The recording of a dinner President Trump held with big-dollar donors in 2018 demonstrates just how alive and well special-interest access and influence remains in Washington.

By Kenneth P. Vogel & Eric Lipton @ NYTimes.com, Jan. 26

[....] While news of the recording primarily focused on Mr. Trump’s call for the removal of Marie L. Yovanovitch as ambassador to Ukraine after a donor claimed she had disparaged the president, the recording revealed that Mr. Trump engaged in policy discussions with many other donors pushing their own agendas.

an easy conversational read and fascinating on effects of biased data:

A photograph of Abdul Baqi taken after he was blinded by his father and brothers caused outrage in Pakistan after it was circulated on Facebook along with details of his horrific ordeal.

By Abdul Hai Kakar & Ron Synovitz @ RFERL.org, Jan. 22.

Abdul Baqi was blinded with a spoon by his own father and brothers at their home in southwestern Pakistan because he insisted on marrying a young woman that he'd fallen in love with.

The tweet claimed that the boy was kidnapped by “Israeli settlers, assaulted and thrown in a water well"

By Seth J. Frantzman @ JPost.com, Jan. 25

By Deidre Shesgreen @ USAToday.com, Jan. 24, 6:52 pm

[....] "Do you owe Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch an apology?" Kelly asked Pompeo, who has declined to publicly defend the diplomat. 

"You know, I agreed to come on your show today to talk about Iran," he responded.

Kelly pressed him [.....]