Michael Cohen Sentenced To 3 Years In Prison  —  U.S. Attorney's Office Also Announces Non-Prosecution Agreement with American Media, Inc., Related to Its Payment of $150,000 to a Woman to Influence 2016 Presidential Election  —  Robert Khuzami, Attorney for the United States, Acting Under Authority Conferred by 28 U.S.C.

Mark Meadows Out of Running for White House Chief of Staff  —  President Trump has told Rep. Mark Meadows, considered one of the front-runners for the White House chief of staff job, that he wants him to remain in Congress, a White House official said.

Trump Moves to Deport Vietnam War Refugees  —  The Trump administration is resuming its efforts to deport certain protected Vietnamese immigrants who have lived in the United States for decades—many of them having fled the country during the Vietnam War.  —  This is the latest move …

Incoming New York attorney general plans wide-ranging investigations of Trump and family  —  Just-elected Letitia James, who takes office next month, tells NBC she will probe real estate deals, Trump Tower meeting, emoluments, Trump Foundation and more.  —  New York Attorney Gen.-elect Letitia James …

Everybody's Wrong: Donald Trump Won the Chuck-n-Nancy Meeting, and Here's Why  —  All that in-front-of-the-cameras civility is fake anyway.  Trump dispensed with it.  It was refreshing, and his people will love it, shutdown or no shutdown.  —  Matt Lewis

Sen. James Inhofe Bought Defense Stock Days After Pushing For Record Pentagon Spending—Then Dumped It When Asked About It  —  Ethics experts say the purchase underscores the moral hazard of lawmakers owning assets in areas of industry affected by legislation they are in positions to author

Tennessee U.S. Rep.-elect Mark Green, a doctor, falsely claims vaccines cause autism, denies CDC evidence  —  A soon-to-be congressman from Tennessee told constituents Tuesday he believed vaccines may be causing autism, denying data from the Centers for Disease Control and other institutions disproving such a theory.

Tribune, Tronc And Beyond: A Slur, A Secret Payout And A Looming Sale  —  Several months after taking control of the troubled Tribune Publishing Co. in 2016, Chicago investor Michael Ferro convened a session of corporate leaders from within his own news empire, including chief news executives …

Pelosi clears major hurdle in bid to be House Speaker, reaching a deal with Democratic rebels that includes stepping aside by 2022  —  In a concession, the California congresswoman will support a three-term limit for the top three House Democratic leaders.  That means she would step aside no later than 2022 as party leader.

Giuliani's Work for Trump Is Slowing, so He's Courting Business Abroad  —  WASHINGTON — The special counsel's investigation was grinding relentlessly onward, with President Trump's former national security adviser pleading for leniency in his case and his former fixer about to be sentenced for his crimes.

A top cardinal's sex-abuse conviction is huge news in Australia.  But the media can't report it there.  —  The front page of Thursday's Herald Sun newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, is dominated by a single word in huge white type, all caps, on a black background: CENSORED.

Theresa May survives confidence vote with a majority of 83 - Politics live  —  Prime minister defeats leadership challenge after Conservative MPs vote to back her by 200 to 117  —  Play Video  —  Some more reaction coming in from senior Tories, who are backing the prime minister:

APNewsBreak: Julian Castro moves toward 2020 White House run  —  SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Former Obama housing chief Julian Castro says he's taking a step toward a possible White House campaign in 2020 by forming a presidential exploratory committee.  The Texas Democrat tells The Associated Press that he will announce a decision Jan. 12.

When will we stop ignoring that 21 trillion-pound gorilla sitting in plain sight?  —  John R. Kasich, a Republican, is governor of Ohio.  He served as a member of Congress from 1983 to 2001 and was chairman of the House Budget Committee from 1995 to 2001.  —  Do deficits matter?

Sen. Barbara Bollier Changes Party Affiliation To Democrat, Says Republican Party ‘morally Not Going Where My Compass Resides’  —  Mission Hills Sen. Barbara Bollier This Morning Officially Changed Her Party Affiliation From Republican To Democrat.  —  Citing “Frustrations That Have Been Ongoing …

Trump to Steer More Money to ‘Opportunity Zones’  —  WASHINGTON — President Trump will direct federal agencies on Wednesday to steer spending toward certain distressed communities across the country — part of his administration's push to turn a tax break included in last year's $1.5 trillion tax package …

Los Angeles Mayor Shouted Down by Protesters During Speech  —  Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti was forced to end a speech at the University of Southern California on Monday prematurely after protesters began shouting over him about his administration's treatment of the city's homeless population.

It's ridiculous that it's unconstitutional for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to run for president  —  Immigrants, young people, and everyone else should be allowed to run.  —  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is the biggest star in the Democratic Party, and she has been ever since she unseated …

Departing U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman reflects on Donald Trump and eyes the Aurora mayor's office  —  After 11-point loss, suburban Denver congressman hasn't decided on his next move.  But he has ideas.  —  Mike Coffman was seemingly invincible — until he wasn't.

Macron Just Doesn't Get It  —  He and others on the left are being swept along by world-historical forces they do not fully understand.  —  The sorry truth is that both progressives and neoliberals still don't get it, and that seems true in France most of all.

Introducing The Cook Political Report's 2020 House Ratings  —  The 116th Congress hasn't even been sworn in yet, and there's still no resolution in sight to one North Carolina race tainted by election fraud.  But already, the 2020 battle for the House is shaping up to be highly competitive.

Washington must wake up to the abuse of software that kills  —  Dictators are using spyware to persecute dissidents and journalists at an alarming rate, while the foreign firms that sell these tools assure the public that everything is just fine.  It's time Washington policymakers …

The naughty list?  Donald Trump Jr. calls his dad a regifter  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's eldest son says his father is a “regifter” who “may or may not” have once given him the same gift he presented to his dad the year before.  —  Donald Trump Jr. says in an interview …

Congress reaches deal to curb sexual harassment on Capitol Hill  —  House and Senate negotiators reached a deal Wednesday on long-stalled legislation to curb sexual harassment in Congress, a bipartisan breakthrough that comes as Capitol Hill has weathered a series of scandals.