UPDATE: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., asked President Donald Trump to delay his State of the Union address until the partial government shutdown ends. In a letter Wednesday, Pelosi also gave the president the option of delivering his annual report to lawmakers in writing. The speaker expressed concern that the government could not provide adequate security for the event during the partial shutdown, but other Democrats interpreted the move as political punishment for Trump’s refusal to approve a budget that does not include funding for a wall at the U.S.

WASHINGTON—William Barr, President Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, told the Senate Judiciary Committee during the first day of his confirmation hearing Tuesday that he pledged to lead an independent Justice Department. He said he believed that Russia tried to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and would allow special counsel Robert Mueller to continue his investigation unimpeded. Sen.

WASHINGTON—In his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday, William Barr, President Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, pledged to allow special counsel Robert Mueller to continue his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election unimpeded.

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump has asked to meet with centrist Democrats on Tuesday to continue negotiations for border wall funding, a dispute that led to a partial government shutdown, now in its 25th day and the longest in U.S. history. The president hopes to convince moderate Democrats, including freshmen lawmakers and those with more conservatives constituencies, to break with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and support the construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump warned Turkey on Sunday against attacking Kurdish fighters in northern Syria following the withdrawal of U.S. troops. In a series of tweets, the president said the U.S.

WASHINGTON—In the first major move to scrutinize the president by the House Democratic majority, Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer, will testify publicly before a congressional committee next month. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee announced Thursday that Cohen voluntarily agreed to appear before the panel on Feb. 7.

WASHINGTON—About 800,000 federal government workers will miss their paychecks Friday because of the partial government shutdown, which will be the longest in U.S. history if it lasts until Saturday. On Thursday, President Donald Trump visited McAllen, Texas, and the Rio Grande along the border to illustrate his reasoning for wanting a wall at the U.S. southern border. “If for any reason we don’t get this going … I will declare a national emergency,” he said.