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 …

Dear Family and Friends,  —  This is the message I have sent to Choir:  —  Dear President Jarrett and Choir,  —  Today is my birthday.  (Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you...........)  —  It is with a sad and heavy heart that I submit my resignation to you and to Choir.

Judge halts North Carolina law stripping incoming Dem governor's power  —  A North Carolina judge has temporarily blocked a law passed by the state's Republican-controlled legislature that limits the incoming governor's powers over election boards.  —  A superior court judge ruled Friday …

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.

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.

Theresa May's criticism of John Kerry Israel speech sparks blunt US reply  —  State department voices surprise after PM's spokesman says US secretary of state's comments on settlements were ‘inappropriate’  —  Theresa May has distanced the UK from Washington over John Kerry's condemnation of Israel …

Apple to slice iPhone production 10%  —  Sluggish sales spur January-March cuts for second year  —  TOKYO — Apple will trim production of its iPhone family around 10% on the year in the first quarter of 2017, according to calculations by The Nikkei based on data from suppliers.

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.

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.

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.

This Is What It Was Like At Two Russian Sites The US Wants Closed  —  The US announced earlier on Thursday that two sites — one in Maryland, one in New York — would be shuttered as a penalty for Russian hacking during the election.  —  Reporting From  —  Oyster Bay, New York

Five Afghan teenagers are convicted of gang-raping a boy at knife-point in Sweden - but NONE will be deported because their homeland is ‘too dangerous’  —  Five Afghan teenagers have been convicted of gang-raping a boy in Sweden - but none of them will be deported because their homeland is ‘too dangerous’, it has emerged.

Former GOP rep: ‘I think Obama is Muslim’  —  Former Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.), a conservative radio host, said Thursday that President Obama “hates Israel” because “he has always been” a Muslim at heart.  —  For the past week, everybody has been asking again why Obama hates Israel.