Party Trumps Institutional Separation

Don’t expect the Congress (i.e., the Senate) to pull us out of this shutdown mess.

Scientists Discover Mysterious Radio Bursts From Billions Of Light-Years Away

Using new radio telescopes, scientists have discovered mysterious new radio bursts that originated from deep in the universe long before life began on Earth.

More Border Wall Numbers

Border states/districts are not as pro-wall as presidential rhetoric might make you think.

Shutdown Polling

The numbers aren’t good for Trump.

The Biggest Obstacle To Ending The Shutdown Is Donald J. Trump

If you’re looking for the biggest obstacle to a resolution to the government shutdown, look no further than President Donald J. Trump.

More on Trump and Russia

Trump doesn’t want anyone to know what he and Putin discussed.

Female Representation in the House

Historical numbers, but still a very male chamber.

FBI Wondered if Trump was Working for Russia

The firing of Comey raised serious concerns in the Bureau.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Cancer Free, But Will Miss One More Week Of Oral Argument

Doctors have declared Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg cancer free but she is still expected to miss one more week of oral argument as she recovers from her surgery in December.

Trump Backs Away From ‘National Emergency’ Option As Shutdown Enters Record Territory

President Trump appears to be backing away from the idea of declaring a national emergency to get his wall built. But the other options he’s considering aren’t much better.

Trump Shutdown Longest Ever and Violates Law

Federal employees deemed “essential” missed a paycheck yesterday in violation of US labor law.

Budget Deficit On Pace To Exceed $1 Trillion For Current Fiscal Year

Two years of Republican control of the Legislative and Executive Branches has put us back on a path toward $1 trillion budget deficits.

Kamala Harris Set To Enter Presidential Race On Martin Luther King Jr. Day

California Senator Kamala Harris is set to enter the race for the Democratic Presidential nomination later this month.

As Shutdown Continues, Trump Inches Closer To Declaring ‘National Emergency’

The government shutdown has now entered historic territory, and the Trump Administration is moving closer to a “national emergency” or other extra-legal means to get money for his wall.

A Photo for Friday: “Birmingham Sunset”

Welcome to Friday.

Donald Trump Shrugging Donald Trump Shrugging

Trump: When I Said Mexico Would Pay For The Wall, I Didn’t Mean They’d Pay For The Wall

President Trump is claiming he never said Mexico would directly pay for the wall, except for all those times when he said Mexico would directly pay for the wall.

Carlos Sanchez, Who Portrayed Coffee Icon Juan Valdez, Dies At 83

Carlos Sanchez, who portrayed Juan Valdez the unofficial ambassador of Colombian coffee for some 30 years, has died at the age of 83.

Racist Congressman Steve King Wonders What’s So Bad About Being A Racist

Iowa’s Steve King has long expressed anti-immigrant and racist views, now he’s asking why that’s a bad thing.

Trump Throws A Temper Tantrum As Shutdown Enters Day 20

President Trump stormed out of a meeting with Congressional leaders as the shutdown drags on with no end in sight.

Paul Manafort Shared Trump Campaign Data With Russians, Manafort Pleading Reveals

Paul Manafort’s attorneys reveal in a pleading that their client provided insider campaign data to Russian intelligence sources, something that seems an awful lot like collusion.

Most Americans Blame Trump And The GOP For Shutdown, Oppose Border Wall

New polling clearly indicates that the President is losing the battle for public opinion over the government shutdown.

Ukrainian Orthodox Church Formally Splits Away From Moscow

In a move that is likely to have political and international consequences, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has officially severed ties with Moscow.

Trump Delivers Substance Free Address On Shutdown And Border Wall

President Trump’s speech on the border wall and the shutdown was fact-free, misleading, and overall a bomb.

Joe Biden Set To Decide On Presidential Bid Soon

Former Vice-President Joe Biden will reportedly decide on whether or not he’ll be entering the race for President in the near future.

As Shutdown Continues, Republicans Begin To Fear Defections

As the shutdown drags on, Republicans are beginning to fear that members in the House and Senate may begin to fall away from supporting the President.

