New witnesses unlikely, Trump impeachment trial could end quickly: GOP sources  —  The Senate trial could be over by the weekend if Republicans have the votes.  —  LIVE NOW  —  Senators return at 1 p.m. Thursday for a second day of questions to House managers and President Donald Trump's legal team …

New recording shows access Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman had to Trump at Mar-a-Lago donor event  —  Ten days before Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman dined with President Trump at his Washington hotel, they were part of a small group of Republican Party donors who met with the president at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida estate, a new recording shows.

In contrast with Trump legal team, Justice Department lawyer says House can impeach over defied subpoenas  —  Five memorable exchanges from Wednesday's trial  —  Washington (CNN)A Justice Department lawyer said Thursday in federal court that the House can impeach a president over ignored subpoenas …

AP Exclusive: Woman who says Trump raped her seeks his DNA  —  NEW YORK — Lawyers for a woman who accuses President Donald Trump of raping her in the 1990s are asking for a DNA sample, seeking to determine whether his genetic material is on a dress she says she wore during the encounter.

George … Mike Bloomberg 2020's ad airing during Super Bowl LIV highlights the urgent need to prevent gun violence in America and why Mike is the candidate to get it done.  —  As an entrepreneur, mayor, and problem-solving philanthropist, Mike has taken on the toughest challenges and gotten big things done.

Coronavirus could mean more U.S. jobs.  Wilbur Ross goes there.  —  “I think it will help to accelerate the return of jobs to North America,” Trump's commerce secretary said.  —  Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Thursday that the coronavirus outbreak in China could lead businesses …

Bernie Sanders praised George Wallace as ‘sensitive’ in 1972  —  Seven years after Martin Luther King, Jr. referred to George Wallace as “perhaps the most dangerous racist in America today,” a young Bernie Sanders praised the segregationist Alabama governor.

Trump administration has yet to reveal details of Jared Kushner's secretive 2017 meeting in China  — In late 2017, CNBC filed a Freedom of Information Act request for details about Jared Kushner's secretive meeting in China during President Trump's visit to the country.

Dershowitz: Anything Trump did to win re-election is in the public interest  —  On the first day of Q&A at the Senate impeachment hearing, Trump attorney Alan Dershowitz argued that a quid pro quo arrangement that benefits the president politically is fine, because all politicians believe their elections are in the public's interest.

Document shows Bernie Sanders's team preparing dozens of potential executive orders  —  Rising in the polls ahead of the Iowa caucuses, the presidential candidate considers spelling out how he could go around Congress if elected president  —  Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) …

How Trump's impeachment created two Democratic superstars  —  The House Democratic Caucus has long been dominated by a gaggle of also-rans: men and women who, while good enough for Congress, proved to be underwhelming on the larger stage of national politics.  —  That's changed.

GOP senators know Trump's defense is based on lies.  Here's proof.  —  As President Trump's trial hurtles toward a vote on new witnesses, his lawyers have based his defense in part on the notion that Trump's demand that Ukraine investigate the Bidens was legitimate.

Trump's border wall, vulnerable to flash floods, needs large storm gates left open for months  —  NACO, Ariz. — President Trump's border wall likely will require the installation of hundreds of storm gates to prevent flash floods from undermining or knocking it over, gates that must be left open …

The Atlantic made Rahm Emanuel a contributing editor.  Then, suddenly, he wasn't.  —  Last May, the Atlantic announced that Rahm Emanuel, who'd just left his post as Chicago mayor, would be joining the magazine as a contributing editor.  “The Atlantic will be the primary home for Emanuel's writing …

Leaked memo shows US border officers were directed to stop Iran-linked travelers  —  (CNN)An internal Customs and Border Protection memo obtained by CNN suggests that US border officers working at Canadian ports of entry were directed to detain and question travelers of Iranian descent …

Facebook closes down 6%, wiping out more than $30 billion in market value  — Facebook stock closed Thursday down 6.1% after it reported fourth-quarter earnings Wednesday evening.  — The drop erased more than $30 billion from the social media giant's market cap.

‘High Maintenance’ and the New TV Fantasy of New York  —  It was probably during the fourth episode of the second season of HBO's “High Maintenance” when I finally noticed what it was up to.  The show follows a weed dealer known only as The Guy while he bikes around Brooklyn …

The ‘Corrupt Motives’ Doctrine  —  Every President equates his re-election self-interest with the public interest.  It isn't grounds for impeachment.  —  By The Editorial Board  —  The questions from Senators in the impeachment trial aren't plowing much new ground, but they have been useful …

Burr backs Trump lawyer claim on foreign dirt  —  Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) said on Thursday he has “no problem” with a White House lawyer's argument that American politicians can accept damaging information on their opponents from a foreign country.

Coronavirus misinformation surges, fueled by clout chasers  —  Misleading, unverified and clearly false information about the coronavirus has spread across social media platforms with a mix of fearmongering and racial stereotyping.  —  Misleading, unverified and clearly false information …