Christmas's War on America  —  Every year, a new round of politicians attempt to breathe new life into America's thoroughly exhausted war on Christmas.  But this year, maybe it's time instead to examine Christmas's war on Americans.  —  For centuries, the holiday has served as a flashpoint between competing religious ideas.

Yes, Virginia, There Is a NORAD … Perhaps you've heard the legend of Harry Shoup.  The gruff Air Force colonel stood watch on December night 60 years ago, in a secure bunker at Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD), guarding against a nuclear strike.  On his desk sat the Red Phone …

Exclusive: Islamic State sanctioned organ harvesting in document taken in U.S. raid  —  Islamic State has sanctioned the harvesting of human organs in a previously undisclosed ruling by the group's Islamic scholars, raising concerns that the violent extremist group may be trafficking in body parts.

Bangladeshi Christians Skip Traditional Christmas Midnight Mass  —  Churches in Bangladesh skipped the traditional Christmas midnight mass services this year due to the increasing number of threats against Christian leaders, allegedly by Muslim extremists.  Catholic houses of worship in the town …

Gray Lady Sings the Blues  —  The social safety net for the elderly is under strain in developed countries, according to the NYT: … In this story, NYT is facing what everybody knows: The retirement systems of the 20th century won't work in the 21st.  U.S. retirees will see declining …

A political bomb is about to blow up in the Democrats' faces  —  THE MORNING PLUM:  —  This scoop from Jerry Markon and David Nakamura is going to scramble the politics of immigration in the presidential race, and it may create more problems for Democrats than for Republicans:

Sanders: Trump is ‘bombastic’ so he can get media coverage  —  Washington (CNN)Bernie Sanders says Donald Trump makes “bombastic” and “silly” remarks because they get media coverage — and blamed the press for falling for the real estate developer's act.  —  “I'll give you one example,” …

The Creaking Joints of Democracy  —  One of my favorite liberals, Philly magazine's Joel Mathis (he's one half of the “Red-Blue America” column with Ben Boychuk), offers up a conciliatory column in the spirit of Christmas today that I take at face value.  A few relevant bits: … So far, so good.

Heavily redacted Benghazi emails released on Christmas Eve  —  The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) released a handful of sensitive documents Thursday morning dealing with terrorism suspect Anwar al-Awlaki and the terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Libya.

Gov. Jerry Brown pardons Robert Downey Jr. for 1990s drug offenses  —  Robert Downey Jr. appears in a Malibu courtroom on July 25, 1996, after his third arrest in a month.  —  Actor Robert Downey Jr., who spent time behind bars in the late 1990s on drug convictions, received a Christmas Eve pardon …

Karl Rove: Obama Should React to Terrorism Like Bush Did  —  Staying calm isn't what made Dubya a great foreign-policy president.  —  The typical leitmotif of a Karl Rove column weaves together some combination of delusional optimism about Republican prospects in the next election …

Now it's even easier for candidates and their aides to help super PACs  —  The Federal Election Commission has quietly given the green light to federal candidates who want to solicit contributions for super PACs by meeting in small groups — so small that there can be just two other people in the room.

Minneapolis City Council Member Alondra Cano under fire for posting phone numbers, email addresses of constituents  —  A Minneapolis City Council member is drawing criticism for what some see as an effort to publicly shame constituents who objected to her involvement in Wednesday's Black Lives Matter rally …