Trump cancels White House Christmas party for the press  —  EXCLUSIVE - President Trump has canceled the White House holiday party for the media, making the decades-old tradition a victim of his increasingly contentious relationship with major news organizations.

Get Ready for Mueller's Phase Two: The Middle East Connection  —  The ‘Russia investigation’ is set to go global.  In court filings due to drop in 2019, prosecutors will unveil Middle Eastern countries' attempts to influence U.S. politics.  —  Over the past year, the indictments, convictions …

Key lawmakers seek to haul in Trump associates working with Mueller  —  (CNN)Now that President Donald Trump's former “fixer,” Michael Cohen, has been sentenced to prison, leaders of the House and Senate Intelligence committees are preparing to haul him back before Congress before he begins serving time.

'They don't care': Facebook fact-checking in disarray as journalists push to cut ties  —  Journalists paid to help fix Facebook's fake news problem say they have lost trust in the platform  —  Journalists working as fact-checkers for Facebook have pushed to end a controversial media partnership …

Trump and Democrats can reach a deal on the wall — if they have the spine to take it  —  PUT ASIDE Tuesday's Oval Office theatrics and remember this: There's a compromise within reach on the wall and immigration for President Trump and congressional Democrats — if each side has the spinal fortitude …

Apple Plans Billion-Dollar Austin Campus in Wave of New Sites  —  iPhone maker says its planned Austin facility could create 15,000 jobs, would come alongside new offices in Seattle, San Diego and Culver City  —  Apple Inc. AAPL 0.28% plans to invest $1 billion building a new corporate campus in Austin …

The Rise of Right-Wing Extremism, and How We Missed It … Listen and subscribe to our podcast from your mobile device:  —  Despite repeated warnings over the past two decades, federal law enforcement officials in the United States have ignored the threat of violence from far-right extremists.

Senate 2020: Republican exposure on paper, but not necessarily in practice  —  GOP defending a lot of turf, but much of it is dark red  —  KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE  — Of the 34 Senate races on the ballot in 2020, Republicans already control 22 of them while Democrats hold only 12.

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.

Courier Journal and ProPublica to launch state government investigation  —  The Courier Journal and the national nonprofit news outlet ProPublica will partner in a yearlong investigation of a Kentucky state government program, the news organizations announced Wednesday.

Walls Work  —  WE ARE BUILDING THE FIRST NEW BORDER WALL IN A DECADE.  —  DHS is committed to building wall and building wall quickly.  We are not replacing short, outdated and ineffective wall with similar wall.  Instead, under this President we are building a wall that is 30-feet high.

When Anti-Zionism Tunnels Under Your House  —  For the people of northern Israel, anti-Zionism isn't some feckless sally in the world of ideas.  —  In 2002, Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary-general of Hezbollah, was said to have given a speech noting that the creation of the state of Israel …

“This Was a Big Repudiation of Jared”: After the Ayers Chief-of-Staff Fiasco, Trump Is Eyeing Bannon Ally Dave Bossie  —  First, Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump pushed Nick Ayers, who jilted Donald Trump.  Then, Trump pushed Kushner on Sean Hannity to take the heat—and into the doghouse.

Michael Flynn Judge Seeks Review Of Key FBI Notes Before Sentencing Decision  — The judge presiding over the Michael Flynn case is ordering a review of key FBI documents before deciding on a sentence for the former national security adviser.  — Judge Emmet Sullivan wants to review …

‘He got screwed’: Gillum absent from indictment after DeSantis bashed him as corrupt  —  MIAMI — Federal authorities unveiled a 44-count, 66-page indictment Wednesday of a Tallahassee politician and a city official that involved six companies, five other players and a bank in a wide-ranging bribery …

Why Trump Can't Kill the Electric Car  —  The electric vehicle revolution, after years of hype that outpaced reality, finally seems to be taking off in the United States.  The best five months for plug-in sales in American history have been the past five months.

The Flynn Entrapment  —  A court filing shows the ugly tactics employed by James Comey's FBI.

U.S. to Declare Russia, China National Security Threats in Africa  —  Bolton speech seeks to woo continent's leaders after earlier administration stumbles  —  WASHINGTON—President Trump plans to reshape America's policy in Africa by challenging the continent's leaders to make a strategic choice …

A law firm in the trenches against media unions  —  In May, the law firm Jones Day hosted a conference in its Manhattan office focused on labor and employment law in the news media industry.  It was an invitation-only affair, bringing together Jones Day attorneys and media executives …

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 …

Damnit, Ted Cruz's Beard Looks Tolerable Now  —  His greatest political opponent has always been his face.  A few weeks off the razor has changed that.  —  Clean-shaven, Ted Cruz might have the most upsetting face in politics.  It was just about two years ago, that feels like two decades ago …

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.

Have You Experienced a Petty Crime in London?  Tell Us Your Story  —  As the city's level of violent crime rises, help us understand how the London police are responding to minor property crimes.  —  A surge in violent crime in London has exacerbated a decade of service cuts under …

Does This Look Right to You?  HOLLAD TONNEL  —  They decked the Holland with boughs of holly Then people called their décor folly.  —  Hundreds signed a web petition Now they'll vote on their position.  —  As it has in so many Decembers past, the Port Authority of New York …

Top Democrat: DOJ ‘needs to re-examine’ guidance that a sitting president shouldn't be indicted  —  Washington (CNN)Rep. Adam Schiff argued Wednesday that the Department of Justice “needs to re-examine” the Office of Legal Counsel's opinion that a sitting US president should not be indicted.