New: Trump officials demand Mueller return thousands of emails  —  Officials of President Trump's transition team plan to ask Special Counsel Robert Mueller to return “many tens of thousands” of transition emails they contend were unlawfully provided to him.

NBC Made Payment To Staffer After Sexual Harassment Claim Against Chris Matthews  —  An NBC spokesman confirmed Saturday the company made a separation-related payment to one of Chris Matthews employees after the woman complained about sexual harassment.  —  Two sources familiar …

Democrats hold biggest lead in congressional preference since 2008  —  WASHINGTON — Fresh off their victory in Alabama's special Senate election, Democrats now enjoy their largest advantage in congressional preference in nine years, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll …

A Democratic winner in Virginia says it's time for bipartisanship  —  Gov.-elect Ralph Northam said he wants to lead Virginia in a civil, bipartisan manner.  He said voters are “looking for a moral compass right now.”  (Salwan Georges/The Washington Post)  —  RICHMOND — Virginia …

A War Trump Won  —  There is nothing more characteristic of the Trump era, with its fire hose of misinformation, scandal and hyperbole, than that America and its allies recently managed to win a war that just two years ago consumed headlines and dominated political debate and helped Donald Trump himself …

This Evangelical Leader Denounced Trump.  Then the Death Threats Started.  —  Last fall, Jen Hatmaker, a popular evangelical author and speaker, started getting death threats.  Readers mailed back her books to her home address, but not before some burned the pages or tore them into shreds.

UN Security Council weighs resolution saying Jerusalem decisions are void  —  The United Nations (U.N.) Security Council is weighing a draft resolution that would essentially seek to nullify any move to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.  —  The resolution, drafted by Egypt …

As Venezuela Collapses, Children Are Dying of Hunger  —  For five months, The New York Times tracked 21 public hospitals in Venezuela.  Doctors are seeing record numbers of children with severe malnutrition.  Hundreds have died.  —  Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves in the world.

Words banned at multiple HHS agencies include ‘diversity’ and ‘vulnerable’ … The Trump administration has informed multiple divisions within the Department of Health and Human Services that they should avoid using certain words or phrases in official documents being drafted for next year's budget.

What happened in Wisconsin, cont'd  —  Last week I noted that by order dated December 6 a Wisconsin judge unsealed an 88-page report on the state Department of Justice's (WisDoJ) investigation into a leak of sealed evidence from the politically motivated “John Doe” investigation of Gov. Scott Walker …