Trump Picks Scott Pruitt, Climate Change Dissenter, to Lead E.P.A.  —  WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald J. Trump has selected Scott Pruitt, the Oklahoma attorney general and a close ally of the fossil fuel industry, to run the Environmental Protection Agency, signaling Mr. Trump's determination …

The Comet Ping Pong Gunman Answers Our Reporter's Questions  —  WASHINGTON — Edgar M. Welch, 28, of Salisbury, N.C., was arrested Sunday after firing a gun inside a pizza restaurant in Washington as he investigated false claims in online articles that the pizzeria was at the center of a child sex slave ring, the police said.

John Kelly, Retired Marine General, Is Trump's Choice to Lead Homeland Security  —  WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald J. Trump has settled on Gen. John F. Kelly, a retired four-star Marine general whose son was killed in combat in Afghanistan, as his choice for secretary of homeland security …

The Last, Greatest Deal  —  For nearly 17 months on the campaign trail, Trump did what no American politician had attempted in a generation, with defiant flair.  Instead of painting a bright vision for a unified future, he magnified the divisions of the present, inspiring new levels of anger and fear within his country.

Jarrett: Trump's victory felt like ‘a punch to the stomach’  —  Senior White House adviser Valerie Jarrett said Wednesday that President-elect Donald Trump's surprise victory on Election Day was “like a punch to the stomach” and “soul-crushing,” but that the mood inside the White House has improved since then.

Schumer: If Republicans destroy our health system, we won't throw them a lifeline  —  THE MORNING PLUM:  —  The emerging GOP plan to repeal Obamacare on a delayed schedule — and then maybe kinda sorta replace it later — has raised a big question: Will Democrats help Republicans pass …

Study: Clinton-Trump coverage was a feast of false equivalency  —  U.S. media organizations are locked into such a negative mind-set that they portrayed Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton as equally pernicious and scurrilous pretenders to the presidency.  That, at least, is the conclusion …

Trump picks wrestling magnate Linda McMahon to lead Small Business Administration  —  Donald Trump has picked Linda McMahon, co-founder of pro wrestling company WWE, to lead his Small Business Administration, his transition team said Wednesday.  —  The 68-year-old McMahon was a major Trump backer during his campaign.

Black employees file class-action lawsuit against CNN, Turner  —  This was posted on Wednesday, December 7, 2016 by Rodney Ho on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog  —  Former and current black employees on Tuesday filed a class action lawsuit against Atlanta-based CNN, Turner Broadcasting …

How Branstad to Beijing could reshape Iowa's political landscape  —  Should Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad be named ambassador to China - a strong possibility, it appears - it'll be big news in Washington and Beijing.  —  But don't overlook its impact in Des Moines.

Recount Roundup: Jill Stein's Embarrassing Stunt Puts Trump Further Ahead  —  Green party presidential candidate Jill Stein has been battling for recounts in swing states Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania (funny how she doesn't want one in Florida, North Carolina or even California) for about a week now.

Implications of Partial Repeal of the ACA through Reconciliation  —  Abstract  —  Congress is now considering partial repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) through the budget reconciliation process.  Since only components of the law with federal budget implications can be changed through reconciliation …

Denzel Washington blasts media for selling ‘BS’  —  He was at the center of a fake news story, but Denzel Washington says it's the mainstream media that's selling “BS.”  —  “If you don't read the newspaper, you're uninformed.  If you do read it, you're misinformed,” Washington …

Bad Santa?  Boy claims he was body shamed by St. Nick  —  FOREST CITY, N.C. (WLOS) - It's practically straight out of a “Bad Santa” movie.  —  A North Carolina mother wants the local Santa Claus fired after saying things that put her 9-year-old son in tears.

Sandy Hook denier arrested after death threats made to parent of victim … A Florida woman who believes the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting was a hoax was arrested Monday on charges she threatened the parent of a child killed in the 2012 school shooting.

Sofía Vergara sued by her own embryos  —  MORE FROM:  —  The battle over Sofia Vergara's embryos took an extraordinary turn Tuesday — when a right-to-live lawsuit was filed on behalf of the fertilized eggs against their mom.  —  The female embryos are listed as plaintiffs “Emma” …

No, Senate Democrats Can't Use The ‘Nuclear Option’ To Confirm Merrick Garland  —  Having watched continued control of the White House slip away, progressive activists are now furiously searching for ways to rescue Merrick Garland's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

Exclusive: Internal documents detail secret VA quality ratings  —  Hospitals run by the VA are graded on a 5-point system.  Up until now, those grades have been kept private.  USA TODAY's Donovan Slack shares what she learned while uncovering them.  —  WASHINGTON — The Department …

Megyn Kelly On Trump And The Media: 'We're In A Dangerous Phase Right Now'  —  As Donald Trump continues to court controversy via Twitter, Fox News host Megyn Kelly tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross that the president-elect “really does need to be aware of the power that he has when he releases these tweets.”

What It's Like to Apply for a Job in Donald Trump's White House  —  WASHINGTON — When former Gov. Sonny Perdue of Georgia stepped off the elevator on the 26th floor of Trump Tower last week for his interview with Donald J. Trump, he expected a grilling by the president-elect and a phalanx of associates …