John Roberts blocks mentions of alleged whistleblower's name  —  Chief Justice John Roberts has communicated to senators that he will not read aloud the alleged Ukraine whistleblower's name or otherwise publicly relay questions that might out the official, a move that's effectively blocked Sen. Rand Paul from asking a question.

Document shows Bernie Sanders's team preparing dozens of potential executive orders  —  Rising in the polls ahead of the Iowa caucuses, the presidential candidate considers spelling out how he could go around Congress if elected president  —  Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) …

Portion of US border wall in California falls over in high winds and lands on Mexican side  —  (CNN)Newly installed panels from the US border wall fell over in high winds Wednesday, landing on trees on the Mexican side of the border.  —  The area is part of an ongoing construction project to improve existing sections of the wall.

Republican theory for Trump acquittal could unleash unrestrained presidential power  —  (CNN)Impeachment was meant to punish Donald Trump's unrestrained use of his authority, but the grounds on which Republican senators plan to acquit him may instead give him a green light to use his power however he wants to win reelection.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross says China's coronavirus ‘will help’ bring jobs back to U.S.  —  Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the Chinese coronavirus — which has killed 170 in China and infected more than 7,700 people — could “help” to bring jobs to the United States because companies …

Republicans' damaging new line of defense  —  JOHN BOLTON has not yet testified or spoken anywhere in public about the Ukraine affair, but his unpublished manuscript is exerting a gravitational pull on the Senate trial of President Trump.  The former national security adviser is reported …

Biden to pre-empt Trump rally with speech and ad on ‘character’  —  DES MOINES, Iowa — Former Vice President Joe Biden is set to take on President Donald Trump ahead of the president's rally in Iowa Thursday, pointing out key differences between their leadership styles as he attempts …

Biden sees Bloomberg as threat — and boon to Sanders  —  Former Vice President Joe Biden's allies are growing anxious about former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, believing he will siphon off Biden's centrist support on Super Tuesday and pave the way for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to win the nomination.

Bloomberg's $11 Million Super Bowl Ad: Gun Violence and a Grieving Mother  —  Michael R. Bloomberg's presidential campaign is airing a 60-second ad during the game that will promote his record on gun control to a huge national audience.  —  DES MOINES — After the dazzle and pop of Jennifer Lopez …

U.S. Economy Grew at 2.1% Rate in Fourth Quarter  —  WASHINGTON—The U.S. economy grew at its slowest pace since 2016 last year, after posting a 2.1% advance in the fourth quarter.  —  Gross domestic product-the value of all goods and services produced across the economy-rose at a seasonally …

Ex-Trump aide Carter Page files suit against DNC over dossier: ‘This is only the first salvo’  —  EXCLUSIVE: Former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page filed a lawsuit Thursday in federal court against the Democratic National Committee, law firm Perkins Coie and its partners tied to the funding …

Conservative group will launch ad broadside against Collins in Georgia  —  The conservative Club for Growth plans to air a massive ad campaign attacking Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.), adding fuel to the intraparty battle that kicked off after the GOP congressman launched a Senate campaign this week.

Katie Hopkins' Twitter account suspended  —  Move comes after Countdown host Rachel Riley and campaigners demand action from social network  —  Far-right commentator Katie Hopkins has been suspended from Twitter after calls for a “full review” by the social network.

Democrats Say They Are Stunned by Trump Lawyer's Stance on Foreign Information  —  Democrats reacted angrily to White House lawyer Patrick Philbin's argument on the Senate floor that it is not a campaign violation if a foreign power offers information about a person running for political office …

Hillary Clinton refuses to be served Tulsi Gabbard's defamation lawsuit  —  Hillary Clinton has now twice snubbed a process server attempting to deliver the defamation lawsuit filed against her by Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard, according to Gabbard's attorney.

How Trump's impeachment created two Democratic superstars  —  The House Democratic Caucus has long been dominated by a gaggle of also-rans: men and women who, while good enough for Congress, proved to be underwhelming on the larger stage of national politics.  —  That's changed.

What Will You Do When the Culture War Comes for You?  —  Newsrooms still aren't ready for the trolls.  —  Mr. Warzel is an Opinion writer at large.  —  The culture war will come for us all.  —  On Sunday, it came for a Washington Post reporter, Felicia Sonmez.

I have just read 25 books and am here to perform your open-heart surgery  —  “What I would encourage people to do is try to divorce yourself from all of the history that's happened over the years and read this plan.”  —  “I've been getting criticized for the last couple of years by all the people …

The Iowa Caucuses Are In 4 Days.  Almost Anything Could Still Happen.  —  As much as we try to remind you all about how uncertain elections can be — pleas that sometimes fall on deaf ears — it's important to keep in mind in advance of the Iowa caucuses.  To begin with, primaries are much harder …

Is Bernie Sanders the Next George McGovern—or the Next Donald Trump?  —  Two political insurgents.  Two very different results.  Which fate awaits Sanders?  —  Washington, DC, Bureau Chief  —  BerniePanic has set in.  As the Iowa caucuses approach, Democratic establishmentarians …

AP-NORC poll: GOP more fired up for 2020, Democrats anxious  —  When it comes to the 2020 presidential election, Democrats are nervous wrecks and Republican excitement has grown.  —  That's according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research as Americans look ahead …

Hashi wipes his Facebook page  —  On Sunday Ilhan Omar's henchman — one Guhad Hashi — emitted a stream of terroristic threats against David Steinberg.  They were numerous, they were vulgar, they were public, and they were intended to silence David and others.  —  I wrote about the threats here.

Lyceum poll: Bernie is Trump's toughest rival in Texas  —  Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders are running neck-and-neck among Texas Democrats, but it is the socialist U.S. senator from Vermont who poses the strongest challenge to President Donald Trump in the Lone Star state, according to a Texas Lyceum poll released Wednesday.

Thorny trade-offs in Trump administration's Medicaid deal  —  The Trump administration has a Medicaid deal for states: more control over health care spending on certain low-income residents if they agree to a limit on how much the feds kick in.  —  It's unclear how many states would be interested …

Don't Believe Anyone Who Says Bernie Sanders Can't Win  —  There is now enough polling evidence to conclude that Bernie Sanders is surging, and he's surging at exactly the right time.  I'm writing this piece less than a week before the Iowa caucus, where he leads three of the last four polls.