The Battle for Iran  —  Protest movements in the Middle East face enormous repressive hurdles and rarely have happy endings.  Even when protesters “succeed” in toppling an autocrat, they've rarely succeeded in ending autocracy.  —  In Iran, the obstacles to success are daunting.

Kim Jong-un's Overture to South Korea Signals Possible Thaw in Nuclear Crisis  —  SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, moved Monday to ease his country's isolation by offering to send a delegation to the Winter Olympics in South Korea next month, even as he claimed …

Intoxicated man found with small arsenal on top floor of Hyatt Regency downtown, police say  —  HOUSTON - A man has been arrested on multiple charges after police located a small arsenal of guns on the top floor of the Hyatt Regency on Louisiana Street downtown, Houston police said.

Chief Justice Roberts says courts will examine protections against sexual harassment  —  Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. announced an initiative Sunday to ensure there are proper procedures in place to protect law clerks and other court employees from sexual harassment …

Does the White Working Class Really Vote Against Its Own Interests?  —  As his first year in the White House draws to a close, Donald J. Trump remains in almost every respect a singular character.  He exists well outside the boundaries of what most observers previously judged possible, let alone respectable, in American politics.

Niagara Falls is coated in ice — and absolutely jaw-dropping  —  Historian and author Paul Gromosiak once said that winter at Niagara Falls can be so breathtaking that it “diminishes even those skyscrapers” on the other side of the border in Canada.  —  Trees once thick with fall leaves …

De Blasio will get a pay raise when second term begins  —  Mayor de Blasio will get a fat 15 percent raise when his second term begins Monday - bumping his salary from $225,000 to $258,750 a year.  —  The $33,750 boost is more than the annual salary of a full-time worker making the city's roughly $13 minimum wage.

Bernstein: Trump's lawyers tell him what he wants to hear on Russia  —  STORY HIGHLIGHTS  — Bernstein said White House aides have told him Trump has repeatedly expressed a desire to fire Mueller  — He and his partner of Watergate reporting fame, Bob Woodward, drew parallels between Trump and Nixon

Minnesota Lt. Gov. Smith to join Senate, dive into campaign  —  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Lt. Gov. Tina Smith is vowing to “hit the ground running” as she joins the U.S. Senate this week while preparing to run in November.  —  Gov. Mark Dayton appointed Smith, his second-in-command …

Partisans, Wielding Money, Begin Seeking to Exploit Harassment Claims  —  WASHINGTON — As the #MeToo movement to expose sexual harassment roils the nation's capital, political partisans are exploiting the moment, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to support accusers who come forward …

Multiple officers shot, suspect at large, bomb squad, SWAT on scene in Douglas County  —  More than one officer shot.  —  A so far undisclosed number of Sheriff's deputies were shot Sunday morning and a Douglas County Sheriff's Office SWAT team is at the scene, a home near the 3400 block …

Comey: I hope 2018 brings more ethical leadership  —  said Sunday he hopes 2018 brings more “ethical leadership.”  —  “Here's hoping 2018 brings more ethical leadership, focused on the truth and lasting values,” Comey wrote in a tweet that many will interpret as a nod to President Trump

California high school football player can't be forced to stand for national anthem, court rules  —  San Francisco 49ers players kneel during the national anthem before an NFL game against the Houston Texans earlier this month in Houston.  (David J. Phillip / Associated Press)

Why Defense Secretary Jim Mattis Doesn't Carry Challenge Coins: 'I'm Saving Money for Bombs'  —  At a remote military base in Jordan earlier this month, U.S. Marines were abuzz with excitement — Defense Secretary Jim Mattis was in town.  —  He would not be visiting Camp Titin …

Scaramucci: Trump doesn't deny climate change  —  Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci on Sunday defended President Donald Trump's tweet last week on climate change as a common-sense statement.  —  “In the East, it could be the COLDEST New Year's Eve on record.