The Republicans' Fake Investigations  —  A generation ago, Republicans sought to protect President Richard Nixon by urging the Senate Watergate committee to look at supposed wrongdoing by Democrats in previous elections.  The committee chairman, Sam Ervin, a Democrat, said that would be …

Russia probe grand jury looks like ‘a Black Lives Matter rally,’ says witness  —  The federal grand jury handing down indictments for special counsel Robert Mueller doesn't appear to include any supporters of President Donald Trump, according to one witness who recently testified before the panel.

Roy Moore's Jewish lawyer voted for Doug Jones, raised money for his campaign  —  The Jewish attorney who Roy Moore's wife touted employing in an attempt to fight off claims of anti-Semitism is actually a longtime friend and supporter of Senator-elect Doug Jones, who defeated Moore last month.

Monster storm to blast East Coast before polar vortex uncorks tremendous cold late this week  —  Unforgiving cold has punished the eastern third of the United States for the past 10 days.  But the most severe winter weather conditions will assault the area late this week.

Romney Changes Location on Twitter as Utah Senate Seat Opens  —  Mitt Romney was mum on whether he plans to run for Senate after Republican Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah announced he'll retire after 2018.  But Romney's Twitter profile may give a hint about his thinking.

Joshua Boyle, Canadian hostage in Afghanistan, arrested and faces list of charges in Ottawa  —  Boyle appears in court Wednesday to face 15 charges, including sexual assault and forcible confinement.  —  OTTAWA—Joshua Boyle, the Canadian man who was held hostage with his American wife …

Congressional investigators find irregularities in FBI's handling of Clinton email case  —  Republicans on key congressional committees say they have uncovered new irregularities and contradictions inside the FBI's probe of Hillary Clinton  —  's email server.

The NSA's top talent is leaving because of low pay and flagging morale … The National Security Agency is losing its top talent at a worrisome rate as highly skilled personnel, some disillusioned with the spy service's leadership and an unpopular reorganization, take higher-paying, more flexible jobs in the private sector.

MSNBC Guest Rips Bill Kristol's Support of Iran Protests: 'You've Been Advocating Killing Iranians'  —  Things got a bit tense today on MSNBC when neo-conservative commentator and Weekly Standard editor-at-large Bill Kristol was directly challenged over his hawkish Middle East policy positions as they relate to Iran.

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?

Michele Bachmann eyeing run for Franken's Senate seat  —  STORY HIGHLIGHTS  —  (CNN)Former GOP congresswoman and presidential candidate Michele Bachmann says she is considering running for Democratic former Sen. Al Franken's Minnesota seat.  —  Bachmann, who was a member …

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.

“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.

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 …

Trump Tweets His ‘Nuclear Button’ Is ‘Much Bigger’ Than Kim Jong-un's  —  WASHINGTON — President Trump again raised the prospect of nuclear war with North Korea on Tuesday night, boasting that he commands a “much bigger” and “more powerful” arsenal of devastating weapons than the outlier government in Asia.

Sheriff David Clarke temporarily blocked on Twitter after violating terms of service  —  Clarke plagiarized portions of thesis (May 2017)  —  STORY HIGHLIGHTS  —  Washington (CNN)Former Milwaukee Sheriff David A. Clarke, Jr., a vocal surrogate for President Donald Trump on the campaign trail …

Dozens arrested at a house party over less than an ounce of marijuana, police say  —  Ten of the nearly 100 people arrested during a 21st birthday party over the weekend spoke exclusively to Channel 2 Action News for the first time since the incident.  —  Cartersville police said officers responded …

Trump floats cutting payments to Palestinians  —  President Donald Trump suggested on Tuesday that the U.S. should consider cutting payments to the Palestiniana, saying their officials “don't even want to negotiate a long overdue peace treaty with Israel.”  —  “[W]e pay the Palestinians HUNDRED …

Trump's claim that he prevented air-traffic deaths is his most questionable yet  —  See, what happened is that the boy cried wolf so many times that, when there actually was a wolf, no one believed him.  That's the moral of the story: Keep saying something is happening when it isn't and no one will believe you when it is.

Why Iran Is Protesting  —  This is the third mass uprising in Iran in my lifetime.  In July 1999, the peaceful protest of students over freedom of speech spread into a considerable uprising.  In June 2009, people took to streets to demand a recount of disputed votes in the presidential election, which began the Green Movement.

Arctic Outbreak Setting Record Lows as Dangerously Cold Wind Chills Infiltrate Plains, Midwest and East  —  Story Highlights  —  Arctic cold air will keep the eastern half of the nation shivering through the first week of January.  —  A reinforcing shot of bitter, Canadian air is expected to arrive late this week.

US to hold reception for countries that didn't vote to approve UN Jerusalem resolution  —  The U.S. will hold a reception for countries that did not vote to approve a United Nations resolution last month condemning the Trump administration's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley

Fear & loathing at the DoJ  —  In the memoir Cardiac Arrest: Five Heart-Stopping Years as a CEO on the Feds' Hit List (written with Stephen Saltarelli), Howard Root tells the story of his experience as chief executive officer of Vascular Solutions caught in the crosshairs of the federal government …

Hard-Liners and Reformers Tapped Iranians' Ire.  Now, Both Are Protest Targets.  —  TEHRAN — Antigovernment protests roiled Iran on Tuesday, as the death toll rose to 21 and the nation's supreme leader blamed foreign enemies for the unrest.  But the protests that have spread to dozens …