Trump Picks Mick Mulvaney, South Carolina Congressman, as Budget Director  —  WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald J. Trump has selected Representative Mick Mulvaney of South Carolina, a conservative Republican member of the House and a fierce advocate of deep spending cuts, to be his budget director.

FBI backs CIA view that Russia intervened to help Trump win election  —  FBI Director James B. Comey and Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr. have backed a CIA assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election in part to help Donald Trump win the presidency, according to U.S. officials.

A Dangerous Choice for Ambassador to Israel  —  In appointing David Friedman as the next ambassador to Israel, Donald Trump voiced a desire to “strive for peace in the Middle East.”  Unfortunately, his chosen representative would be far more likely to provoke conflict in Israel and the occupied territories …

Trump mocks media as he recounts Election Day win  —  recounted his Election Day victory for a large crowd in Florida Friday night, mocking the media for its Nov. 8 coverage.  —  Trump has been detailing his wins state by state as he travels around the country on his “thank you” tour, which he continued in Orlando.

The Rise of the Alt-Center  —  Why did establishment liberals fall in love with a deranged Twitter thread?  It's time for some game theory.  —  You might remember a time, back before the election, when we all still lived in the real world and Donald Trump was an unhinged conspiracy theorist.

GOP senator: ‘This has been a difficult eight years’  —  Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey says Republicans like himself are ready to improve upon shortcomings from President Obama's two terms in office.  —  “This has been a difficult eight years,” he said in the GOP's weekly address Saturday.

North Carolina Governor Signs Law Limiting Power Of His Successor  —  Pat McCrory, North Carolina's outgoing Republican governor, has signed a law stripping executive powers from his successor, Democrat Roy Cooper.  —  The law removes the State Board of Elections from the governor's control …

Now you can fact-check Trump's tweets — in the tweets themselves  —  On Friday morning, President-elect Donald Trump took a new tack in his war on the Russia hacking issue. … As our Dave Weigel noted, this isn't really accurate.  There was nothing illegal at play, and Donna Brazile …

GOP congressman on Russian hacking: ‘Terrific’ that voters got more truthful information  —  (CNN)Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher said Thursday that it was “terrific” that voters got more truthful information about Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, regardless of whether the hackers were Russian.

‘National Geographic’ just made history with its new cover  —  As part of its January 2017 issue exploring our evolving understandings and definitions of gender, National Geographic is featuring nine-year-old transgender rights activist Avery Jackson on its cover—the first time a trans person has made the cover of the magazine.

Donald Trump, Butterfly?  —  Many Republicans (like me) were unimpressed by Donald Trump during the primary season, got behind him once he won the nomination, and now are blown away by his appointments as president-elect.  Paul wrote a great post about Trump's nominations of successful people …

The Emoluments Clause: Its text, meaning, and application to Donald J. Trump  —  Norman Eisen, Richard Painter, and Laurence H. Tribe Friday, December 16, 2016  —  For media inquries, contact:  —  Governance Studies Main Line 202.797.6090  —  DOWNLOAD  —  Foreign interference …

‘I Cannot Lie,’ Rodrigo Duterte Says, Confirming He Did Kill People as Mayor  —  President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines confirmed on Friday that he had personally pulled the trigger and killed three people as mayor of Davao City, doubling down on boastful comments he made this week, which loyalists had tried to deny.

Kushner: We struck deal with Sinclair for straighter coverage  —  Donald Trump's campaign struck a deal with Sinclair Broadcast Group during the campaign to try and secure better media coverage, his son-in-law Jared Kushner told business executives Friday in Manhattan.

You voted for Trump?  No heat for you this winter  —  President Obama denounces “hyper-partisanship,” so maybe our commentator-in-chief will have something to say about this story: … You almost have to admire the courage of Turner's conviction.  According to Edmund Kozak of PoliZette …

Former Russia Today Anchor: “There Really Isn't A Better Mouthpiece For The Kremlin” Than Trump  —  CHRIS JANSING: I want to bring in Liz Wahl, former anchor for state owned TV network Russia Today, who famously quit on air because she said she didn't want to be “part of the Russian propaganda machine.”