No Escape for Roger Stone: Mueller's Case Is a Slam Dunk and He's Too Slimy to Get Flipped  —  Prosecutor who helped convict Dick Cheney aide Scooter Libby for lying and obstruction says the case against Trump's old pal is virtually perfect.  —  The long-anticipated indictment …

Trump claimed women were gagged with tape.  Then Border Patrol tried to find some evidence.  —  An internal email, sent 2 weeks after Trump started making the claim, asked agents for “any information” about what Trump was describing.  —  It's become a staple of President Donald Trump's riffs …

Americans fault Trump for chaotic government shutdown, as more believe US is ‘on the wrong track’: NBC-WSJ poll  — An NBC-Wall Street Journal poll showed that by 63 percent to 28 percent , a margin greater than two to one, Americans believe the country is “off on the wrong track” rather than “headed in the right direction.”

Jared Kushner, a Confident Negotiator, Finds Immigration Deal to Be Elusive  —  WASHINGTON — Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law, was confident in his ability as a good-faith negotiator who could find a compromise to end the government shutdown.  —  His pitch to Democratic lawmakers was simple …

Donald Trump's demand for a border wall shut down the government.  At the same time, his company was firing undocumented workers.  —  OSSINING, N.Y — They had spent years on the staff of Donald Trump's golf club, winning employee-of-the-month awards and receiving glowing letters of recommendation.

20 Dead as Bombs Target Sunday Mass in Philippine Cathedral  —  Jolo, Philippines (AP) — Two bombs minutes apart tore through a Roman Catholic cathedral on a southern Philippine island where Muslim militants are active, killing at least 20 people and wounding 81 others during a Sunday Mass, officials said.

The State of the Union is a tasteless, classless spectacle.  It must go.  —  Mitch Daniels, a Post contributing columnist, is president of Purdue University and a former governor of Indiana.  —  One needn't be a hidebound traditionalist to appreciate the value of our national civic ceremonies …

Ex-GOP senator to Trump: Don't let ‘whack-a-doodles’ run things  —  Former Sen. Alfonse D'Amato (R-N.Y.) called on President Trump to push back on the far-right flank of his base that urged him to recently shut down the government to fund a border wall.  —  “Don't let right-wing whack …

A Bruised Trump Faces Uncertain 2020 Prospects.  His Team Fears a Primary Fight.  —  President Trump's defeat in his border-wall standoff with Congress has clouded his already perilous path to a second term in 2020, undercutting Mr. Trump's cherished image as a forceful leader and deft negotiator …

A Better Guide than Elite Opinion Is Public Revulsion at It  —  Some expert in Bayesian probability ought to come up with an algorithm that would enable us to determine which of the multifarious daily outrages are going to catch on and, as the internet has taught us to say, “go viral.”

Andrew Gillum's Florida Ethics Troubles Just Got Worse  —  After Andrew Gillum narrowly lost his gubernatorial bid in November, the Florida Democrat still seemed destined for big things.  His stunning primary victory proved him to be an effective, charismatic campaigner with a penchant for bold progressive policies.

Search on for Louisiana man suspected in 5 deaths  —  NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Authorities in Louisiana said they are searching for an “armed and dangerous” 21-year-old accused of killing his parents and three others in two separate but related shootings Saturday.