Green Party Drops Statewide Pennsylvania Recount  —  HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP/KDKA) - Green Party-backed voters dropped a court case Saturday night that had sought to force a statewide recount of Pennsylvania's Nov. 8 presidential election, won by Republican Donald Trump, in what Green Party …

Scott Adams' Blog  —  By now you know that President Elect Trump took a call from the President of Taiwan and simultaneously lit on fire the underpants of the mainstream media and maybe the leadership of China too.  —  Apparently taking a phone call from the president of Taiwan …

Can You Figure Out the Mystery Inside This Remarkable Ad About High School Love?  —  A message deeper than idle sketches  —  Here's a pretty amazing ad from BBDO New York, with a mystery at its core.  —  At the outset, we meet Evan, a high school kid who can't wait for summer break.

Oakland: At least nine dead after massive fire at live-work space party … OAKLAND — In what may be the deadliest structure fire in Oakland's history, at least nine people died in a blaze that broke out late Friday at an electronic music party at a Fruitvale district live-work space, officials said.

In Trump's Security Pick, Michael Flynn, ‘Sharp Elbows’ and No Dissent  —  WASHINGTON — Days after Islamist militants stormed the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012, Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn reached a conclusion that stunned some of his subordinates at the Defense Intelligence Agency …

He got life without parole for pot.  And he was just denied clemency.  —  This post has been updated to include quotes from The Watch's interview with Ferrell Scott.  —  Ferrell Scott was sentenced to life in prison for possession and conspiracy to distribute marijuana …

Americans' Support for Electoral College Rises Sharply  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans' support for keeping the Electoral College system for electing presidents has increased sharply.  Weeks after the 2016 election, 47% of Americans say they want to keep the Electoral College …

Rep. McCaul: Yes, we will build a wall, put Mexico on a “payment plan” and enforce the law  —  FILE: Undated: Unidentified people in Mexico crossing the Rio Grande to enter the United States illegally, in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.  (AP)  —  Donald Trump campaigned on a big promise …

So Far Appalachia: The Myth of the Rural, White Working Class + Voting Against Their Self Interest  —  I'm writing a book about Appalachia.  More specially, I'm writing a memoir of my family, which helped settled what is now the poorest county in the country: Clay County, which The New York Times dubbed …

Trump, Finally Explained  —  Do you remember “50 First Dates”?  It was a Drew Barrymore movie about a woman with short-term amnesia who wakes up every morning with no memory whatsoever of the day that went before.  —  I am thinking it's the perfect Donald Trump analogy.

Will Ivanka Trump Be the Most Powerful First Daughter in History?  —  Ivanka Trump is about to become the most influential first daughter since Alice Roosevelt Longworth.  But can she do so without damaging her own brand?  —  When Nancy Pelosi, the minority leader of the House of Representatives …

Iowa Governor Branstad Is Frontrunner for U.S.-China Ambassador  —  People say meetings likely with Trump's transition team  —  Branstad, China's Xi have friendship dating back to 1985  —  Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, a longtime friend of Chinese President Xi Jinping …

Madonna Repeatedly Slams Donald Trump, Says She's “Ashamed to be an American” at Miami Fundraiser  —  The musician also kissed Ariana Grande and teased ex-husband Sean Penn, who crawled through her legs at one point as the two tried to coerce the audience to bid higher.

DON'T MISS STORIES.  FOLLOW RAW STORY!  —  The announcement that Mall of America was welcoming its first black Santa Claus was greeted in many quarters as a good thing but, as might be expected in a country that has become increasingly more comfortable saying any racist thing that comes to mind, many were highly offended.

The Scourge of Racial Bias in New York State's Prisons  —  A New York Times investigation draws on nearly 60,000 disciplinary cases from state prisons and interviews with inmates to explore the system's inequalities and the ripple effect these can have.  —  The racism can be felt …