House Republican vows to defend Christmas from ‘offended’ minority  —  Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) on Tuesday vowed to protect Christmas against what he called a “vocal minority” offended by its symbols and traditions.  —  “There is a vocal minority that is offended at the rest of us …

Sign-Up Period Extended Again for Health Plan  —  WASHINGTON — The Obama administration said Tuesday that it would provide more time for people to complete their applications for health insurance if they could show that they missed the deadline because of problems with the federal health care website.

Iran's top leaders praise spirit of Christmas  —  Iran President Hassan Rouhani is endorsing the spirit of Christmas.  —  Rouhani on Tuesday retweeted two tweets, one by Iran's supreme leader and one by its foreign minister, that focused on the spirit of Christmas.

Judge sentences man to write ‘boys do not hit girls’ 5,000 times  —  Montana District Judge G. Todd sentenced a man convicted of assaulting his girlfriend to write “boys do not hit girls” 5,000 times, in addition to six months in jail.  Above, a file photo shows Baugh in court in Great Falls, Mont. (Larry Mayer / Billings Gazette)

Appeals Court Refuses To Halt Utah Marriages For Same-Sex Couples  —  A Christmas Eve order from the 10th Circuit.  Update: State officials say they will ask the Supreme Court to step in.  —  Nicole Barnes, left, and her partner Tarah Camarillo exchange rings as they get married …

Bill de Blasio daughter reveals drug, alcohol abuse  —  In an unusual and moving Christmas Eve video, the college-age daughter of New York City Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio is revealing for the first time her struggle with alcohol, drugs and depression — and is urging others in need to get help.

VIDEO: Santa Claus shot with pellet gun at toy giveaway in Southeast  —  WASHINGTON (WJLA) - A man in a Santa Claus suit was shot in the back with a pellet gun Tuesday morning during a toy giveaway in Southeast Washington.  —  The video is disturbing.  The man dressed as Santa has led …

Obama's albatross: Transparency  —  Five years into his presidency, Barack Obama might have been reaping kudos for ushering in a new era of transparency in government.  —  Instead, he's under fire for his administration's secrecy.  —  The White House has faced a fusillade of high-profile complaints …

The gist of Christmas lost  —  'Twas the season of Christmas, and all through the land  —  Were signs and symbols some folks couldn't stand.  —  The evergreen conifer many decorate with glee,  —  But don't you dare call it a Christmas tree.  —  Heaven forbid a Nativity in the town square

Royal pardon for codebreaker Alan Turing  —  Computer pioneer and codebreaker Alan Turing has been given a posthumous royal pardon.  —  It addresses his 1952 conviction for homosexuality for which he was punished by being chemically castrated.  —  The conviction meant he lost …

Morton Grove Library Board rejects $3K donation from atheist  —  Comments on a Facebook page, including one that said “[expletive] God,” led Morton Grove Library trustees to reject a $3,000 donation that was made to support Park Board member Dan Ashta's Pledge of Allegiance boycott.

Kim Jong-un: North Korean leader ‘was very drunk’ when ordering executions  —  Source tells Japanese newspaper purge of Kim's powerful uncle Jang Song-thaek was inevitable after ‘surprising’ first deaths  —  The North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was “very drunk” when he ordered the recent execution …

In fundraising pitch, Hillary Clinton says Bill will match donations  —  Hillary Rodham Clinton fired off an end-of-the-year fundraising solicitation to supporters of her family's charitable foundation - and she offered an intriguing pitch.  —  Her husband, former president Bill Clinton …