Mike Bloomberg for years has battled women's allegations of profane, sexist comments  —  NEW YORK — As Mike Bloomberg celebrated his 48th birthday in 1990, a top aide at the company he founded presented him with a booklet of profane, sexist quotes she attributed to him.

Bill Barr Is Wrecking the Justice Department, And It May Never Recover  —  The attorney general is interfering with career prosecutors in ways that are unprecedented.  —  BEAST INSIDE  —  Make no mistake about it: Attorney General William Barr is taking direct control of the cases closest to Donald Trump.

State Department keeps quiet as Pompeo meets Lavrov in Munich  —  MUNICH — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Friday in an encounter the American side apparently wanted to keep under wraps.

USA TODAY/Ipsos poll: For voters, Bernie Sanders outranks other Democrats - and Trump - on values, empathy  —  WASHINGTON - Is Democratic candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders likable enough to win the White House?  A new USA TODAY/Ipsos poll released Friday suggests a lot of voters think so.

‘Somebody is making money off those ladders’: Smugglers use ‘camouflage’ ladders to cross border wall  —  Perhaps the quickest way around a billion-dollar wall is over it.  —  Smugglers in Juárez have engineered camouflage hook-and-ladders made of rebar that blend in so well with the border wall …

Donald Trump Taught Me A Lot (Though Not On Purpose)  —  A NeverTrump conservative on how the Trump presidency changed her opinions of Republicans, Democrats, the media, and herself  —  Even as a NeverTrump conservative who thinks Donald Trump is unfit for office, I have to admit there are certain things for which I owe him thanks.

“I Want to Be Really F—king Clear”: The Epic, Inconceivable, Totally Predictable Fall of Michael Avenatti  —  From hyperaggressive Trump antagonist, cable-news superstar, and possible presidential candidate to convicted felon (in the current case, he could be sentenced to 40 years in prison) …

As impeachment trial ended, federal prosecutors took new steps in probe related to Giuliani, according to people familiar with case  —  As the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump drew to a close in Washington earlier this month, federal prosecutors in New York contacted witnesses …

He showed me a lawless border town.  Then masked gunmen killed him in front of his family.  —  RIO DE JANEIRO — What do you say about a death as horrific as this?  What do you say about a man who was murdered by two masked intruders inside his home, in front of his family, while they ate dinner?

Trump's 29th Trip To Mar-a-Lago Brings Golf Tab To 334 Years Of Presidential Salary  —  The president often brags about not taking a paycheck, but his golf hobby has now cost taxpayers $133.8 million.  —  President Donald Trump returned to Mar-a-Lago on Friday evening for the 29th golf-related trip …

The West Is Winning  —  SECRETARY POMPEO: Well, good morning, everyone.  It's great to be with you all.  —  Foreign dignitaries, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, members of Congress, who are with us here today, it's my honor to be here this morning.  It's great to be back at the Munich Security Conference.

William Taylor Jr., a key impeachment witness, quietly returns home to Trump's Washington  —  Seven days after his closed-door testimony in the House impeachment hearings — seven days after his face was plastered across every screen in America — William B. Taylor Jr. found himself in Mariupol …

Virginia emerges as South progressive leader under Democrats  —  RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — In a state once synonymous with the Old South, Democrats are using their newfound legislative control to refashion Virginia as the region's progressive leader on racial, social and economic issues.

Deep cracks emerge in Biden's firewall  —  One South Carolina lawmaker says she switched allegiances after warning several Biden staffers that their grassroots approach was outdated.  —  Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden is introduced to the crowd during …

AP FACT CHECK: Trump's wall claim is beyond ‘redemption’  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — On the eve of the New Hampshire primary, President Donald Trump told a rally that people who are in the United States illegally are paying for his Mexico border wall.  It was the latest iteration of his effort …

This One Chart Explains Why the Kids Back Bernie  —  The kids are all left.  Or, almost all Democratic voters under 30 are, anyway.  —  Blue America's gaping chasm of a generation gap has been a - if not the - defining feature of the Democratic primary race thus far.

Dozens of accusers emerge after Andrew Yang's wife reveals sexual assault  —  The following piece contains explicit descriptions of sexual abuse allegations that may be disturbing to some readers.  —  (CNN)Emilia Heckman trusted Dr. Robert Hadden.  —  A fashion model in her late 20s …

Bloomberg's Billions: How the Candidate Built an Empire of Influence  —  In the fall of 2018, Emily's List had a dilemma.  With congressional elections approaching and the Supreme Court confirmation battle over Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh underway, the Democratic women's group was hosting a major fund-raising luncheon in New York.

Trump's Daytona 500 appearance could include lap in presidential limo  —  Trump is planning to take a lap in the presidential car known as “The Beast”  —  President Trump's appearance at the Daytona 500 on Sunday may feature a guest appearance from the presidential limousine known as “The Beast.”

The future of local newspapers just got bleaker.  Here's why we can't let them die.  —  It's been a particularly rough couple of months for those who care about local journalism — which should be every American citizen.  —  Warren Buffett sold his 31 newspapers in January, a powerful vote of no confidence in their financial future.

Man upset he can't bring cutout of Donald Trump to dialysis  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man undergoing kidney dialysis three times a week is upset that he can't bring a life-sized cardboard cutout of President Donald Trump for emotional support.

The Senate's self-degradation is even more depressing than Trump's misbehavior  —  Shortly before the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, contemplated the president's misbehavior, it demonstrated its own flair for disregarding rules and violating norms.

Border Patrol Will Deploy Elite Tactical Agents to Sanctuary Cities  —  Agents from a special tactical team that normally confronts smugglers on the border are being sent to sanctuary cities across the country.  —  The Trump administration is deploying law enforcement tactical units …

Bloomberg's meme spree prompts changes in Facebook, Instagram rules  —  Presidential contender Mike Bloomberg's spree of often-surreal social media memes is having one concrete impact — it prompted Facebook to make another change Friday in its rules for paid political content.

White House considering tax incentive for more Americans to buy stocks, sources say  — The White House is considering ways to incentivize U.S. households to invest in the stock market.  — Under the proposal, a portion of income would become tax-free for investment purposes.

Judge takes rare step to help serve elusive Ghislaine Maxwell with lawsuit  —  Jeffrey Epstein crony Ghislaine Maxwell is so impossible to find that a Manhattan judge has taken the rare step of allowing her to be served with a new lawsuit — by email, according to a federal court filing Friday.