the answers — or lack thereof — with the world.  —  Ms. Kelly is a co-host of NPR's “All Things Considered.”  —  Ask journalists why they do the job they do, and you'll hear a range of answers.

Biden Aides Weigh Pursuing an Iowa Caucus Alliance With Klobuchar  —  Amy Klobuchar's campaign signaled no interest in such a plan, under which each candidate would encourage supporters to back the other in certain precincts.  —  Aides to former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. are discussing …

The Real Goal of Trump's Middle East Plan  —  The Trump administration's long-awaited and ill-named peace plan has many objectives, but making peace isn't among them.  —  Neither is jump-starting negotiations, or nudging the parties toward compromise, or even enshrining implicit …

Trump allies are handing out cash to black voters  —  Allies of Donald Trump have begun holding events in black communities where organizers lavish praise on the president as they hand out tens of thousands of dollars to lucky attendees.  —  The first giveaway took place last month in Cleveland …

Dem Caucuses Could Be a Five-Way Contest  —  Nearly half remain open to switching support on caucus night  —  West Long Branch, NJ - Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg, and Elizabeth Warren continue to jostle for the top spot in the fifth and final Monmouth University Poll of likely Iowa Democratic caucusgoers.

Joni Ernst Asks if Impeachment Trial Will Turn Iowa Caucusgoers Against Biden.  They Answer.  —  As Mr. Biden campaigned in the state, residents appeared unmoved: “I don't think much about anything Joni Ernst says.”  —  MUSCATINE, Iowa — Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa, a Republican …

Democrats are already bracing for a ‘hostile’ Trump transition  —  Democrats are bracing for the possibility that if President Donald Trump loses the 2020 election, he and his aides will bungle a smooth handover of power - and maybe even try to outright sabotage the transition.

Trump's Digital Advantage Is Freaking Out Democratic Strategists  —  Left and right agree on one point.  The president's re-election campaign is way ahead online.  —  Mr. Edsall contributes a weekly column from Washington, D.C. on politics, demographics and inequality.

Say hello to invisible Brexit  —  BRUSSELS — Britain is leaving the European Union this weekend with a whimper.  —  It took one referendum, two national elections, three prime ministers and four years of continentwide political anguish for the United Kingdom to achieve Brexit …

One year inside Trump's monumental Facebook campaign  —  A Guardian investigation of 218,100 ads reveals how the campaign's sophisticated social media machine targets conservative voters  —  As the Democratic candidates for president spent 2019 battling each other in early voting states …

John Roberts will not be silent Wednesday.  But the questions he asks will not be his.  —  Washington (CNN)Since the Senate impeachment trial began last week, Chief Justice John Roberts has been mainly out of the camera's line of sight.  He has, clerk-like, enforced Senate procedures and kept the clock for the lawyers at the lectern.

Dutch Trump superfan who claimed he surveilled Ambassador Yovanovitch told people he was DEA  —  Interviews with a half-dozen people who know Anthony de Caluwe and documents obtained by NBC News show that the Trump superfan has a shadowy past.  —  WASHINGTON — The Dutch man who claimed …

Warren issues new disinformation pledge, promising to hold Facebook, Google and Twitter responsible  —  Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren pledged Wednesday that her campaign would not share falsehoods or promote fraudulent accounts on social media, part of a new plan to battle …

Anti-human-trafficking groups refuse to attend Ivanka Trump's White House summit  —  On Friday, President Trump is expected to attend a White House summit organized by his daughter Ivanka on human trafficking, an issue he frequently invokes as a top priority.

Parnas Lawyer: Giuliani Delivered Graham Letter Calling for Sanctions on Ukrainian Officials  —  The mysterious letter-writer listed several Ukrainian officials, including one reformer who'd gone up against an oligarch, and claimed they were part of a “crime syndicate.”

Guardian to ban advertising from fossil fuel firms  —  Move follows efforts to reduce carbon footprint and increase reporting on climate crisis  —  The Guardian will no longer accept advertising from oil and gas companies, becoming the first major global news organisation to institute …

Slashing food stamps hurts the poor.  It also hurts their supermarkets  —  New York (CNN Business)Independent grocery stores and regional supermarket chains already face brutal competition and shrinking profits.  Now, they are worried about losing out on a valuable source of sales: food stamp recipients.

House Democrats unfurl climate-tinged infrastructure plan, but GOP support uncertain  —  The backbone of the plan would be a highway, rail and transit bill, of the kind that Congress enacts typically every four or five years.  —  Rep. Peter DeFazio.  House Democratic leadership unveiled Wednesday …

Congressional candidate's gamble: risk breaking laws — or the bank  —  Democrat Nabilah Islam wants to buy health insurance with campaign funds.  The FEC doesn't have enough commissioners to tell her whether that's legal.  —  Editor-at-Large … Nabilah Islam is 30 years old …

Joe Biden is the only candidate with a real shot at getting things done  —  The third in a Vox series making the best case for each of the top Democratic contenders. … For a Democrat to beat President Donald Trump in 2020 and to have a shot at retaking the Senate, they'll have to win in places Hillary Clinton lost.

Trump's lawyers gave thousands to Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham and Ted Cruz before the impeachment trial began  —  President Trump's legal team made numerous campaign contributions to Republican senators overseeing the impeachment trial.  —  Former independent counsels Ken Starr and Robert Ray …