“I Have Power”: Is Steve Bannon Running for President?  —  On a whirlwind tour around the globe, Trump's former aide and alter ego reveals what really went down in the White House, his unfettered thoughts on Javanka, his complicated relationship with his erstwhile boss—and his own political ambitions.

Rebuking Trump, U.N. General Assembly Condemns U.S. Decision on Jerusalem  —  UNITED NATIONS — A majority of the world's nations delivered a stinging rebuke to the United States on Thursday, denouncing its decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and ignoring President Trump's threats …

Obamacare sign ups surge, despite Trump's declaration on ‘repeal’  —  The latest HealthCare.gov enrollment season closed with a surge of sign-ups, unexpectedly putting Obamacare enrollment on track to potentially match last year's figures despite the GOP's attacks on the health care law.

Trump praises ‘Fox & Friends’ for being named ‘most influential’ because he watches it  —  on Thursday praised “Fox & Friends” after a media website named it the “most influential” because he watches it.  —  “Was @foxandfriends just named the most influential show in news?”  Trump tweeted.

Prosecutors ask FBI agents for info on Uranium One deal  —  On the orders of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Justice Department prosecutors have begun asking FBI agents to explain the evidence they found in a now dormant criminal investigation into a controversial uranium deal that critics …

All 6 Defendants Not Guilty In Key Felony Trial Of Trump Inauguration Protesters  —  The case could determine the fate of many of the nearly 200 people arrested during the inauguration.  —  All six defendants in a crucial trial involving demonstrators arrested during President Donald Trump's inauguration …

President Trump commutes sentence of Sholom Rubashkin, ex-Iowa slaughterhouse executive  —  President Donald Trump on Wednesday commuted the prison sentence of former Iowa slaughterhouse executive Sholom Rubashkin, who was sentenced to 27 years for bank fraud and money laundering, the White House said.

Most Americans doubt Trump on Russia probe, while Mueller approval tilts positive  —  Berman: Trump wrong to claim collusion ‘disproven’  —  STORY HIGHLIGHTS  — 56% of Americans think Trump's public statements on the Russia probe have been mostly or completely false

Mueller Is Looking Into a U.S. Foundation Backed by Russian Money  —  Foundation got $500,000 in undisclosed Russian donations  —  Representatives attended meeting with Trump campaign officials  —  Sara Peterson flew to Moscow in 2012 to take home two Russian orphans just as the Kremlin …

Virginia officials will randomly pick winner of tied House of Delegates race on Dec. 27  —  Politicos, mark your calendars for Wednesday Dec. 27.  —  That's the day the Virginia Board of Elections will randomly pick the winner of the high stakes and tied 94th House District race.  —  The impact?

EXCLUSIVE: Trump's Mar-a-Lago tax deal veiled from IRS review  —  PALM BEACH POST INVESTIGATION … Donald Trump stands in the living room at Mar-a-Lago, 1992.  Photo by Katie Deits / Zuma Press  —  PALM BEACH — Donald Trump's deal with the town of Palm Beach to turn Mar-a-Lago …

The Politics of the Republican Tax Bill: A Dissenting View  —  I am not a fan of the new tax bill that the Republican Congress passed.  It will widen the gap between the wealthy and everyone else and increase the likelihood over a decade or so of another crash.

Pence makes surprise trip to Afghanistan  —  Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan (CNN)Vice President Mike Pence touched down in Afghanistan for an unannounced visit on Thursday night to meet with top Afghan officials and rally US troops for his first trip to the country as vice president.

The Real Coup Plot Is Trump's  —  When Donald Trump's campaign was accused of spreading “fake news,” he quickly appropriated the term for himself.  The true purveyors of fake news, he claimed, were television networks like CNN and newspapers like this one.  —  Now, as Mr. Trump and his allies seem …

Sore loser Roy Moore lashes out at Doug Jones' gay son  —  He's blaming everyone but himself.  —  Republican Roy Moore has still not conceded his loss in the Alabama Senate race, and in recent days, has seemed to pin the blame at minority groups he is known for despising.

Mueller Avoids Pitfalls by Giving Trump the Silent Treatment  —  Some Republicans are escalating attacks on Russia probe  —  Special counsel aims to convey credibility, officials says  —  Through all the controversy, threats and noise surrounding the Trump-Russia investigation …

Fueled by drug crisis, U.S. life expectancy declines for a second straight year … American life expectancy at birth declined for the second consecutive year in 2016, fueled by a staggering 21 percent rise in the death rate from drug overdoses, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday.

Review: In ‘The Post,’ Democracy Survives the Darkness  —  THE POST - NYT Critic's Pick - Directed by Steven Spielberg - Biography, Drama, History, Thriller - PG-13 - 1h 55m  —  Steven Spielberg's exhilarating drama “The Post” is about a subject that's dear to the heart of journalists: themselves!

You Cannot Be Too Cynical About the Republican Tax Bill  —  The rush to enact the tax bill was designed to mask — as a break for the middle class — what is in fact a $1.4 trillion package of benefits for key donors and lobbyists, the richest members of Congress, President Trump, his family and other families like his.

Exclusive: US making plans for ‘bloody nose’ military attack on North Korea  —  America is drawing up plans for a “bloody nose” military attack on North Korea to stop its nuclear weapons programme, The Telegraph understands.  —  The White House has “dramatically” stepped up preparation …

Designing Against Misinformation  —  By Jeff Smith, Product Designer, Grace Jackson, User Experience Researcher, and Seetha Raj, Content Strategist  —  Scrolling through News Feed, it can be hard to judge what stories are true or false.  Should you trust everything that you see, even if it comes from someone whom you don't know well?

Baseball's Rainmaker Forced Out After Alleged Misconduct  —  Major League Baseball forced out the architect of its multibillion-dollar digital-media business last month, after years of troubling workplace behavior that former baseball executives were said to be made aware of at least a decade ago.

Facebook Job Ads Raise Concerns About Age Discrimination  —  This article was written through collaboration between The New York Times and ProPublica, the independent, nonprofit investigative journalism organization.  —  A few weeks ago, Verizon placed an ad on Facebook to recruit applicants …