Vladimir Putin Welcomes U.S. Withdrawal From Syria  —  MOSCOW — President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia on Thursday welcomed President Trump's announcement of a withdrawal of American troops from Syria, calling it “the right decision.”  —  Mr. Trump said on Wednesday that he was ordering …

Exclusive: Whitaker told he does not need to recuse himself from overseeing Mueller investigation  —  (CNN)Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker has consulted with ethics officials at the Justice Department and they have advised him he does not need to recuse himself from overseeing special …

Chaos in House as battle over wall upends shutdown talks  —  The House Republican caucus was thrown into chaos Thursday as conservatives revolted against a funding bill that includes no new money for President Donald Trump's border wall.  —  On the brink of a Christmastime shutdown …

N. Korea says it won't denuclearize unless US removes threat  —  SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Thursday it will never unilaterally give up its nuclear weapons unless the United States removes its nuclear threat first, a statement that raises further doubts on whether leader Kim Jong Un …

Secret Experiment in Alabama Senate Race Imitated Russian Tactics  —  As Russia's online election machinations came to light last year, a group of Democratic tech experts decided to try out similarly deceptive tactics in the fiercely contested Alabama Senate race, according to people familiar with the effort and a report on its results.

And What Can You Say About Paul Ryan?  —  How much time do you have?  —  WASHINGTON Paul Ryan was furious.  —  He'd been caught in a trap lured into an auditorium by the promise of a speech about fiscal responsibility.  Instead, President Barack Obama was lecturing the crowd …

Der Spiegel journalist messed with the wrong small town  —  In February 2017, my husband and I attended a concert at our local theater, and were sipping some wine in the lobby before the show started.  Several people came up to us at separate times excitedly, and asked, “did you meet the German guy yet?!”

U.S. to Unseal Criminal Charges Against Chinese Intelligence Officers  —  Allies including the U.K., Japan, and Australia expected to issue statements supporting the U.S. action  —  The U.S. Justice Department is expected to unseal criminal charges Thursday against Chinese intelligence …

Trump administration aims to toughen work requirements for food stamp recipients  —  The Trump administration unveiled a plan Thursday to force hundreds of thousands more Americans to hold jobs if they want to keep receiving food stamps, pursuing through executive powers what it could not achieve in Congress.

‘Oh, no’: The day Trump learned to tweet  —  The content of the tweet @RealDonaldTrump posted on the night of Feb. 5, 2013, was bland: a simple thank you to the actress Sherri Shepherd for flattering comments she'd made about Trump on television.  —  But its implications were historic.

Beto O'Rourke frequently voted for Republican legislation, analysis reveals  —  Review of his six-year record in Congress shows Democrat frequently opposed own party, and supported bills that boosted the fossil fuel industry and Trump's immigration policy  —  Beto O'Rourke's spirited run …

It Is So Much Worse Than I Thought  —  How can a family that can't run a charity run a country?  —  I will be going on book leave soon — today is my last column for a while because of the holiday schedule — to write what I believe to be the most important thing that I've ever written.

Mueller seeks Roger Stone's testimony to House intelligence panel, suggesting special counsel is near end of probe of Trump adviser  —  Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III asked the House Intelligence Committee on Friday for an official transcript of Trump adviser Roger Stone's testimony …

Tribune editorial: Chaffetz has made his choice  —  By The Salt Lake Tribune  —  Jason Chaffetz has made his choice.  —  The former Utah congressman has not just taken a break from a career as a media-savvy and slightly wonkish politician, someone who might reasonably have aspired …

Trump 2020 campaign used a shell company to pay ad buyers at the center of alleged illegal coordination scheme with NRA  —  The Trump campaign funneled money to ad buyers alleged to have facilitated illegal coordination between the campaign and the NRA by routing funds through a secretive LLC …

Republican Leadership Is Slowly Backing Away From Trump  —  Trump's popularity with voters is only one part of the picture.  Leaders within the GOP are clearly hedging their bets as 2020 approaches.  —  “The Wall” began as just a slogan.  By the end of the 2016 presidential campaign …

Bloodstain Analysis Convinced a Jury She Stabbed Her 10-Year-Old Son.  Now, Even Freedom Can't Give Her Back Her Life.  —  Julie Rea was convicted of killing her son largely on the testimony of bloodstain-pattern analysts.  She was later acquitted and exonerated, joining a growing community …