Democrats in High-Tax States Plot to Blunt Impact of New Tax Law  —  Democrats in high-cost, high-tax states are plotting ways to do what their states' representatives in Congress could not: blunt the impact of the newly passed Republican tax overhaul.  —  Governors and legislative leaders in New York …

Iran unrest: ‘Ten dead’ in further protests overnight  —  Ten people have been killed overnight in anti-government protests sweeping Iran, according to state TV.  —  “In the events of last night, unfortunately a total of about 10 people were killed in several cities,” it said.

Powerful Hollywood Women Unveil Anti-Harassment Action Plan  —  Driven by outrage and a resolve to correct a power imbalance that seemed intractable just months ago, 300 prominent actresses and female agents, writers, directors, producers and entertainment executives have formed an ambitious …

South Korea hails North's proposal for talks  —  South Korea on Monday welcomed a message from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that he is open to talks between the two countries, and may consider sending a delegation to next month's Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korean news agency Yonhap News reported.

Kuwaiti report: US gives Israel go-ahead to kill powerful Iranian general  —  Newspaper says Washington and Jerusalem have overcome the differences that saw Americans tipping off Tehran about Israeli attempt to kill Qassem Soleimani 3 years ago  —  Iranian Revolutionary Guards al-Quds Force commander …

Making China Great Again  —  As Donald Trump surrenders America's global commitments, Xi Jinping is learning to pick up the pieces.  —  When the Chinese action movie “Wolf Warrior II” arrived in theatres, in July, it looked like a standard shoot-'em-up, with a lonesome hero and frequent explosions.

Her husband murdered, her son taken away, a mother seeking asylum tells a judge, ‘I have lost everything’  —  EL PASO - The boy was crying as federal agents ordered him into the government vehicle.  Tell your mother goodbye, they said.  —  It was late October, and Blanca Vasquez and her 12-year-old son …

Fort Smith Mosque Pays the Debts of Man Who Vandalized Their Building  —  FORT SMITH, Ark. — In October of 2016, the Masjid Al Salam in Fort Smith was vandalized.  But over one year later, the man behind the act, Abraham Davis, receives his ticket to freedom from the people he hurt the most.

Joe Hockey discussed Alexander Downer's Russia revelations with FBI  —  The ambassador to the United States Joe Hockey personally steered Australia's dealings with the FBI on explosive revelations of Russian hacking during last year's presidential campaign in a sign of how politically sensitive …

I Helped Popularize The Term “Fake News” And Now I Cringe Every Time I Hear It  —  After a yearlong battle for its meaning and ownership, “fake news” is now both an empty slogan and a deeply troubling warning sign.  —  In October 2014 I came across a false story that was quickly racking up likes, shares, and comments on Facebook.

How Do You Vote?  50 Million Google Images Give a Clue  —  What vehicle is most strongly associated with Republican voting districts?  Extended-cab pickup trucks.  For Democratic districts?  Sedans.  —  Those conclusions may not be particularly surprising.

Democrats more fearful about 2018 than Republicans: poll  —  Democrats are more fearful about what 2018 holds than Republicans, according to a poll released early Monday.  —  The new Axios survey showed 55 percent of Democrats are more hopeful personally about the new year while 44 percent are more fearful.

It sure looks as if Kirsten Gillibrand is running for president  —  Will Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) run for president in 2020?  She has been quick to clamp down on any speculation about a 2020 bid.  But her actions suggest otherwise.  Gillibrand has staked out a particularly anti-Trump voting record …

Trump has a golf problem  —  On Christmas, Trump tweeted that he would be going “back to work” the next day. … Trump has since gone golfing for seven consecutive days, while the press pool ate pancakes at a local IHOP.  —  December 26  —  “The motorcade pulled into Trump International Golf Club at around 9:05am.