Supreme Court Takes Up Two New Partisan Gerrymandering Cases

The Supreme Court is taking up the issue of partisan gerrymandering. This time, though, they’re likely to reach the merits of the cases rather than punting like they did last year.

Using A ‘National Emergency’ To Build A Border Wall Would Be Illegal

President Trump is claiming that he could use authority to declare a “national emergency” to build his wall even if Congress doesn’t authorize it.

2020 Will Be A Tougher Fight For Bernie Sanders Than 2016 Was

Bernie Sanders is facing questions about sexual harassment from women who worked on his 2016 campaign as he prepares a likely run for President in 2020.

Ginsburg Misses Oral Argument For First Time Since Taking The Bench

For the first time in her twenty-five years on the Supreme Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg is missing oral argument this morning.

Trump Offers To Substitute ‘Concrete Wall’ With ‘Steel Barrier’

President Trump is offering to change his ‘concrete wall’ with a ‘steel barrier’ in what he apparently things is a compromise.

Trump To Federal Workers: Drop Dead

President Trump is making clear that he doesn’t care how his shutdown is impacting Federal workers.

Mike Pompeo For Senate?

With Pat Roberts retiring, Kansas Republicans are reportedly looking at Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to succeed him.

No Progress In Talks To End Shutdown

As the shutdown continues, there’s little sign of progress on either end of Pennsylvania Avenue.

China Lands Probe On The Far Side Of The Moon

China has landed a probe on the far side of the Moon, the latest step forward in an aggressive Chinese push into space.

Column Recommendation: Fox and the Elites

I am a sucker for a good People’s Front of Judea riff.

Herb Kelleher, Co-Founder Of Upstart Airline Southwest Airlines, Dies At 87

Herb Kelleher, who helped found an airline that revolutionized the industry thanks to his unconventional choices, has died at the age of 87.

Terrorist Crossings and the Wall

Terrorists aren’t walking across the desert to get here. Flying is so much easier.

As The #TrumpShutdown Continues, The President Digs In Even Further

As the shutdown drags on, the President is digging in his heels even further.

Kansas Senator Pat Roberts Won’t Be Running For Re-Election

Kansas Senator Pat Roberts is the second Republican to announce his retirement, but his seat should remain safely red.

Some States Are (Finally) Getting Rid Of Caucuses

Several states are getting rid of caucuses in favor of primaries, a move that could be to the disadvantage of candidates like Bernie Sanders.

Jim Webb For Secretary Of Defense?

Former Senator and Denocratic Presidential candidate Jim Webb is reportedly being considered for Defense Secretary.

New Washington State Law Bars ‘Assault Weapons’ Sales To People Under 21

Washington has become the latest state to ban the sale of semiautomatic assault rifles to persons under 21.

McConnell Faces Pressure From Within And Without Over Shutdown

As the shutdown drags on, Mitch McConnell finds himself facing pressure from the White House and from members of his own caucus.

December Jobs Report Blows Past Expectations

December’s Jobs Report blew past expectations to show more than 300,000 jobs created.

Democrats Pass Bills To Reopen Government, But They Won’t Go Anywhere

In a late first-day session, Congress passed a series of bills designed to reopen most of the government, but they’re already ‘dead on arrival’ in the Senate.

A Photo for Friday: “Reflecting on a New Year”

Happy Friday, Happy New Year!

Nancy Pelosi Is Speaker Of The House Again

Nancy Pelosi is Speaker of The House again after eight years out of power, but there’s little time for her to celebrate.

New Horizons Sends Back Images Of Ultima Thule

Three and a half years after its flyby of Pluto, the New Horizons spacecraft has reached the furthest distant object ever visited by a man-made craft.

Daryl Dragon, the “Captain” in “Captain & Tennille,” Dies At 76

One-half of a pop music icon in the 70’s, the Captain has passed away.

2018 Was The Year Trump Accelerated The Lies

Not surprisingly, President Trump significantly accelerated the pace of his lies in 2018.