Sen. Collins says retribution after impeachment acquittal would not be appropriate  —  Maine's Republican senator defended her vote not to impeach President Trump but said she'll continue to challenge him when appropriate.  —  U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, appearing in Maine for the first time since …

“We're losing our damn minds”: James Carville unloads on the Democratic Party  —  James Carville arrives for the annual JFK Profiles in Courage Award ceremony in Boston, Massachusetts, on May 20, 2018.  Paul Marotta/Getty Images  —  Why the longtime Democratic strategist is “scared to death” of the 2020 election.

So, Now What?  —  CONCORD, N.H. — Although controversy continues to swirl around the Iowa caucuses, folks here in New Hampshire seemed to have already moved on.  They don't need an official recanvass or final party certified winner to tell them what happened on Monday night.

Secret Service has paid rates as high as $650 a night for rooms at Trump's properties  —  President Trump's company charges the Secret Service for the rooms agents use while protecting him at his luxury properties — billing U.S. taxpayers at rates as high as $650 per night …

Mike Bloomberg Is Paying ‘Influencers’ to Make Him Seem Cool  —  The Bloomberg campaign is trying an ad strategy familiar to every other startup with a ton of cash and a questionable business model: paying influencers to make it seem cool.  —  One day after the Iowa caucuses were effectively botched …

Widespread Outcry in China Over Death of Coronavirus Doctor  —  The doctor, Li Wenliang, had been silenced by the police after warning about the new coronavirus that has killed hundreds in China and sickened thousands.  —  They posted videos of the Les Misérables song, “Do You Hear the People Sing.”

Appeals court rejects Democrats' emoluments suit against Trump  —  A federal appeals court has rejected a lawsuit from Congressional Democrats who accused President Donald Trump of violating the Constitution by receiving profits from foreign governments' spending at his luxury Washington hotel and other businesses.

January adds a much stronger-than-expected 225,000 jobs, with a boost from warm weather  —  By Jeff Cox@JEFF.COX.7528@JEFFCOXCNBCCOM  — Nonfarm payrolls surged 225,000 for the month, well above Wall Street estimates for a 158,000 gain.  — The unemployment rate ticked higher to 3.6% …

The Real Truth the Iowa Caucuses Don't Want You to Know!  —  I have a very simple maxim that I share with non-political friends who ask me to explain what I think is happening behind the scenes in any given political scandal:  —  When in doubt, it's VEEP, not House of Cards.

The Woman Defending Harvey Weinstein … In the trial of Harvey Weinstein, six women have taken the stand, each making similar accusations of rape and sexual assault against the movie producer.  Throughout their testimony, Weinstein's defense lawyers have portrayed those encounters as consensual …

Joe Biden Shakes Up Campaign Leadership, Elevating Anita Dunn  —  Ms. Dunn, who worked in the Obama White House, is taking on a new role as Mr. Biden seeks a reset after a disappointing fourth-place finish in Iowa.  —  MANCHESTER, N.H. — Anita Dunn, a veteran Democratic operative and top adviser …

New York to Sue Trump Administration Over Global Entry Freeze  —  The lawsuit will challenge the federal government's decision to bar New Yorkers from enrolling in programs that allow travelers to skip lines at airports.  —  New York State officials said on Friday that they planned to sue …

Antarctica just hit 65 degrees, its warmest temperature ever recorded  —  It comes days after earth's warmest January on record.  —  Just days after the earth saw its warmest January on record, Antarctica has broken its warmest temperature ever recorded.  A reading of 65 degrees was taken …

Exclusive photos of Giuliani in Spain show Lev Parnas has lots more to share  —  New York (CNN)Stored in devices seized from Lev Parnas by law enforcement, there's a 34-second cell phone video of Rudy Giuliani relishing a bullfight.  There are also photos of Donald Trump's personal attorney posing …

How Trump Rewired the Electoral Map  —  When President Barack Obama launched his 2012 reelection campaign, he did it with back-to-back rallies in a pair of logical places: Virginia and Ohio.  The two essential swing states, with 31 electoral votes between them, were vital to Obama's chances of winning a second term.

Who Is Writing Brad Pitt's Awards Season Speeches?  —  By this point in awards season, Brad Pitt's march toward a Best Supporting Actor Oscar seems all but inevitable.  Not to say anyone's complaining.  In fact, the loudest knock against the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood star is that his warm …

Trump's State of the Union speech was a white supremacist vision of America  —  President Trump defiled the majesty of the East Room of the White House with a vulgar display of vindictiveness that shocked even those of us who didn't expect anything less.  For more than an hour …

Chris Cillizza, impeachment, and a grotesque monument to modern media  —  What CNN's analyst shows about what gets prioritized in the press  —  You know how in movies like Freaky Friday, 13 Going on 30, and Big, there are always those scenes where the main character has to learn how to be an adult?

The Gospel According to Mad King Donald  —  Wednesday's outbursts didn't teach us much about Donald Trump.  But they taught us a lot about the Republican party.  —  Presidential contrition?  That would be a no.  —  Maine Senator Susan Collins now admits that she may have been wrong …

Manufacturers group to award Ivanka Trump  —  The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) is giving Ivanka Trump, the president's daughter and White House adviser, an award for supporting manufacturing.  —  Trump will be the inaugural recipient of the association's Alexander Hamilton Award.

Culinary Union suggests Sanders, Warren asking union members to trade health plans for ‘promises’  —  Union members cheer during a UNITE HERE Culinary Union Town Hall meeting with former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020.  (Jeff Scheid/The Nevada Independent)

What It Was Like to Work for Andrew Yang  —  He has called his campaign “the journey of my life.”  But what got lost in the novelty of his bid, former employees say, was scrutiny of his life before this particular journey.  —  MANCHESTER, N.H. — The Andrew Yang on the presidential debate stage …

Iowa blowback scorches Tom Perez  —  Democrats are fuming that it took a full day for Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez to issue a statement on the caucus debacle in Iowa — and three full days for him to go before national viewers to explain what's going on.

Clearview's Facial Recognition App Is Identifying Child Victims of Abuse  —  Though a breakthrough for law enforcement, the technique could allow the little-known start-up to collect an extraordinarily sensitive set of data and images.  —  Law enforcement agencies across the United States …

Mulvaney's job in doubt now that impeachment dust has settled  —  Mulvaney confesses to quid pro quo: Get over it  —  Washington (CNN)With a five-month impeachment saga behind them, White House aides are bracing for the prospect of another staff shake-up in the West Wing as President Donald Trump looks …

In its own document, Fox News rips Fox News host Sean Hannity  —  Each night, Fox News hosts Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity engage in some shallow blather during the “handoff” between their ratings-killing programs.  In Thursday night's version, Hannity told Carlson, “You know the deep-state story is even getting bigger.