Trump says he ‘NEVER ABANDONED’ the idea of a concrete wall, disputing Kelly  —  President Trump on Monday disputed an assertion by his outgoing chief of staff, John F. Kelly, that the White House has abandoned plans for a solid concrete border wall, writing on Twitter that the idea was “NEVER ABANDONED.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren says she will seek the presidency in 2020  —  CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Sen. Elizabeth Warren jumped into the 2020 presidential campaign Monday, offering a message of economic populism as she became the best-known Democratic candidate yet to enter what is expected to be a crowded race.

American Paul Whelan arrested in Russia on spy charges as potential retribution for Maria Butina  —  Russia has arrested an American citizen in Moscow for alleged espionage, according to the country's security services, the FSB.  —  “On December 28, 2018, staff members of the Russian Federal …

Louis C.K. — Goes After Parkland Victims ... In Leaked Audio of New Stand-Up  —  As if Louis C.K. hadn't already hit bottom, he just went even lower by attacking victims of the Parkland massacre in a stand-up set ... this according to leaked audio of his new material.

House Democrats ready strategy to reopen government, deny Trump wall money  —  Democrats have settled upon a strategy for attempting to reopen the government when they take control of the House Thursday.  —  Democrats plan to pass a stopgap spending bill to fund the Homeland Security Department through Feb. 8.

EXCLUSIVE: NYS Senate Dems say thanks, but no thanks to Simcha Felder's return to Democratic conference … ALBANY — Thanks, but no thanks.  —  As they prepare to take over the majority, state Senate Democrats say Brooklyn Sen. Simcha Felder will not be welcomed back into their conference.

C.I.A.'s Afghan Forces Leave a Trail of Abuse and Anger  —  The fighters hold the line in the war's toughest spots, but officials say their brutal tactics are terrorizing the public and undermining the U.S. mission.  —  NADER SHAH KOT, Afghanistan — Razo Khan woke up suddenly to the sight …

Trump claims there's a 10-foot wall around the Obamas' D.C. home.  Neighbors say there's not.  —  In one of his most recent arguments for a southern border wall, President Trump on Sunday falsely claimed that the Washington home of former president Barack Obama and Michelle Obama is surrounded by a 10-foot wall.

Mattis urges Pentagon ranks to ‘keep the faith’ in farewell message  —  Defense Secretary Jim Mattis bid farewell to the armed forces and other defense employees on his last day on the job, urging them to “keep the faith” and stand by U.S. allies.  —  In a farewell message …

Our Exhausted American Mediocracy  —  The unlikely 2016 election of Donald Trump—the first president without either prior political or military office—was a repudiation of the American “aristocracy.”  By “rule of the best” I mean the ancien régime was no longer understood to suggest wealth and birth …

The Story of 2018 Was Climate Change  —  Future generations may ask why we were distracted by lesser matters.  —  Our best hope may be the weather.  —  For a long time, many people thought that it was a mistake to use the weather as evidence of climate change.  Weather patterns contain a lot of randomness.

Wielding Rocks and Knives, Arizonans Attack Self-Driving Cars  —  CHANDLER, Ariz. — The assailant slipped out of a park around noon one day in October, zeroing in on his target, which was idling at a nearby intersection — a self-driving van operated by Waymo, the driverless-car company spun out of Google.

GOP candidate kept corporate donations despite requests to return them, filings show  —  Despite calls for refunds, new campaign filings show Mississippi Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith kept $50,000 in donations from major companies like Walmart and Facebook in the wake of her controversial special election victory in November.

Trade deal unlikely under May's Brexit deal, US envoy warns UK  —  The U.K. will likely miss out on a HUGE Donald Trump-style trade deal if Prime Minister Theresa May wins parliamentary approval for her Brexit, the U.S. ambassador to Britain warned Monday.  —  Ambassador Woody Johnson …

I Was A Cable Guy.  I Saw The Worst Of America.  —  A glimpse of the suburban grotesque, featuring Russian mobsters, Fox News rage addicts, a caged man in a sex dungeon, and Dick Cheney.  —  I can't tell you about a specific day as a cable tech.  I can't tell you my first customer was a cat hoarder.

Legislators spent big on lavish fundraisers — but gave no grants to students … A nonprofit run by state lawmakers to raise scholarship money for needy minority students spends most of the cash on its lavish annual soiree — including $6,000 on limos — and gave out no grants the last two years, The Post has learned.

Bernie alumni seek meeting to address ‘sexual violence’ on '16 campaign  —  More than two dozen women and men who worked on Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign are seeking a meeting with the senator and his top political advisers to “discuss the issue of sexual violence and harassment …

The Media's Post-Advertising Future Is Also Its Past  —  It's my holiday tradition to bring tidings of discomfort and sorrow to my colleagues in the news business.  One year ago, I described the media apocalypse coming for both digital upstarts and legacy brands.

Too Perfect: Journalists Dropping the Ball to End 2018  —  This is almost too good to be true: Several American journalists will be in Times Square on Monday night to drop the New Year's Eve ball and signal the end of 2018.  The “esteemed group comprises a broad spectrum of journalists …

PALESTINIAN-AMERICAN SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON BY PA FOR SELLING PROPERTIES TO JEWS  —  The man, Isaam Akel, was arrested by the PA last October despite holding an Israeli ID card.  —  A Palestinian court in Ramallah sentenced a Palestinian-American to life in prison with hard labor on Monday …