Former Bush spokesman on Trump's Taiwan call: ‘China will go nuts’  —  Former George W. Bush spokesman Ari Fleischer tweeted that “China will go nuts” after President-elect Donald Trump  —  made a historic phone call to Taiwan on Friday.  —  “Uh-oh.  I wasn't even allowed to refer to the gvt ‘of’ Taiwan.

Sarah Palin: But... Wait... The Good Guys Won't Win With More Crony Capitalism  —  I am ecstatic for Carrier employees!  Their bosses just decided to keep shop onshore.  What a relief for hundreds of workers.  Merry Christmas Indiana!  We don't yet know terms of the public/private deal …

Even elite campaign aides still aren't sure why Donald Trump succeeded  —  Baffled at times and often bitter, more than two dozen of the country's top political operatives grappled with questions that have dominated American politics for 18 months: What explains Donald Trump's astonishing political success …

Obama considering post-presidential digital media career, sources say  —  President Barack Obama has been discussing a post-presidential career in digital media and is considering launching his own media company, according to multiple sources who spoke on background because they were not authorized to speak for the president.

Former Special Forces Officer: Gen. ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis Left ‘My Men to Die’  —  A former Army Special Forces officer is accusing retired Marine General James Mattis, President-elect Donald Trump's pick to be defense secretary, of “leaving my men to die” after they were hit by friendly fire in Afghanistan in 2001.

CNN Crew Jokes about Donald Trump's Plane Crashing  —  CNN Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux was covering the Carrier press conference, that featured both Donald Trump and Mike Pence.  —  Carrier was able to negotiate huge tax breaks for their company, if they promised not to move all their jobs to Mexico.

Make Kellogg's Gr-rr-rr-rr-rreat Again  —  Last weekend's Castro droologies reminded us that, for Justin Trudeau and too many others, mass-murdering dictators are kind of a turn-on, a geopolitical S&M fetish - as long as it's millions of distant, disposable Third World types making up the M end of the deal.

Philly Clout: Turnpike manager rips his bosses in email minutes before retirement  —  FILE THIS ONE under: “Well, You Asked.”  —  Michael Stuban, a midlevel manager at the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, retired on Thanksgiving after a 35-year career that started in a tollbooth.

G.O.P. Plans Immediate Repeal of Health Law, Then a Delay  —  WASHINGTON — Republicans in Congress plan to move almost immediately next month to repeal the Affordable Care Act, as President-elect Donald J. Trump promised.  But they also are likely to delay the effective date …

Donald Trump's Pollster Says the Election Came Down to Five Counties  —  Donald Trump's former campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, referred to her candidate's electoral win as a “landslide” earlier this week.  But the campaign's top pollster, veteran Tony Fabrizio said just five counties made the difference …

The 2016 Election Is a Disaster Without a Moral  —  Marge: The moral of the story is that a good deed is its own reward!  —  Bart: But we got a reward, the head is cool!  —  Marge: Well, then maybe the moral is, no good deed goes unrewarded.  —  Homer: Wait a minute! … Homer: Exactly!

Trump's education pick says reform can 'advance God's Kingdom'  —  The billionaire philanthropist whom Donald Trump has tapped to lead the Education Department once compared her work in education reform to a biblical battleground where she wants to “advance God's Kingdom.”

Democrats want Russian hacking intelligence declassified  — The call to release the information came in a short letter to President Obama released by seven Democratic senators  —  Washington (CNN)Democratic senators are pressing the Obama administration to more forthrightly state …

Amy Schumer Playing ‘Barbie’  —  Amy Schumer will play the title role in Barbie, the live action Sony Pictures film based on the venerable Mattel toyline.  The PG movie will begin production in the spring for a global summer 2018 tent pole bow, after Schumer puts her imprint on the script by Hillary Winston.

Dean drops out of DNC chairmanship race  —  DENVER — Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean dropped out of the race to become the next chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) on Friday.  —  Dean, who served as DNC chairman from 2005 to 2009, announced in a pre-recorded video to a conference …

Bowe Bergdahl, Facing Desertion Trial, Asks Obama for Pardon  —  WASHINGTON — Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the former American prisoner of war in Afghanistan who was freed in a 2014 swap for five Taliban detainees, has asked President Obama to pardon him before leaving the White House to President-elect Donald J …

The post-truth world of the Trump administration is scarier than you think  —  You may think you are prepared for a post-truth world, in which political appeals to emotion count for more than statements of verifiable fact.  —  But now it's time to cross another bridge — into a world without facts.

Police: Men Screaming ‘Trump’ Try To Rip Off Woman's Hijab On NYC Subway  —  Three men physically attacked a Muslim teenager at a Manhattan subway stop on Thursday night while shouting the name of the President-elect, police told the New York Daily News.  —  Police said the unidentified 18 …