News

The Hill reports: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has requested that the FBI give a briefing to the panel about last week’s arrest of longtime GOP operative and former informal Trump adviser Roger Stone. Graham sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray on Wednesday expressing concerns about the “manner” in which Stone was …

The State reports: Students at a North Carolina middle school used social media to plan a “Columbine-style” attack on specific classmates and a teacher, according to the Scotland County Sheriff’s Office. Four Carver Middle School students, between 12-13 years old, face felony charges of communicating threats against a school, Capt. Jessica Sadovnikov said. The school district has not made any …

Talking Points Memo reports: Less than a week after the 35-day shutdown, during which hundreds of thousands of federal workers went without pay, Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) made a floor speech Wednesday ridiculing the idea of making Election Day a paid holiday for federal workers. “This is the Democrat plan to restore democracy? A brand-new week of paid …

The New York Times reports: New York lawmakers on Tuesday approved the most comprehensive set of gun bills in the state in six years, including measures that would ban bump stocks, prohibit teachers from carrying guns in schools and extend the waiting period for gun buyers who do not pass an instant background check. In total, six gun bills passed …

Just out from Quinnipiac Polling: American voters trust House Speaker Nancy Pelosi more than President Donald Trump, 49 – 42 percent “on issues that are important to you,” according to a Quinnipiac University National Poll released today. Independent voters trust Pelosi more than President Trump 49 – 36 percent. Men are divided as 48 percent trust Trump more and 42 …

Reuters reports: Former CIA Director John Brennan last year called Trump’s performance at a joint news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin “nothing short of treasonous” after Trump seemed to give credence to Putin’s denial of Russia meddling in the 2016 election. Trump then revoked Brennan’s security clearance. Brennan wrote on Twitter on Wednesday that Trump’s refusal to accept the …

The Weather Channel reports: The polar vortex is gripping the Midwest Wednesday with the coldest Arctic air in a generation, forcing widespread school and government office closures, leaving tens of thousands without power, and in a rarity, prompting the U.S. Postal Service to suspend delivery to a widespread swath of the region. The break in the polar vortex brought a …

Yahoo News reports: Just months after recalling frozen breaded chicken tenderloins over fears they were contaminated with plastic last June, Tyson has issued an alert over its chicken nuggets. A statement issued by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service says that 36,420 pounds of the food company’s chicken nuggets may have been contaminated with rubber, resulting in a recall. …

CNN reports: Former Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta said Tuesday that he takes the former secretary of state at her word that she does not intend to run for president in 2020. “I take her at her word,” Podesta told CNN’s Erin Burnett on “Erin Burnett OutFront.” “She’s not running for president — we’ve got a lot of great …

“Mr. Kushner pled guilty. He admitted the crimes. And so what am I supposed to do as a prosecutor? I mean, if a guy hires a prostitute to seduce his brother-in-law and videotapes it, and then sends the videotape to his sister, to attempt to intimidate her from testifying before a grand jury, do I really need any more justification …

The New York Daily News reports: Grammy-winning singer and songwriter James Ingram, who topped the charts with hits like “Baby, Come to Me” and “Somewhere Out There,” has died, according to his close friend, actress Debbie Allen. The musician was 66. TMZ reports Ingram died after a battle with brain cancer. Ingram was nominated for a whopping 14 Grammys and …

And it’s only for one committee. So far. Fox News reports: A key committee in the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives is moving to eliminate the words “so help you God” from the oath administered to witnesses testifying before the panel, as part of a new rules package expected to be approved this week, according to a draft obtained exclusively by …

The Baltimore Sun reports: Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby [photo] announced Tuesday her office would cease prosecuting people for possessing marijuana regardless of quantity or criminal history. Calling the move a monumental policy shift, Mosby said she has asked the courts to vacate marijuana convictions against nearly 5,000 people. These convictions have saddled thousands of Baltimore residents with criminal records …

Bloomberg reports: Democrats have tapped Georgia’s Stacey Abrams to deliver the response to President Trump’s State of the Union address, Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced Tuesday. Abrams narrowly lost the state’s race for governor in November after a lengthy dispute over blocked votes. She will address the nation in a prime-time speech shortly after Trump finishes his …

The Daily Beast reports: Billionaire former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz says he can’t run for president as a Democrat because he doesn’t like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s proposal to slap a 70-percent marginal tax rate on income above $10 million. In an interview with CNBC Monday night, he shed some light on why he feels he would not run as a …

From the Hollywood Reporter: Former Sen. Jeff Flake has landed as a CBS News contributor and announced on air on Tuesday that he will not run for president in 2020. Flake was spotted at the network’s New York City headquarters on Jan. 4 amid talks for a role, The Hollywood Reporter reported at the time. That role was formally announced …

The Washington Post reports: According to the poll, 56 percent of registered voters — a clear and statistically significant majority — say they will “definitely” not vote for Trump in his 2020 reelection bid. That’s bad enough. But the Post-ABC poll provided the option that asks if people would “consider voting for him.” That number echoes a recent finding from …

The Wall Street Journal reports: The U.S. imposed sanctions against Venezuela’s state-oil giant Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. on Monday in an effort to cripple President Nicolás Maduro’s government and empower an opposition leader. President Trump’s national security adviser John Bolton said the actions will block $7 billion in assets and cost the country $11 billion in lost exports during the …

Forbes reports: In an official blog post published January 25th about YouTube’s changes to its recommendation algorithm, the Google-owned company announced they would be cracking down on conspiracy-laden videos and other “borderline content”… by ceasing to list them in the “Up Next” sidebar. Examples listed of content no longer being recommended included 9/11 truther documentaries, flat earth conspiracy videos and …

AccuWeather reports: The coldest weather in years will put millions of people and animals throughout the midwestern United States at risk for hypothermia and frostbite to occur in minutes during the final days of January. On Tuesday night, widespread lows under 30 below zero will grip much of North Dakota, eastern South Dakota and Minnesota. Temperatures in Chicago can drop …