'Feel like I'm going to strangle you': Shutdown breaks Congress' spirit  —  A dismal mood has descended on Capitol Hill as the shutdown concludes its 27th day.  —  The House speaker and the president are at war.  A bipartisan Senate push to reopen the government failed for a second consecutive week.

Trump startled by cozy Barr-Mueller relationship  —  Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump was startled Tuesday as he watched television coverage of his nominee for attorney general describing a warm relationship with the special counsel Robert Mueller in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee …

Dan Abrams: This Has Been ‘The Worst 48 Hours For Trump So Far’ in the Russia Probe  —  “I'm going to make a big statement here,” said Mediaite founder Dan Abrams on SiriusXM Thursday.  —  And indeed, he did.  —  At the outset of his daily show on SiriusXM's POTUS channel …

So, I Got an Email From Matthew Whitaker's Wife  —  In her message, Marci Whitaker says the Mueller investigation is “wrapping up” and that the government shutdown is affecting her family's ability to earn a living.  —  On Monday, Dahlia Lithwick and I wrote an article in Slate arguing …

Poll-Rigging for Trump and Creating @WomenForCohen: One IT Firm's Work Order  —  Behind the scenes, Michael Cohen hired RedFinch Solutions, then allegedly stiffed it—and his boss  —  In early 2015, a man who runs a small technology company showed up at Trump Tower to collect $50,000 …

Jack Dorsey Has No Clue What He Wants  —  A Q&A with Twitter's CEO on right-wing extremism, Candace Owens, and what he'd do if the president called on his followers to murder journalists.  —  A conversation with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey can be incredibly disorienting.

Democrat responds to being told ‘go back to Puerto Rico’ on House floor  —  Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-Calif.) said a Republican telling him to “go back to Puerto Rico” sounded like the equivalent of “go back to where you came from.”  —  During a House vote on re-opening the government Thursday …

Poll: Trump Approval Down, Slips With Base  —  While the longest government shutdown in U.S. history continues, President Trump's approval rating is down, and there are cracks showing with his base.  —  A new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll finds Trump's approval rating down and his disapproval rating up from a month ago.

Trump admin weighed targeting migrant families, speeding up deportation of children  —  A draft plan obtained by NBC News also shows officials wanted to specifically target parents in migrant families for increased prosecutions.  —  WASHINGTON — Trump administration officials weighed speeding …

Trump Is Unifying Democrats Instead of Consolidating His Base  —  The other day, I asked a House Democratic member who has been in D.C. for a few years, if he thought that Democrats would find themselves battling their own ‘Tea Party’ insurgency.  Would the forces led by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez soon …

Generation Z Looks a Lot Like Millennials on Key Social and Political Issues  —  Among Republicans, Gen Z stands out in views on race, climate and the role of government  —  No longer the new kids on the block, Millennials have moved firmly into their 20s and 30s, and a new generation is coming into focus.

Congressman Tom Marino Announces Resignation  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Tom Marino (PA-12) released the following statement announcing his resignation from the United States House of Representatives.  —  Rep. Marino said the following:  —  “As of January 23, 2019, I am officially stepping down from Congress.

Behold the Democrat Politician Protection Act  —  Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, is majority leader of the U.S. Senate.  —  For the past two years, our united Republican government drained money and power from Washington and returned it to states, communities and families.

Model who claimed U.S.-Russian collusion tape held in Moscow on prostitution charges  —  MOSCOW — A model from Belarus who claimed to have recordings shedding light on the Trump campaign's ties to Russia was detained at a Moscow airport Thursday on prostitution allegations, the police said.

Karen Pence, Are You Now, or Have You Ever Been, Part of a Christian Ministry?  —  On the intolerant critics of the second lady  —  Karen Pence is a believing Christian woman.  She took a part-time job at a private Christian school.  And this, believe it or not, is a scandal.  Don't believe me?

Kamala Harris Was Not a ‘Progressive Prosecutor’  —  The senator was often on the wrong side of history when she served as California's attorney general.  —  Ms. Bazelon is a law professor and the former director of the Loyola Law School Project for the Innocent in Los Angeles.

Beto's excellent adventure drips with white male privilege  —  (CNN)Imagine this: A 46-year-old former congresswoman and mother of three, who just lost a Senate bid to one of the most despised incumbents, sets off on a road trip adventure to clear her head.  —  She instagrams part of her trip to the dentist.

What I meant when I said there was no collusion  —  “I never said there was no collusion between the campaign!  Or between the people in the campaign. ...  I said the president of the United States — there is not a single bit of evidence the president of the United States committed …

Trump is fraying nerves inside the Pentagon  —  Washington (CNN)Two years into his presidency, Donald Trump is fueling unprecedented uncertainty and anxiety inside the Pentagon.  In private conversations over the past month, many of them unsolicited, more than a dozen key military officers …

Activist who met with congressmen about ‘DNA’ posted about black ‘violence gene’  —  Alt-right activist Chuck Johnson has shown a steady interest in genetics and links he draws between DNA, race, intellect and criminality.  —  An alt-right activist who met with two Republican congressmen to discuss …

McConnell blocks bill to reopen most of government  —  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) blocked legislation on Thursday that would have reopened most of the federal government impacted by the partial shutdown.  —  Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) tried to get consent to take up a House-passed bill …

State Dept. employees ordered back to work as Trump nixes Pelosi trip and Davos delegation, citing shutdown  —  The State Department ordered its employees to return to work next week, saying it has found money to cover a half month in salary, as the Trump administration continued to grapple …