CNN/ORC Poll: Confidence drops in Trump transition  —  Washington (CNN)Donald Trump will become president Friday with an approval rating of just 40%, according to a new CNN/ORC Poll, the lowest of any recent president and 44 points below that of President Barack Obama, the 44th president.

How Repealing Portions of the Affordable Care Act Would Affect Health Insurance Coverage and Premiums  —  CBO reports on the estimated changes in health insurance coverage and premiums that would result from leaving the Affordable Care Act's insurance market reforms in place while repealing the law's mandate penalties and subsidies.

LePage says civil rights icon John Lewis should thank Lincoln for freeing the slaves  —  During his weekly radio appearance, the governor said that U.S. Rep. John Lewis should also thank presidents Rutherford Hayes and Ulysses Grant.  —  Listen to Gov. LePage's comments on WVOM.

Putin Says Doesn't Believe Trump Met Prostitutes in Russia  —  Attacks on Trump seek to undermine election result, Putin says  —  Unsubstantiated claims are ‘obvious fabrications,’ Putin says  —  Russian President Vladimir Putin said he doesn't believe that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump met …

The Most Successful Democrat Since F.D.R.  —  When Barack Obama ran for president in 2008, he understood, without quite saying it, that there had been no highly successful Democratic president in decades.  —  Bill Clinton made the country a better place, but his biggest legislative plans failed and he was beset by scandal.

‘He Is Going to Test Our Democracy as It Has Never Been Tested’  —  Sometime early last fall, John Dean says he began having nightmares about a Trump presidency.  He would wake in the middle of the night, agitated and alarmed, struggling to calm his nerves.

Hair stylist to Marla Maples: No free services in exchange for Inauguration Day ‘exposure’  —  Though Donald Trump and his family project an image of boundless wealth, a Washington-based hairstylist says the president-elect's second wife tried to get out of paying her to style her tresses …

Boom: Trump eyes 10% spending cuts, 20% slash of federal workers  —  Making good on a promise to slash government, President-elect Trump has asked his incoming team to pursue spending and staffing cuts.  —  Insiders said that the spending reductions in some departments could go as high …

Fort Lauderdale shooter says he carried out attack for ISIS, FBI claims  —  Fort Lauderdale, Florida (CNN)Esteban Santiago, the man charged with killing five people at the Fort Lauderdale airport, told FBI agents he carried out the attack on behalf of ISIS, FBI special agent Michael Ferlazzo testified at Santiago's bond hearing Tuesday.

Return of the leftover left  —  The leftover left that materialized during the Bush administration is returning in force as of January 20.  Whatever they do to disrupt events related to the inauguration of Donald Trump as president, it is a preview of coming attractions.

CIA Director John Brennan Rejects Donald Trump's Criticism  —  Outgoing CIA Director John Brennan rejected Donald Trump's suggestions that he may have leaked an unsubstantiated dossier on the president-elect while defending the U.S. intelligence community more broadly.

Betsy DeVos Wants to Use America's Schools to Build “God's Kingdom”  —  It's Christmastime in Holland, Michigan, and the northerly winds from Lake Macatawa bring a merciless chill to the small city covered in deep snow.  The sparkly lights on the trees in downtown luxury storefronts illuminate …

GM Announces 7,000 U.S. Jobs, Builds Off Strong Track Record  —  DETROIT - General Motors today announced that it will invest an additional $1 billion in U.S. manufacturing operations.  These investments follow $2.9 billion announced in 2016 and more than $21 billion GM has invested in its U.S. operations since 2009.

The Alt-Right Comes to Washington  —  East Lansing, Michigan—Lounging at the back of his tour bus in a parking lot behind the Springhill Suites, Milo Yiannopoulos, the flamboyant right-wing British provocateur known for his bleach-blond frosted tips and relentless campaign against Islam …

Donald Trump's Cabinet Pick Invested in 6 Drug Companies Before Medicare Fight  —  Donald Trump's nominee to be the country's next health care czar invested last year as much as $90,000 in six pharmaceutical companies shortly before leading a legislative and public relations effort that benefited those specific companies, records show.

Public expects middle class proposals, but rich will benefit  —  West Long Branch, NJ - As Barack Obama exits the White House with solid job approval ratings, Donald Trump enters with a much more mixed set of expectations.  This is particularly true when it comes to helping middle class Americans …