Kremlin trolls burned across the Internet as Washington debated options … The first email arrived in the inbox of CounterPunch, a left-leaning American news and opinion website, at 3:26 a.m. — the middle of the day in Moscow.  —  “Hello, my name is Alice Donovan and I'm a beginner freelance journalist …

Man who left manure at Treasury Secretary Mnuchin's house comes forward, speaks out  —  A man who appears to be the person who left a gift-wrapped box of horse manure outside the home of U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin on Saturday spoke with AL.com via phone late Sunday evening, calling the incident an “act of political theater.”

Russian officials bar Navalny from running for president  —  MOSCOW (AP) — Russian election officials on Monday formally barred Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny from running for president, prompting calls from him for a boycott of next year's vote.  —  The Central Election Commission …

Tribune Editorial: Why Orrin Hatch is Utahn of the Year  —  These things are often misunderstood.  So, lest our readers, or the honoree himself, get the wrong impression, let us repeat the idea behind The Salt Lake Tribune's Utahn of the Year designation.  —  The criteria are not set in stone.

37 dead in Philippines mall fire  —  Dozens feared dead in fire at Philippine shopping mall  —  (CNN)More than three dozen people were killed when a fire broke out at a shopping mall in the southern Philippines city of Davao, authorities said.  —  All 37 were call center agents working …

An Appreciation of John McCain, Who Spent Six Christmases as a Prisoner of War  — Over his years with the Cardinals, Larry Fitzgerald has become a friend and admirer of Arizona Sen. John McCain.  This Christmas he pays tribute to a man who as a POW in Vietnam was a model of selfless heroism …

Parents Killed After Warning Daughter About Boyfriend's Racist Views, Family Says  —  A husband and wife were shot dead in their Virginia home three days before Christmas by a 17-year-old boy they had warned their daughter not to date because of his racist views, according to officials and news accounts.

Text of Pope Francis' traditional Christmas day message  —  VATICAN CITY (AP) — Dear Brothers and Sisters, Happy Christmas!  —  In Bethlehem, Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary.  He was born, not by the will of man, but by the gift of the love of God our Father, who “so loved the world …

Christmas Is the Perfect Time to Mock Liberals, and Other Random Thoughts  —  When we gather together this Christmas, it's going to be super-awkward since everybody is dead because Donald Trump pulled out of the Paris Climate Scam, repealed net neutrality, and cut taxes.

Topless Femen activist tries to snatch Jesus statue from Vatican crib  —  VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - A topless activist from the feminist group Femen tried to snatch the statue of the baby Jesus from the Nativity scene in St. Peter's Square on Monday but was stopped by police as she grabbed it.