Trump Picks Scott Pruitt, Climate Change Denialist, 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 …

Federal judge kills recount effort in Michigan  —  A federal judge has stopped the hand recount of nearly 5 million ballots in Michigan, a decision that seems to secure Donald Trump  —  's narrow victory in the traditionally blue state.  —  U.S. District Judge Mark Goldsmith …

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 RNC Is Hosting Its Christmas Party This Year At Donald Trump's Hotel  —  Trump runs the party now.  And his hotel will benefit.  —  The Republican National Committee will host its Christmas Party this year at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., the newest property of its newfound leader.

Donald Trump just insulted a union leader on Twitter.  Then the phone started to ring.  —  Chuck Jones uses a flip phone, so he didn't see the tweet.  His friend of 36 years called him Wednesday night and said: The president-elect is smearing you on Twitter.

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.

Ohio Passes Bill That Bans Abortion After A Month And A Half  —  Many women do not know they are pregnant until the second month of a missed period.  —  Ohio legislators passed a “heartbeat bill” Wednesday that bans abortion after a fetus's heartbeat can be heard — on average around six weeks into a pregnancy.

The Supreme Court oral argument that cost Democrats the presidency  —  The presidential election was so close that many factors were “but-for” causes of Donald Trump's victory.  One that's been mostly overlooked is Trump's surprising success with religious voters.

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 …

‘They Are Slaughtering Us Like Animals’  —  YOU HEAR A MURDER SCENE before you see it: The desperate cries of a new widow.  The piercing sirens of approaching police cars.  The thud, thud, thud of the rain drumming on the pavement of a Manila alleyway — and on the back of Romeo Torres Fontanilla.

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 …

Two juveniles charged with arson in Tennessee wildfires that left 14 people dead  —  Two juveniles have been charged with aggravated arson in connection with the East Tennessee wildfires that killed 14 people last week and left nearly 150 others injured, authorities said Wednesday.

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.

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.

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 …

Stop Calling Everything “Fake News”  —  Journalists are blurring several problems into one—and making it impossible to solve.  —  Two months ago, almost no one was talking about fake news.  A Google Trends search for the term shows that it barely registered before October.

US Steel wants to accelerate investments, bring back jobs, CEO says  —  US Steel CEO: All we've been looking for is fairness  —  United States Steel would like to accelerate its investments and hire back laid-off employees now that Donald Trump will be occupying the Oval Office, CEO Mario Longhi told CNBC on Wednesday.

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 …