Exclusive: John Bolton hits Trump for bluffing on North Korea nukes  —  In his sharpest criticism yet of his old workplace, John Bolton suggested the Trump administration is bluffing about stopping North Korea's nuclear ambitions — and soon might need to admit publicly that its policy failed badly.

The Flag in the Whirlwind: An Update from CT's President  —  Why our editor in chief spoke out against Trump, and why the conversation must continue.  —  Reader responses to Mark Galli's recent editorial have spanned the spectrum.  We have received countless notes of encouragement from readers who were profoundly moved.

How ‘Centrist Bias’ Hurts Sanders and Warren  —  The media has a bigger problem than liberal bias.  —  John F. Harris is about as mainstream as the mainstream media gets.  He spent 21 years at The Washington Post, including as its political editor.  Then he became the founding editor of Politico, where he is now a columnist.

Saudi sentences 5 to death for Jamal Khashoggi's killing  —  RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saudi Arabia sentenced five people to death on Monday for the killing of Washington Post columnist and royal family critic Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul last year by a team of Saudi agents.

When Is an Officer Impeached?  IV  —  Now that President Donald Trump has gotten wind of the fact that he might not yet have been impeached, we should make some things abundantly clear.  —  At a Turning Point USA event in Florida, the president noted, “In fact, there's no impeachment.

ROID RAGE ISIS is rebuilding ‘like Al-Qaeda on steroids’ as expert warns sleeper cells will unleash ‘decade of terror’ in Europe  —  ISIS is rapidly rebuilding in Iraq after being transformed into “Al-Qaeda on steroids”, warn regional terror experts.  —  The worrying news comes amid fears thousands …

How the economy could make or break Trump in 2020  —  Most of the economic gifts President Donald Trump is going to get for 2020 are already unwrapped and out from under the tree.  —  The Federal Reserve slashed rates and went dark.  The phase one China deal is pretty much done.  So is the new NAFTA.

Inside Giuliani's new push to flip the script on Trump's impeachment  —  President Donald Trump's personal attorney continues to move ahead with new allegations against Democrats on Ukraine but his evidence is vague at best.  —  WASHINGTON — Even as President Donald Trump awaits a trial in the Senate …

Stranded on Border, This Migrant Became the Camp Doctor  —  A Cuban doctor waiting for asylum in the United States has become the only full-time physician at a makeshift encampment for 2,500 migrants in Mexico.  —  MATAMOROS, Mexico — Under a canopy on the edge of a squalid encampment …

Chinese researcher accused of trying to smuggle vials of ‘biological material’ out of US hidden in a sock  —  An affidavit from an FBI agent says Zheng Zaosong was detained at Boston Airport after vials containing a ‘brown liquid’ were found in his checked baggage The doctoral student …

Scoop: Buttigieg fundraiser dangles influence for cash  —  In a recent email exchange with a wealthy prospective donor, a top fundraiser for Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg made an offer that was unusually blunt — even by modern pay-to-play standards.

Why President Trump's steel tariff didn't save US Steel workers from layoffs  —  President Donald Trump told an audience of Pennsylvania union workers last August that his 25% tariff on steel imports was reinvigorating the country's steel industry, and leading companies such as U.S. Steel to expand.

‘What new level would you contemplate?’:  Democrats fret over post-impeachment Trump  —  “I think his behavior will get more extreme going into the election,” said Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2016.  —  “He will commit things that many Americans …

Judge changes mind in important First Amendment case  —  Last week, I wrote about a case in which the Fifth Circuit, in a unanimous decision, ruled that a suit could proceed against a Black Lives Matter activist for violence he didn't commit or encourage.  The police officer who brought …

Special Report: Iran's leader ordered crackdown on unrest - ‘Do whatever it takes to end it’  —  (Reuters) - After days of protests across Iran last month, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appeared impatient.  Gathering his top security and government officials together, he issued an order: Do whatever it takes to stop them.

‘Star Wars’ Leads Box Office With Disappointing $175.5 Million  —  Final installment of Skywalker trilogy opens down 20% from ‘Last Jedi’ debut  —  LOS ANGELES—Not even the Force can withstand withering reviews.  —  After mixed fan reaction and thumbs-down from most critics, “Star Wars …

The Bipartisan Spending Party  —  Congress ends its year with a blowout for everyone but taxpayers.  —  By The Editorial Board  —  Congress has left town for the year but alas not before another bipartisan spending party that has typified the Trump Presidency.

Trump campaign plagued by groups raising tens of millions in his name  —  Outside entities are raising huge money in Trump's name, despite disavowals from the campaign, and spending little of it on 2020.  —  President Donald Trump.  Scott Olson/Getty Images

It Seemed Like a Popular Chat App.  It's Secretly a Spy Tool.  —  ToTok, an Emirati messaging app that has been downloaded to millions of phones, is the latest escalation of a digital arms race.  —  WASHINGTON — It is billed as an easy and secure way to chat by video or text message …