Republicans finalize plan, expand benefits for working families in bid to win over Rubio … Congressional Republicans finished rewriting their massive plan to overhaul the tax code on Friday, adding in a significant expansion of the Child Tax Credit aimed at boosting benefits for low-income families.

Kansas Dem Andrea Ramsey, accused of sexual harassment, will drop out of US House race  —  McClatchy Washington Bureau and The Kansas City Star  —  WASHINGTON  —  Andrea Ramsey, a Democratic candidate for Congress, will drop out of the race after the Kansas City Star asked her about accusations …

Trump judicial nominee fumbles basic questions about the law  —  Nomination hearings for U.S. district judges tend to be dry affairs that offer little in the way of mass entertainment — in other words, they're not typically the stuff of viral videos.  —  But a clip of one of President …

Ashley Judd responds to Peter Jackson's claims on Harvey Weinstein blacklist  —  Film producer Weinstein is facing multiple allegations of sexual misconduct by Hollywood actresses.  —  Ashley Judd has spoken out after Sir Peter Jackson said the Weinstein brothers orchestrated a smear campaign …

Exclusive: Prominent lawyer sought donor cash for two Trump accusers  —  A well-known women's rights lawyer sought to arrange compensation from donors and tabloid media outlets for women who made or considered making sexual misconduct allegations against Donald Trump

This Tax Bill Is a Trillion-Dollar Blunder  —  Congress and President Trump put politics ahead of smart reform.  —  Last month a Wall Street Journal editor asked a room full of CEOs to raise their hands if the corporate tax cut being considered in Congress would lead them to invest more.

White House: FBI records show ‘extreme bias’ against Trump  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House said Friday newly revealed FBI records show there is “extreme bias” against President Donald Trump among senior leadership at the FBI.  The accusation came hours before Trump was scheduled …

Mueller Sought Emails of Trump Campaign Data Firm  —  Special counsel asked Cambridge Analytica to hand over employees' emails, in sign of investigators' interest in campaign data operation  —  Special Counsel Robert Mueller has requested that Cambridge Analytica, a data firm that worked …

The EPA Hired a Major Republican Opposition Research Firm to Track Press Activity  —  Using taxpayer dollars, the Environmental Protection Agency has hired a cutting-edge Republican PR firm that specializes in digging up opposition research to help Administrator Scott Pruitt's office track and shape press coverage of the agency.

The Internet Is Free Again  —  Killing Obama-era rules will remove the FCC as political gatekeeper.  —  The Editorial Board  —  Disney's deal announced Thursday to buy some premium 21st Century Fox properties for $52.4 billion underscores how technology is remaking the media landscape.

Breitbart editor-in-chief: We had to defend Roy Moore from child molestation accusations to protect Trump from his accusers  —  Alex Marlow: Moore “was a terrible candidate,” but Breitbart had “no option”  —  From the December 15 edition of SiriusXM Patriot's Breitbart News Daily:

Senate parliamentarian strikes language allowing churches to endorse candidates from tax bill  —  The Senate parliamentarian has blocked language repealing the Johnson Amendment and allowing churches and 501(c)3 nonprofits to endorse candidates and engage in partisan politics from inclusion in the tax bill.

New Mexico School Shooter Had Secret Life on Pro-Trump White-Supremacy Sites … In real life, William Edward Atchison—people called him Bill—lived in a little yellow house with his parents, about a mile away from the Giant gas station where he worked and from Aztec High School …

Inside Matt Lauer's Secret Relationship With a ‘Today’ Production Assistant (EXCLUSIVE)  —  In 1999, Addie Collins arrived at NBC's “Today” as a young intern with big aspirations.  A few months later, she landed her dream job as production assistant, forming close bonds with her new colleagues Katie Couric, Ann Curry and Al Roker.

Dustin Hoffman Accused of Exposing Himself to a Minor, Assaulting Two Women (EXCLUSIVE)  —  Cori Thomas was in high school when she says Dustin Hoffman exposed himself to her in a hotel room.  Melissa Kester was a recent college graduate when Hoffman allegedly sexually assaulted her while recording audio for the film “Ishtar.”

‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ Review  —  Remixing the structure of the originals with the aesthetics of the prequels  —  The following piece of criticism will include the discussion of plot points and the fates of characters; please do not complain to me about spoilers if you read beyond this sentence.

To save the GOP, Republicans have to lose  —  I find myself wandering in an unfamiliar place.  As a pro-life conservative, I am honestly happy — no, positively elated — that pro-choice Democrat Doug Jones won Alabama's U.S. Senate election.  —  It is an odd position for me, and a complicated one.

Americans pessimistic about Trump, country: AP-NORC Poll  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump frequently casts his first year in office as a string of successes and campaign promises fulfilled.  But less than a quarter of Americans think Trump has made good on the pledges he made to voters …

A journey through a land of extreme poverty: welcome to America  —  The Guardian joined him on a special two-week mission into the dark heart of the world's richest nation  —  Los Angeles, California, 5 December  —  “You got a choice to make, man.  You could go straight on to heaven.

4 senior managers at Interior Dept. fired for harassment  —  Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke revealed today he has fired four senior managers at the Interior Department for inappropriate conduct, including sexual harassment.  —  “I've already removed four senior leaders that were guilty …

Good Riddance to the Biggest Fake in American Politics  —  Paul Ryan makes noises about going back to Janesville.  —  Ring and run, you wretched cur.  —  In what passes for a genuine scoop  —  , Tim Alberta and Rachael Cade broke the news in  —  Politico  —  o

Trump's Numbers Near a Tipping Point … Public opinion can take off like a runaway train once it gets going.  President Donald Trump, already polling lower than any of his predecessors in his first year, might soon be hearing the hoofbeats of history.  —  At 32 percent in the most recent Pew …

Farewell  —  To Our Readers:  —  When I turned 80 three years ago, I retired my weekly PBS series and have since focused on the web with a small, dedicated team as the avenue for our journalism.  Your response rewarded our efforts, and we have been pleased and grateful for your interest and attention.