Mueller preparing end game for Russia investigation  —  WASHINGTON — Special counsel Robert Mueller's prosecutors have told defense lawyers in recent weeks that they are “tying up loose ends” in their investigation, providing the clearest clues yet that the long-running probe into Russia's interference …

Jeffrey Epstein, sexual abuser of dozens of girls, settles case, apologizes.  Now what?  —  A trial that could have allowed the victims of serial molester Jeffrey Epstein to finally tell their stories from a witness stand was aborted Tuesday when it was announced in court that the case had been settled.

Republicans plan vote Tuesday on curbing powers of Gov.-elect Tony Evers, limiting early voting  —  MADISON - Wisconsin lawmakers are set to take up plans Tuesday to diminish the powers of the incoming Democratic governor and attorney general that brought opponents to the state Capitol this week …

Exclusive: Emails of top NRCC officials stolen in major 2018 hack  —  The House GOP campaign arm suffered a major hack during the 2018 election, exposing thousands of sensitive emails to an outside intruder, according to three senior party officials.  —  The email accounts of four senior aides …

Democrats could refuse to seat North Carolina Republican, Hoyer says  —  The incoming House majority leader said Democrats might refuse to seat a North Carolina Republican next year unless and until “substantial” questions about the integrity of his election are resolved.

EXCLUSIVE: ‘Get this b***h under control!’  Joy Behar tears into Meghan McCain off-air after the conservative host lashed out at her for throwing shade on President Trump during The View's tribute to George H. W. Bush  — Whoopi Goldberg was forced to cut to commercial break during another …

Joe Biden believes he is the “most qualified person in the country to be president”  —  Biden: We must reset our nation's moral compass  —  (CNN)During a stop for his book tour in Missoula, Montana, Monday night, former Vice President Joe Biden discussed his 2020 prospects …

Trump handles Bush's death with abnormal normality  —  A taboo-busting president who has often trashed the Bush clan observes traditional norms of etiquette after its patriarch's passing.  —  For President Donald Trump, there was once no worse insult than being “a Bushie.”

'Damn Right, I'm a White Nationalist' Declares Texas GOP Platform Committee Member  —  At the Texas Republican Party's 2018 convention, Ray Myers was a part of a select group of activists charged with crafting the platform for the biggest and most influential state party in the country.

‘Who is Scott Free?’  A search for meaning after Trump's misuse of a medieval idiom.  —  From the moment he tweeted “covfefe” in the middle of the night, President Trump has been perplexing his millions of Twitter followers with cryptic messages ranging from vague threats to North Korea …

I Served in Congress Longer Than Anyone.  Here's How to Fix It.  —  In my six decades in public service, I've seen many changes in our nation and its institutions.  Yet the most profound change I've witnessed is also the saddest.  It is the complete collapse in respect for virtually every institution …

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's $21 trillion mistake  —  “$21 TRILLION of Pentagon financial transactions ‘could not be traced, documented, or explained.’ $21T in Pentagon accounting errors.  Medicare for All costs ~$32T.  That means 66% of Medicare for All could have been funded already by the Pentagon.”

Don't Spend Your Emotional Energy on Sully H.W. Bush  —  In January 2009, a pilot named Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger steered his struggling aircraft to a safe landing in the Hudson River and became a national hero.  Almost 10 years later, a dog named for the pilot has become a beloved “hero” …

CNN President Jeff Zucker Says He's “Still Interested” in Running for Political Office  —  He also said he “never was aware” of Matt Lauer's misbehavior during their time together at NBC.  —  In a wide-ranging podcast interview with one of his employees, CNN president Jeff Zucker revealed …

Born in Philadelphia, U.S. citizen says he was held for deportation to Jamaica at ICE's request  —  When Peter Sean Brown turned himself in to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office in April, he expected to be back to work in no time at Fogarty's, a laid-back restaurant in Key West, Fla., where diners flock for the Cajun chicken.

Sen. Michael Bennet ‘Seriously Thinking’ About A 2020 Run For President  —  It turns out Gov. John Hickenlooper isn't the only Colorado Democrat with his eye on the White House.  —  U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet is considering a presidential bid, according to three people who confirmed to CPR News …

Manafort Discussed Deal With Ecuador to Hand Assange Over to U.S.  —  WASHINGTON — In mid-May 2017, Paul Manafort, facing intensifying pressure to settle debts and pay mounting legal bills, flew to Ecuador to offer his services to a potentially lucrative new client — the country's incoming president, Lenín Moreno.

Bruce Springsteen doesn't think anyone can topple Trump in 2020.  Here's why.  —  WASHINGTON — Bruce Springsteen tried to help Hillary Clinton defeat Donald Trump in 2016.  Now he worries no one can defeat the president the next time.  —  “I don't see anyone out there at the moment …

Macron makes U-turn on fuel-tax increases in face of ‘yellow vest’ protests  —  PARIS (Reuters) - France's prime minister on Tuesday suspended planned increases to fuel taxes for at least six months in response to weeks of sometimes violent protests, the first major U-turn …

With State Official's Fate Looking Grim, NH Could Lose First In Nation Status  —  CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The longtime protector of the New Hampshire presidential primary could get ousted by the Legislature this week despite concerns from his supporters that replacing him could jeopardize the state's coveted first-in-the-nation status.

It's Almost Impossible to Be a Mom in Television News  —  It was the only time I had cried in front of one of my bosses at CBS News.  —  As we sat in my office, door closed, I was struggling to explain why I was uncertain whether to sign a new three-year contract with the network.

Black Man Killed by Police in Alabama Was Shot From Behind, Autopsy Shows  —  A black man killed by the police in an Alabama mall in November was shot three times from behind, according to a forensic examination commissioned by the man's family.  —  The finding, announced in a news conference on Monday …

The Friendship That Made Google Huge  —  Coding together at the same computer, Jeff Dean and Sanjay Ghemawat changed the course of the company—and the Internet.  —  One day in March of 2000, six of Google's best engineers gathered in a makeshift war room.  The company was in the midst of an unprecedented emergency.