Jerry Falwell Jr. can't imagine Trump 'doing anything that's not good for the country'  —  He lives with his wife, Becki, in Bedford County, Va.  —  You said recently that conservatives and Christians should stop electing nice guys.  Aren't Christians supposed to be nice guys?  —  Of course, of course.

Trump goes after retired Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal for ‘big, dumb mouth’  —  President Donald Trump took on retired four-star Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal today, saying he “got fired like a dog” and is known for his “big, dumb mouth” — comments that come on the heels of the general criticizing the president.

'I'm embarrassed for America': Puzzled viewers slam NBC for its ‘train-wreck’ New Year's Eve coverage after it failed to show the ball drop and aired Chrissy Teigen talking about ‘vaginal steaming’  — Angry viewers described it as a ‘train-wreck’ after the network failed to show …

Trump invites congressional leaders to White House for wall briefing  —  The meeting would be the first time the president has sat down with Democrats since the shutdown started.  —  President Donald Trump has invited congressional leaders to a Wednesday afternoon briefing on the border wall …

MSNBC is surging  —  MSNBC host Rachel Maddow can speak at length on many topics.  The whims and demographics of her cable-news audience, however, are not among them.  “I think I may just be lucky that we're at a time in the news cycle where there is an appetite for that kind of explanatory work …

Netflix pulls episode of comedy show in Saudi Arabia  —  Netflix has removed an episode of a comedy show critical of Saudi Arabia after the internet streaming service received a complaint from the kingdom, renewing concerns about government control over freedom of expression on online platforms.

Beyond ‘no comment’: The White House has no response — at all — to many media questions  —  The New York Times published a powerful story last week about President Trump's growing isolation in the White House, with colorful details such as Trump's tendency to interrupt advisers during meetings to call them …

Brazil Is About To Show The World How A Modern Democracy Collapses  —  Far-right president Jair Bolsonaro is a threat to Brazilian democracy — and a model for authoritarianism that leaders around the world will follow.  —  RIO DE JANEIRO — The tanks began to roll into Rio de Janeiro …

How Biden Has Paved the Way for a Possible Presidential Run … 2020 Democratic Presidential Candidates Are Lining Up.  Who Matches the Moment? … SPACE EXPLORATION  —  NASA's Spacecraft Signals Successful Flyby of Most Distant Object Ever Visited

American Accused of Spying in Russia Is a Marine Veteran, Family Says  —  LONDON — The American man who was arrested last week in Russia on a spying charge is a Marine Corps veteran who was in Moscow to attend a wedding, his family said on Tuesday.  —  Russia's Federal Security Service …

How Trump Got Bad at Twitter  —  The late-December tweet from @RealDonaldTrump was brief and absurd: “Farm Bill signing in 15 minutes!  #Emmys #TBT.”  It was accompanied by a clip from the 2005 Emmy awards in which the future leader of the free world, wearing a straw hat and overalls …

How the shutdown is reaching a breaking point  —  Nine federal departments haven't received a cent in federal funding in more than a week.  —  They've limped along on leftover money, coasted through the quiet days of the holidays and paid staff with checks already prepped before the lapse.

House Democrats unveil plans to end shutdown — without money for Trump border wall  —  The partial federal government shutdown enters its second week - and the new year - without a deal to re-open the government, as both sides dig in over funding for a barrier on the border with Mexico.

Child injured during ‘Rhino Encounter’ at Brevard Zoo in Florida  —  A child was injured after falling into a rhino exhibit Tuesday at the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne, Florida.  —  The toddler, who is approximately 2 years old, and the mother were taken to Arnold Palmer Hospital For Children …

Why the West Coast Is Suddenly Beating the East Coast on Transportation  —  [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.]  —  When New York City's transportation commissioner returned from a recent trip to California, she seemed downright jealous.

Sabarimala temple: Indian women form ‘620km human chain’ for equality  —  Women in the southern Indian state of Kerala have formed a 620km (385-mile) human chain “in support of gender equality”, amid a row over access to a prominent Hindu temple.  —  The Sabarimala shrine was historically closed …