Democratic insiders: Bernie could win the nomination  —  Suddenly, Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign is being taken seriously.  —  For months, the Vermont senator was written off by Democratic Party insiders as a candidate with a committed but narrow base who was too far left to win the primary.

Trump ‘Home Alone 2’ scene reportedly cut from Canadian Christmas broadcasts  —  President Trump's cameo scene in the holiday classic “Home Alone 2: Lost In New York” was reportedly cut from showings of the movie on Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) this month.

The Christmas Eve Confessions of Chuck Todd  —  That disinformation was going to overtake Republican politics was discoverable years before he says he discovered it.  —  'Round midnight on Christmas eve, Rolling Stone posted a short interview with Chuck Todd, host of “the longest running show on television,” NBC's Meet the Press.

Trump lashes out at Pelosi on Christmas, decries ‘scam impeachment’  —  President Trump on Wednesday lashed out at Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in a pair of tweets Christmas night, decrying what he called a “Scam Impeachment.”  —  “Why should Crazy Nancy Pelosi, just because she has a slight majority …

Rachel Maddow rooted for the Steele dossier to be true.  Then it fell apart.  —  Fifth in a series on the media's handling of the Steele dossier.  See Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4.  —  In March 2017, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow invited Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) onto her show to talk Russia.

Public support for Trump conviction at all-time high, poll finds  —  Donald Trump's removal from office is the highest it has ever been, according to a new poll.  —  Fifty-five per cent of those asked said they were in favour of the US president's conviction by the Senate, a figure which has shot up from 48 per cent the week before.

Trump struggles when asked about Ukraine messages from Putin  —  For nearly three years, Donald Trump has ignored his own country's intelligence community and believed that Ukraine intervened in the U.S. elections in 2016 in the hopes of undermining his candidacy.

Trump is already searching for his next secretary of state  —  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says he isn't running for Senate next year.  Those close to him say he hasn't made a final decision yet.  But that hasn't prevented a barely concealed competition from breaking out within …

Donald Trump has violated his oath.  Mitch McConnell is about to violate 2  —  We Kentuckians know that our word is our bond.  Oaths are the most solemn of promises, and their breach results in serious reputational — and sometimes legal — consequences.  —  President Donald Trump will soon …

The Gripes of a Trump Supporter  —  I consider Donald Trump one of the greatest presidents this country has ever known.  He exudes love of America, boldly pursues excellence, and governs based on incisive common sense rather than nauseating political correctness.  —  That said:

Colorado hits a new milestone with unaffiliated voters and busts the myth about its even partisan split  —  To make a case that he can win over a divided nation, Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bennet often points to his home state.  —  “This is a state that is exactly a third Democrat …

Why Is New York City's Skyline Always Lit Up?  —  The lights are dazzling.  But there are several other practical reasons that they stay on all night long.  —  Manhattan's glittering skyline makes Aja Corliss feel proud to live in New York City, and its soaring buildings represent her ambition to move upward in life.

The Year of Batshit Crazy at One America News, Trump's New Favorite Cable-News Channel  —  Trump in 2019 began attacking Fox News when its news side seemed insufficiently loyal to him.  Such an opportunity presented itself for OAN to vie for the president's affections.

10 Most Epic Fails in Hollywood This Decade, From Qwikster to the ‘Dark Universe’  —  If you're in the entertainment industry, failure is a constant.  For every “Avengers: Endgame” there is a “Howard the Duck.”  It's just the nature of the business.  —  As Yoda put it to Luke Skywalker in …

Trump stock market rally is far outpacing past US presidents  — The S&P 500 has returned more than 50% since President Trump was elected, more than double the average market return of presidents three years into their term, according to Bespoke Investment Group.

Is revenge porn protected speech?  Supreme Court may soon weigh in  —  When Bethany Austin learned that her fiance had been unfaithful in late May 2016, she ended the seven-year relationship and called off their upcoming wedding.  —  He told the couple's friends that Austin was “crazy.”

Bernie Sanders on healthcare, homelessness and Trump  —  Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) stopped by the L.A. Times office to talk with our editorial board about his run for the Democratic nomination for president.  —  3 AM  —  Warming up for a giant campaign rally in Venice on Dec. 21 …

Why Trump Will Cruise to Victory Next Year  —  Britain's Sun newspaper comments on a new report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research.  The Sun's focus is Britain, but the report is highly relevant to the U.S. as well: … Brexit was supposed to devastate Britain's economy, remember?

Hallmark movies are fascist propaganda  —  Forget “Triumph of the Will” — the most insidious authoritarian propaganda comes in the form of schmaltz  —  The Hallmark Channel has been having a rough go of it in the past few weeks.  The cable TV behemoth, which has been minting money …

At each end of Pacific, skepticism over China farm purchases  —  OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — President Donald Trump likes to joke that America's farmers have a nice problem on their hands: They're going to need bigger tractors to keep up with surging Chinese demand for their soybeans …

China, Russia and Iran to hold joint naval drills from Friday  —  BEIJING (Reuters) - China, Iran and Russia will hold joint naval drills starting on Friday in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman, China's defense ministry said on Thursday，amid heightened tension in the region between Iran and the United States.

By the numbers: a 2019 money-in-politics index  —  The Center for Public Integrity is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates betrayals of public trust.  Sign up to receive our stories.  —  With a federal government lurching from crisis to crisis and a presidential election afoot …