How bad is the Republican coverup on Trump and Russia?  We may soon find out.  —  THE MORNING PLUM:  —  As we head into 2018, one big, looming unknown is this: Just how far will congressional Republicans go to prevent a full accounting of Russia's interference in our election and any possible Trump campaign conspiracy with it?

Orrin Hatch to Retire from Senate, Opening Path for Mitt Romney  —  Orrin G. Hatch, the longest-serving Senate Republican, will announce that he will retire at the end of the year, clearing a path for Mitt Romney to run.  —  January 2, 2018  —  Trump Accuses Former Clinton Aide of Failing to Follow Security Protocols

GOP Rep. Bill Shuster to retire, spend final year working with Trump on massive infrastructure bill  —  Rep. Bill Shuster, chairman of the House Transportation Committee, will not seek re-election in November, telling the Washington Examiner that he wants to focus exclusively on working …

Flying in 2017 was safer than it's ever been  —  Five new planes you'll be flying soon  —  By nearly all measures, flying in 2017 was safer than ever.  —  Last year, there were 10 fatal commercial passenger and cargo air crashes that killed 44 passengers and crew members.

Foreign governments are finding ways to do favors for Trump's business  —  WASHINGTON  —  In Indonesia, a local government plans to build a road to shorten the drive between the main airport on the island of Bali and the new high-end Trump resort and golf course.

The Trump Effect: Business, Anticipating Less Regulation, Loosens Purse Strings  —  WASHINGTON — A wave of optimism has swept over American business leaders, and it is beginning to translate into the sort of investment in new plants, equipment and factory upgrades that bolsters economic growth …

Donald Trump's Year of Living Dangerously  —  When President Donald Trump sat down for dinner on September 18 in New York with leaders of four Latin American countries on the sidelines of the annual United Nations General Assembly, anxieties were already running high.

Warren positions herself for potential 2020 run  —  Elizabeth Warren has spent the past year making a series of below-the-radar moves that would put her in prime position to run for president in 2020 if she decides to.  —  The liberal icon and Republican bete noire has amassed more money …

John Dean: Nixon 'Might Have Survived If There'd Been a Fox News'  —  John Dean, the former Nixon White House counsel, has a stark warning for White House lawyer Ty Cobb and the rest of President Donald Trump's defenders as they enter 2018: Believing the investigation and prosecutions will be over anytime soon is “wishful thinking.”

Hoda Kotb joins Savannah Guthrie as co-anchor of TODAY  —  Hoda Kotb has been named the co-anchor of TODAY, making her official debut Tuesday just after an announcement by NBC News Chairman Andy Lack.  —  Kotb, 53, will join Savannah Guthrie at the anchor desk during the first two hours of the morning news program.

Doug Jones hires African-American chief of staff  —  Sen.-elect Doug Jones (D-Ala.) has hired former transportation official and congressional aide Dana Gresham as his new chief of staff.  —  Jones will be the only Senate Democrat to have an African-American chief of staff once Gresham comes on board.

Republicans can't generate buzz for Ros-Lehtinen's seat, and some say it's unwinnable  —  WASHINGTON  —  The GOP's inability to find top-shelf candidates to run for Ileana Ros-Lehtinen's U.S. House seat has some Republicans ready to write off the race and shift money and attention to more winnable contests.

Graham: I ‘fully believe that if North Korea goes to the Winter Olympics, we do not’  —  (R-S.C.) on Monday said if North Korea goes to the Winter Olympics, the U.S. should not attend.  —  “Allowing Kim Jong Un's North Korea to participate in #WinterOlympics would give legitimacy …

Pakistan summons U.S. ambassador after Trump's angry tweet  —  ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan summoned the U.S. ambassador in protest against U.S. President Donald Trump's angry tweet about Pakistan's “lies and deceit”, while Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif dismissed the outburst as a political stunt.

The Criminal Underworld Is Dropping Bitcoin for Another Currency  —  Monero and others lure criminals as bitcoin's privacy weakens  —  Some coins post fake blockchain entries to hamper surveillance  —  Bitcoin is losing its luster with some of its earliest and most avid fans — criminals …

About That Trump ‘Autocracy’  —  Remember all those progressive predictions of looming fascism?  —  As Donald Trump heads into his second year as President, we're pleased to report that there hasn't been a fascist coup in Washington.  This must be terribly disappointing to the progressive elites …

“Oh My God, This Is So F—ed Up”: Inside Silicon Valley's Secretive, Orgiastic Dark Side  —  Some of the most powerful men in Silicon Valley are regulars at exclusive, drug-fueled, sex-laced parties—gatherings they describe not as scandalous, or even secret, but as a bold, unconventional lifestyle choice.

Michele Bachmann Is Asking God Whether She Should Run For Al Franken's Senate Seat  —  Former Minnesota congresswoman and current “pastor to the United Nations” Michele Bachmann joined End Times prepper pastor Jim Bakker for a series of television programs that aired last week …

‘Fake News’: Wide Reach but Little Impact, Study Suggests  —  Fake news evolved from seedy internet sideshow to serious electoral threat so quickly that behavioral scientists had little time to answer basic questions about it, like who was reading what, how much real news they also consumed …

The West Can Help Iranians Take Back Their Country  —  The perfect man for the job: Barack Obama.  —  In case anyone was wondering, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and the rest of America's political class are with the protesters in Iran.  Statements have been issued.  Tweets have been tweeted.

The one question likely to decide 2018 elections  —  STORY HIGHLIGHTS  —  (CNN)As the 2018 election year begins, one question above all is likely to shape its outcome: Will Americans vote to constrain President Donald Trump by electing a Democrat-led Congress that will challenge and resist him …