Exclusive: Trump says he is not concerned about being impeached, defends payments to women  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he was not concerned that he would get impeached and that payments made ahead of the 2016 election by his former personal attorney Michael Cohen …

Incoming New York attorney general plans wide-ranging investigations of Trump and family  —  Just-elected Letitia James, who takes office next month, tells NBC she will probe real estate deals, Trump Tower meeting, emoluments, Trump Foundation and more.  —  New York Attorney Gen.-elect Letitia James …

Exclusive: Trump says standing by Saudi crown prince despite pleas from Senate  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he stood by Saudi Arabia's crown prince despite a CIA assessment that he ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and pleas …

Playing by His Own Rules, Trump Flips the Shutdown Script  —  WASHINGTON — The trick in Washington has always been to make sure a government shutdown is pinned on the other guy.  President Trump is the first to ever pin one on himself.  —  In a new twist on the old game of shutdown politics dating …

Giuliani's Work for Trump Is Slowing, so He's Courting Business Abroad  —  WASHINGTON — The special counsel's investigation was grinding relentlessly onward, with President Trump's former national security adviser pleading for leniency in his case and his former fixer about to be sentenced for his crimes.

Photo shows Mark Harris and man at center of election fraud investigation together  —  CHARLOTTE, N.C. - A new photo obtained by Channel 9 is adding to the complex and ever-evolving story of the 9th Congressional District election fraud investigation.  —  The State Board of Elections …

Memo: FBI recommended Michael Flynn not have lawyer present during interview, did not warn of false statement consequences  —  Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, who arranged the bureau's interview with then-national security adviser Michael Flynn at the White House on Jan. 24, 2017 …

APNewsBreak: Julian Castro moves toward 2020 White House run  —  SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Former Obama housing chief Julian Castro says he's taking a step toward a possible White House campaign in 2020 by forming a presidential exploratory committee.  The Texas Democrat tells The Associated Press that he will announce a decision Jan. 12.

Sen. Barbara Bollier Changes Party Affiliation To Democrat, Says Republican Party ‘morally Not Going Where My Compass Resides’  —  Mission Hills Sen. Barbara Bollier This Morning Officially Changed Her Party Affiliation From Republican To Democrat.  —  Citing “Frustrations That Have Been Ongoing …

Conservative Party calls for vote of no confidence to oust Prime Minister Theresa May  —  LONDON — Lawmakers in Britain's Conservative Party on Wednesday triggered a “no confidence” vote against Prime Minister Theresa May, threatening her leadership as she struggles to secure a deal for Britain to leave the European Union.

AP: Ivanka, Kushner could profit from tax break they pushed  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — At an Oval Office gathering earlier this year, President Donald Trump began touting his administration's new real estate investment program, which offers massive tax breaks to developers who invest in downtrodden American communities.

It's ridiculous that it's unconstitutional for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to run for president  —  Immigrants, young people, and everyone else should be allowed to run.  —  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is the biggest star in the Democratic Party, and she has been ever since she unseated …

Saudi Arabia Declares War on America's Muslim Congresswomen  —  Gulf Arab monarchies are using racism, bigotry, and fake news to denounce Washington's newest history-making politicians.  —  Ever since the midterm election, conservative media in the United States have targeted with special zeal Ilhan Omar …

Customs And Border Protection Paid A Firm $13.6 Million To Hire Recruits.  It Hired 2  —  A scathing report by the Office of the Inspector General revealed that a consulting company hired by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to fill thousands of new jobs to satisfy President Trump's mandate …

Workers are ghosting their employers like bad dates  —  Silent exits are on the rise.  —  Economists report that workers are starting to act like millennials on Tinder: They're ditching jobs with nary a text.  —  “A number of contacts said that they had been 'ghosted …

‘Hi-tech robot’ at Russia forum turns out to be man in suit  —  State television praised the ‘modern’ tech despite photos revealing actor in costume  —  Play Video  —  A “hi-tech robot” shown on Russian state television has turned out to be a man in a suit.

For Trump, it's all downhill from here  —  The latest CNN poll underscores a grim political reality for the Republican Party, which has removed any separation between itself and President Trump.  He is unpopular and on the Russia investigation not credible:

Introducing The Cook Political Report's 2020 House Ratings  —  The 116th Congress hasn't even been sworn in yet, and there's still no resolution in sight to one North Carolina race tainted by election fraud.  But already, the 2020 battle for the House is shaping up to be highly competitive.

It finally sinks in that some people aren't white … Is it really true that evangelical voters, or women voters, or rural voters or southern voters have a certain outlook?  Or would it be more accurate to say that the trends we're reporting in a political piece are true for white members of these groups?

Tennessee U.S. Rep.-elect Mark Green, a doctor, falsely claims vaccines cause autism, denies CDC evidence  —  A soon-to-be congressman from Tennessee told constituents Tuesday he believed vaccines may be causing autism, denying data from the Centers for Disease Control and other institutions disproving such a theory.

Christian Bale Recalls Meeting Donald Trump: ‘He Thought I Was Bruce Wayne’  —  With Christian Bale's latest film, “Vice,” a political dramedy, it's inevitable ties will be drawn between the film and the current political administration and its chief, President Donald Trump.

Republicans have failed to bring our message to minorities.  It's hurting the nation.  —  Mia Love, a Republican, represents Utah's 4th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.  —  For too long, conservatives in my party have focused on administering purity tests instead of expanding our audience.

Christine Blasey Ford Introduces Rachael Denhollander as SI's Inspiration of the Year  —  SI's Sportsperson of the Year award ceremony will be telecast on NBCSN on Dec. 13 at 9 p.m. ET.  —  Dr. Christine Blasey Ford appeared in a video statement at Sports Illustrated's Sportsperson …

Trump owns shutdown  —  With help from Ted Hesson, Ian Kullgren and Timothy Noah  —  Editor's Note: This edition of Morning Shift is published weekdays at 10 a.m. POLITICO Pro Employment & Immigration subscribers hold exclusive early access to the newsletter each morning at 6 a.m. To learn …

Trump has blasted Mueller's team for political donations.  But attorney general nominee William P. Barr has given more than $500,000.  —  President Trump has repeatedly derided prosecutors investigating potential coordination between his presidential campaign and Russia as “angry Democrats …

France Declares Strasbourg Shooting to Be an Act of Terrorism  —  STRASBOURG, France — The shooting at a crowded street market in Strasbourg, France, was an act of terrorism, officials said Wednesday, as the police continued an intensive search for the gunman who killed at least two people and wounded 12 others.

Defeated Republican Rep. Rohrabacher Considers Starting Consulting Firm  —  Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher is weighing the creation of a consulting firm when he leaves government after being ousted by California voters in last month's midterm elections.