Gov. Mark Dayton likely to tap Lt. Gov Tina Smith as Franken replacement  —  Dayton appears likely to pick Smith if Franken quits.  —  Lt. Gov. Tina Smith is likely to be Gov. Mark Dayton's choice to replace Sen. Al Franken if he resigns as expected, which would set in motion a cascade of job openings and reshape Minnesota politics.

MSNBC Reverses Decision To Fire Contributor Sam Seder  —  Progressive radio and television personality Sam Seder will be offered his MSNBC contributor job back and plans to accept, according to multiple MSNBC sources.  —  Seder and MSNBC were set to part ways when his contributor contract expired next year …

Did President Trump slur his Jerusalem speech?  You be the judge  —  President Donald Trump says he's directing the State Department to begin preparations to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.  Trump says the move is “a recognition of reality.”  (Dec. 6) AP

Trump had for months been determined to move U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem … During a visit to his Mar-a-  —  Lago resort in March, President Trump approached legal scholar Alan Dershowitz to talk about the Middle East.  —  While Trump questioned Dershowitz, a confidant …

Lindsey Vonn: I won't be representing US President at Winter Olympics  —  St Moritz, Switzerland (CNN)A number of US athletes have spoken out against Donald Trump during his presidency — and skier Lindsey Vonn has become the latest to have her say.  —  Targeting Olympic gold …

Exclusive: Former Congressman Harold Ford Jr. Fired For Misconduct By Morgan Stanley  —  A woman who was interviewed as part of the company's HR probe separately told HuffPost that Ford harassed her one evening in Manhattan several years ago.  —  Former Democratic Congressman Harold Ford Jr …

Ex-cop Michael Slager faces 19 to 24 years in prison for shooting death of Walter Scott  —  Former South Carolina police officer Michael Slager faces 19 to 24 years in prison for the deadly shooting of unarmed black man Walter Scott.  —  U.S. District Judge David Norton ruled today …

Senator Bill Cassidy On Al Franken & Roy Moore: There Is A Difference Between A 14 Year Old Girl & An Adult Female  —  Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) spoke with Brian Kilmeade about tax reform and his hopes that the Senate's version doesn't change too much after it goes through conference …

CBS News poll: Americans say tax plan helps wealthy, not middle class  —  Republicans expect economic boost, but not personal tax cut  —  The Republican tax plan faces opposition from a majority of Americans.  Over half disapprove of it - including four in 10 who disapprove strongly …

Gretchen Carlson declines to rule out Senate run  —  STORY HIGHLIGHTS  —  Washington (CNN)Former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson declined Thursday to rule out a run for the US Senate, telling CNN's Poppy Harlow and John Berman that she's been asked to run in her home state of Connecticut.

FBI chief rejects Trump's claim of agency ‘in tatters’  —  FBI Director Christopher Wray on Thursday rejected President Donald Trump's claim that the law enforcement agency's reputation is “in tatters.”  —  “There is no shortage of opinions out there,” Wray said, without mentioning the president …

The Closing of the Republican Mind  —  When Ronald Reagan passed his historic tax cut in 1981, he won support from 25 Democrats in the Senate and 113 in the House.  —  When George W. Bush passed his sweeping tax cut in 2001, he won support from 12 Democrats in the Senate and 28 in the House.

What's Missing From Reports on Alabama's Black Turnout  —  In order to understand democracy in the United States, take a moment to consider Alabama.  In the good old heart of Dixie, the story of voting rights can be told just about from beginning to end.  It was in towns and cities throughout …

The Democratic party is fine  —  It is the most united American party in modern political history.  —  Take down  —  It is the most united American party in modern political history.  —  Welcome to TAKE DOWN, a new column in which Sean McElwee holds pundits accountable for their hot garbage takes …

How Rodrigo Duterte Turned Facebook Into a Weapon—With a Little Help From Facebook  —  Rodrigo Duterte walked down the aisle of a packed auditorium at De La Salle University in downtown Manila, shaking hands and waving to nearly 2,000 college students snapping photos of the rising political star.

Worldwide Caution  —  As part of the Department of State's continuous efforts to provide U.S. citizens traveling abroad with information about safety and security events, we are updating the Worldwide Caution with information on the continuing threat of terrorist actions, political violence …

2 students killed in Aztec school shooting  —  AZTEC, N.M. (KRQE) - Three people are dead after a school shooting at Aztec High School in Aztec, NM.  —  Two students are dead, the shooter is dead as well.  There are no other injuries reported.  According to the San Juan Regional Medical Center …

Intrigue grows over what sparked the attack on Rand Paul  —  BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Rand Paul was on the verge of becoming a powerful senator and the nation's leading libertarian.  His neighbor was a successful doctor and Kennedy-style Democrat who favored nationalized medicine.

Exclusive: Sen. Jeff Flake Defends His ‘Yes’ Vote on the Republican Tax Bill  —  When Senate Republicans voted by the narrowest of margins — 51 to 49 — to pass their sweeping tax overhaul after midnight last Friday, many of the bill's critics turned their anger to Sen. Jeff Flake …

Service dog causes chaos at ‘Cats’ performance  —  A dog ran amok at Andrew Lloyd Webber's “Cats” this week.  —  Spies at the Neil Simon Theatre tell us an audience member's service dog “got away from its owner and ran after [the character] Bombalurina, performed by actress Mackenzie Warren, during the opening number.”

Ventura fire rages, threatening communities both coastal and inland; section of 101 Freeway closed  —  The return of powerful winds Thursday pushed the destructive Ventura County fire closer to several communities, prompting new evacuations.  —  Communities both on the coast and inland were under threat.

Destruction Of Black Wealth During The Obama Presidency  —  The People's Policy Project is proud to release its first formal paper.  Co-authored by Ryan Cooper and Matt Bruenig and designed by Jon White, it uses data from the Survey of Consumer Finances to track the evolution …