Bolton's Hawkish Syria Plan Backfired, Pushing Trump to Get Out  —  The national security adviser expanded U.S. goals in Syria to challenge Iran.  But Trump wasn't on board, senior officials say, and Turkey took an opportunity to push the U.S. out.  —  A fateful decision by national security …

Trump Discusses Firing Fed's Powell After Latest Rate Hike, Sources Say  — Advisers warn ousting Fed chairman would lead to market rout  — President's legal authority to remove Powell is unclear  —  President Donald Trump has discussed firing Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell …

Trump's shutdown stunt is an act of needless stupidity  —  “IT'S ACTUALLY part of what you do when you sign up for any public service position.”  So said Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) when asked about the hundreds of thousands of federal workers who will have to work without pay …

Trump lashed out at Whitaker after explosive Cohen revelations  —  Cohen says he lied about project in Moscow  —  Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump has at least twice in the past few weeks vented to his acting attorney general, angered by federal prosecutors who referenced …

The Syria Fairy Tale Lives!  —  Americans will no longer support Washington's incoherent Middle East adventurism.  —  Unlike my colleagues, I've been a bemused spectator during this week's Syria follies.  As readers of these columns know (see, e.g., here, here, here, here, and here) …

You Can't Serve Both Trump and America  —  The story is told of Jim Mattis, when he was the commanding general at Quantico, relieving a young lance corporal on Christmas.  The rest of that wintry day, those entering the front gate of the Marine base were startled to see that the sentry was a general …

A girl in Mexico attached her Christmas list to a balloon.  A man across the border found it.  —  The spot of red was what first caught Randy Heiss's attention last Sunday as he hiked the remote expanse of land behind his ranch in Patagonia, Ariz., a town near the U.S.-Mexico border.

Russians launched pro-Jill Stein social media blitz to help Trump win election, reports say  —  Building support for Stein was one of a “roster of themes” the Moscow-sanctioned internet trolls “turned to repeatedly,” report says.  —  Two days before the 2016 presidential election …

Supreme Court refuses to restore Trump's temporary asylum restrictions  —  The Supreme Court on Friday refused a request from the Trump administration to restore newly implemented restrictions that would prevent some migrants who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally from applying for asylum.

Mick Mulvaney in 2015: Trump's views on border wall ‘simplistic,’ ‘absurd and almost childish’  —  (CNN)Incoming White House acting-chief of staff Mick Mulvaney once called President Donald Trump's views on a border wall and immigration “simplistic” and “absurd and almost childish.”

“Some Reverse Wag-the-Dog Bulls—t": Boxed in and Fighting for Survival, Trump Is Flailing, Fuming, and Wondering Why Jared Is Getting All the Good Press  —  His base is revolting, his staff are rolling their eyes, and Ann Coulter called him “a joke.”  But, says a self-pitying president, Macron is worse.

It's official.  We lost the Cold War.  —  Perhaps the timing of George H.W. Bush's death last month was merciful.  This way he didn't have to see America lose the Cold War.  —  Bush presided over the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991.  But the triumph he and others earned with American blood …

Dow's worst week since 2008 financial crisis; Nasdaq closes in bear market  —  New York (CNN Business)The Dow just suffered its deepest weekly plunge since 2008 and the Nasdaq is officially in a bear market.  —  The miserable performance reflects deepening fears on Wall Street of an economic slowdown …

How Russian Money Helped Save Trump's Business  —  After his financial disasters two decades ago, no U.S. bank would touch him.  Then foreign money began flowing in.  —  In the fall of 1992, after he cut a deal with U.S. banks to work off nearly a billion dollars in personal debt …

Conservative Facts  —  The problem conservatism faces these days is that many of the loudest voices have decided to embrace the meanness while throwing away the facts. … D  —  ear Reader (including all you mole-rat monarchists),  —  One or two times a year I wake up in a Japanese family's living room …

Student Targeted by ‘Troll Storm’ Hopes Settlement Will Send Message to White Supremacists  —  An African-American student leader who was targeted by a racist “troll storm” says she hopes an unusual legal settlement with one of her harassers will send a strong message to white supremacists …

Mississippi's Republican governor quietly considering Medicaid expansion  —  JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi's Republican governor is considering Medicaid expansion, the first sign that long-held GOP opposition could be wilting in the Deep South after an election that was a big winner for the Obamacare program.

Taliban greets Pentagon's withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan with cries of victory  —  “The 17-year long struggle and sacrifices of thousands of our people finally yielded fruit,” said a senior commander in Helmand.  —  PESHAWAR, Pakistan — News that the White House had ordered the Pentagon …

LeBron James: NFL owners are ‘old white men’ with ‘slave mentality’ toward players  —  For LeBron James, the fundamental difference between the NBA and the NFL is the level of respect shown to players by the respective leagues and their team owners.  The Lakers forward, who in recent years …

Week 83: BuzzFeed Takes a Victory Lap  —  The libel case over the dossier it published before Trump took office gets tossed.  But the explosive contents that sped up the Russia probe still await final vindication.  —  Sweet vindication embraced BuzzFeed News this week as federal Judge Ursula Ungaro tossed …