Putin says he won't deport U.S. diplomats as he looks to cultivate relations with Trump  —  MOSCOW — In a rare break from the diplomatic tradition of reciprocal punishment, Russian President Vladi­mir Putin said Friday he would not deport U.S. diplomats in a tit-for-tat response …

Singer resigns from Mormon Tabernacle Choir, says she ‘could never look myself in the mirror again’ if she performed for Trump  —  Protest » She says she can't “in good conscience” take part in the ceremonies.  —  The Mormon Tabernacle Choir's acceptance of the invitation to sing …

Obama's ugly bid to snub voters and tie Trump's hands  —  In his waning days in the White House, President Obama is desperately trying to make his policies as permanent as possible by tying the hands of his successor — and far more than other presidents have done on their way out.

Nixon's lawyer accuses Trump of lying  —  Richard Nixon's former lawyer is accusing President-elect Donald Trump  —  of constantly lying to the American people.  —  John Dean, who served as White House Counsel to the former president and was directly involved in the Watergate scandal …

California Democrats legalize child prostitution  —  Beginning on Jan. 1, prostitution by minors will be legal in California.  Yes, you read that right.  —  SB 1322 bars law enforcement from arresting sex workers who are under the age of 18 for soliciting or engaging in prostitution, or loitering with the intent to do so.

Skeptical Climate Scientists Coming In From the Cold  —  In the world of climate science, the skeptics are coming in from the cold.  —  Researchers who see global warming as something less than a planet-ending calamity believe the incoming Trump administration may allow their views to be developed and heard.

Britain, edging towards Trump, scolds Kerry over Israel  —  Britain scolded U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry for describing the Israeli government as the most right-wing in Israeli history, a move that aligns Prime Minister Theresa May more closely with President-elect Donald Trump.

You're Fired: Buffalo School Board Moves to Oust Trump Ally Carl Paladino Following Racist Comments About Obamas  —  A Trump ally who made strikingly offensive remarks about the Obama family last week was on Thursday told to resign immediately from his position on a Buffalo, N.Y., school board.

Self-Driving Cars Will Make Organ Shortages Even Worse  —  We need to prepare for that now.  —  Much has been said about the ways we expect our oncoming fleet of driverless cars to change the way we live—remaking us all into passengers, rewiring our economy, retooling our views of ownership, and reshaping our cities and roads.

The Death of Clintonism  —  In September 1963, two months before his death, John F. Kennedy mused aloud to his old friend the journalist Charles Bartlett about the prospects for the 1968 presidential election, in which, he presciently worried, his brother Robert might run against Lyndon Johnson.

Obama to huddle with Hill Democrats on saving Obamacare  —  President Barack Obama will head to Capitol Hill Wednesday to meet with congressional Democrats about how to shield Obamacare from Republican efforts to dismantle it, a Capitol Hill source told POLITICO.

Trump's Border Wall, Deportation Plans Face Pushback From GOP  —  Republican critics in Congress chafe at his deportation calls  —  GOP leaders in House, Senate want fencing, not a ‘wall’  —  Donald Trump's pledges to deport undocumented immigrants and build a U.S.-Mexico border wall …

FBI, DHS release report on Russia hacking  —  The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Thursday released a joint report detailing how investigators linked the Russian government to hacks on various Democratic political organizations.  —  The document makes clear reference …