House managers and President Trump's defense team presented their closing arguments on Monday during the 11th day of the president's Senate impeachment trial.
The state of the play: The four hours of closing arguments were more for show than meant to change any minds, as Trump is all but certain to be acquitted on Wednesday.
Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh, 69, announced on air Monday that he's been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer and that he may miss upcoming episodes of his show while seeking treatment.
Why it matters: Limbaugh has been one of the most high-profile conservative media personalities in the country over the past three decades. His show has often featured influential guests, including President Trump.
Lead House impeachment manager Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) claimed in his closing arguments during the Senate trial Monday that President Trump cannot be trusted to shun further foreign interference in the election and that voting to remove him from office is the only solution.
Why it matters: Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), who has said that Trump's campaign to pressure Ukraine to investigate the Bidens was "inappropriate" but not impeachable, suggested on Sunday that the impeachment process will make the president "think twice" about soliciting foreign interference in the future.
Members of Congress are reacting to the coronavirus outbreak by calling on the Trump administration to do more to combat its spread — with some calling for even harsher restrictions on travel to and from China, where the virus originated.
Where it stands: 11 people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with the disease, per the Centers for Disease Control, and it has killed at least 360 people and infected nearly 18,000 in mainland China, per official data.
Veterans Affairs deputy secretary James Byrne was fired Monday morning, three Trump administration officials tell Axios. The White House confirmed that Byrne is no longer with the administration.
Why it matters: The VA has recently been in inner turmoil. VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said he dismissed Byrne "due to loss of confidence in Mr. Byrne’s ability to carry out his duties." Wilkie said the decision "is effective immediately," following Axios' reporting.
President Trump officially has the votes in the Senate to secure an acquittal in his impeachment trial on Wednesday, according to a whip count by Politico that analyzed public statements by members of the chamber.
Where it stands: More than 34 senators have stated they will vote to acquit the president, meaning Democrats won't have the two-thirds majority they need to remove Trump from office.
Former Vice President Joe Biden told NBC's "Today" that President Trump's impeachment trial hasn't "shaken" his faith that he will be able to work with "at least some" Republicans if he's elected president, adding, "I think you're going to see the world change with Trump gone."
Why it matters: Trump's legal team and a number of Republicans have sought to use the trial to scrutinize Hunter Biden's position on the board of the Ukrainian gas company Burisma, arguing that the president had a legitimate reason to pressure Ukraine into investigating the Bidens.
Iowans head to the caucuses tonight in the first official contest of the 2020 presidential campaign. Dan sets the stage, and explains the arcane rules, with Axios co-founder Mike Allen.
President Trump used his Super Bowl interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity, taped at Mar-a-Lago, to accuse Michael Bloomberg of wanting "a box for the debates to stand on," which led Bloomberg's campaign to say Trump was "lying."
Here's the thing: TV networks routinely offer a riser to debate participants. For example, former HUD Secretary Julián Castro, who has since dropped out, used one at September's Democratic debate in Houston.
DES MOINES, Iowa — Conversations with Amy Klobuchar and Andrew Yang supporters highlight how the order of tonight's winners in Iowa could hinge on who makes the first cut.
Why it matters: Caucus-goers will be asked for their second choice if their preferred candidate falls short of a 15% threshold — a high bar in a race that still has so many candidates.
DES MOINES, Iowa — Bernie Sanders' momentum is shaping the final hours of the race to win tonight's Iowa caucuses, forcing his rivals to lower expectations and feeding the Democratic establishment's fears about what a Sanders victory could do to the party.
The state of play: Advisers to Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg are already insisting that Iowa's not everything in advance of possible disappointments tonight. "We view Iowa as the beginning, not the end," Biden adviser Symone Sanders said Sunday.
Former Secretary of State John Kerry tweeted that any report saying he plans to run for president is "f--king ... false" before deleting the tweet and reposting his strong denial minus the expletive. Twitter users saved screenshots of the original post.
Driving the news: The 2004 Democratic presidential nominee and supporter of 2020 candidate Joe Biden issued the denial after NBC reported he allegedly discussed the move on the phone while talking about the "possibility of Bernie Sanders taking down the Democratic Party — down whole."
