Five Ways Obama Can Mess with Republicans in 2015  —  President Barack Obama knows how to get under Republicans' skin (in so many ways, but in this case we're talking about going around Congress to get things done), and he ended 2014 with a bang: A climate deal with China.  Executive action on immigration.

Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton Extend Run as Most Admired  —  Story Highlights  —  PRINCETON, N.J. — Americans continue to name Hillary Clinton as the woman living anywhere in the world whom they admire most, and name Barack Obama as the man they admire most.

Is the Most Powerful Conservative in America Losing His Edge?  —  Erick Erickson built his career on stoking populist rage.  But now the man who steers the Tea Party says conservative anger has grown toxic and self-defeating.  —  Photos by Audra Melton

Transcript: President Obama's Full NPR Interview  —  NPR's wide-ranging interview with President Obama covers recent executive actions on Cuba and immigration, race relations in the U.S., health care, the midterm elections and extending democracy in the Middle East.

Editor's Note: Executive Dysfunction  —  It's happened by this point in every modern two-term presidency: If we weren't sick of the guy to start with, we certainly are by now.  What once seemed like roguish charm, or bracing surety, or nuanced intelligence, has curdled into self-indulgence, or arrogance, or passivity.

2 Police Officers Ambushed, Shot at in ‘Unprovoked Attack’ in South Los Angeles: LAPD  —  Los Angeles police called off an intense manhunt Monday morning that began after two officers were ambushed in an “unprovoked attack” in the Vermont-Slauson neighborhood of South L.A. the previous night.

Rudy Giuliani criticizes de Blasio on talk shows; NYPD's Bratton denounces cops' mayoral snub … Complete coverage: 2 NYPD cops fatally shot … New York  —  NYPD's Ramos remembered at wake

The Obama Recovery  —  Suppose that for some reason you decided to start hitting yourself in the head, repeatedly, with a baseball bat.  You'd feel pretty bad.  Correspondingly, you'd probably feel a lot better if and when you finally stopped.  What would that improvement in your condition tell you?

Soldiers Relocate Wedding to Accommodate Obama's Golf Game  —  Natalie Heimel and her fiancé, Edward Mallue Jr., a pair of captains in the Army, were walking from their wedding rehearsal on Saturday at the 16th tee box at Kaneohe Klipper Golf Course in Hawaii when they were informed …

10 senators who could lose reelection in 2016  —  Senate Republicans will have to work hard to retain their recently won majority as they face a tough 2016 electoral map.  —  They have 24 seats up compared to Democrats' 10, including seven in states President Obama carried twice.

Gmail blocked in China  —  (Reuters) - Google Inc's Gmail was blocked in China after months of disruptions to the world's biggest email service, with an anti-censorship advocate suggesting the Great Firewall was to blame.  —  Large numbers of Gmail web addresses were cut off in China on Friday …

CNN/ORC Poll: Bush surges to 2016 GOP frontrunner  —  Washington (CNN) — Jeb Bush is the clear Republican presidential frontrunner, surging to the front of the potential GOP pack following his announcement that he's “actively exploring” a bid, a new CNN/ORC poll found.

The Year of Unconventional Wisdom  —  Unsurprisingly, political experts were wrong a lot in 2014.  —  People who make a living predicting the political future had a rough 2014.  —  Voters had a way of not always following the script—otherwise known as “conventional wisdom” …