Massive downtown Nashville explosion an ‘intentional act’, police say  —  Yihyun Jeong Brinley HinemanNashville Tennessean  —  Nashville authorities believe an explosion that occurred in downtown Nashville early Christmas morning was an “intentional act” and sparked by a vehicle.

Behind Trump Clemency, a Case Study in Special Access  —  Philip Esformes was sentenced last year to 20 years for Medicare fraud.  Then a well-connected organization supported by his family weighed in with the White House.  —  Philip Esformes acquired a $1.6 million Ferrari and a $360,000 Swiss watch …

Sidney Powell's secret intelligence contractor witness is a pro-Trump podcaster  —  As she asked the U.S. Supreme Court this month to overturn President Trump's election loss, the attorney Sidney Powell cited testimony from a secret witness presented as a former intelligence contractor …

Judge Tosses Out Rep. Nunes' Lawsuit Against Washington Post  —  A federal judge dismissed a defamation lawsuit against the Washington Post from Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) on Thursday, the latest development in a string of legal battles waged by Nunes against mainstream media outlets …

POLITICO Playbook: Merry Christmas!  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  MERRY CHRISTMAS!  —  THE PRESIDENT is complaining to people he speaks to that the coronavirus/government funding package has too much “pork,” as he says, and the direct payments are too low.  The bill has been flown to Florida from Washington for his signature.

Judge delays execution of only woman on US death row  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge said the Justice Department unlawfully rescheduled the execution of the only woman on federal death row, potentially setting up the Trump administration to schedule the execution after president-elect Joe Biden takes office.

FBI team leader: How I know the Blackwater defendants didn't deserve a pardon from Trump  —  Thomas O'Connor served for 23 years as an FBI special agent before retiring in 2019.  The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own.  View more opinion at CNN.

Democrats shatter fundraising records ahead of Georgia Senate runoffs  —  Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock shattered fundraising records by hauling in more than $100 million each in the past two months, significantly outraising GOP Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in the final stretch …

An Oscar Winner Made a Khashoggi Documentary.  Streaming Services Didn't Want It.  —  Bryan Fogel's examination of the killing of the Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi had trouble finding a home among the companies that can be premier platforms for documentary films.

Sidney Powell Wants to Fight for Donald Trump—But His Aides Won't Let Her, She Says  —  President Donald J. Trump says he wants a lawyer to probe “election theft,” but the president's leading candidate, Sidney Powell, says she has been barred from the White House by the president's own chief of staff.

Trump Lawyers Get Little Backup From Their Firms or Universities  —  Chapman University becomes the latest organization to formally distance itself from the president's legal efforts to challenge the election results  —  LAWYERS HELPING TRUMP with his quixotic election challenges …

China's atrocities in Tibet are growing too big to ignore  —  The world is finally responding to the Chinese government's mass atrocities against Uighurs and other ethnic minorities in China's northwest province of Xinjiang.  But now Beijing is replicating some of its worst practices …

U.S. Immigration Reform To Be A Biden Priority  —  As this year comes to an end and the inauguration of Joe Biden as the next president of the United States approaches, there are rising expectations that the dysfunctional state of U.S. immigration can finally be addressed and reforms adopted to repair what is not working.

Republican Mississippi Senator: Trump's Pardons ‘Smack of Cronyism and Political Favors’  —  Sen. Brice Wiggins, a prominent Republican member of the Mississippi Senate from Pascagoula, broke ranks with most members of his party in the state last night as he criticized President Donald Trump's ongoing pardon spree.

What watchdogs?  Trump leaves office with key IG jobs vacant across govt  —  As President-elect Joe Biden continues to weigh critical Cabinet appointments, the new administration will be confronting widespread vacancies in watchdog offices across the government.

Pence under pressure as the final step nears in formalizing Biden's win  —  Vice President Pence urged an audience of conservative youth activists earlier this week to “stay in the fight,” as they chanted “Four more years” and “Stop the steal” to trumpet their embrace of the groundless notion …

House GOP Blocks Dems Attempt to Pass $2,000 Stimulus Checks  —  House Republicans shot down a Democratic bid on Thursday to pass President Donald Trump's longshot, end-of-session demand for $2,000 direct payments to most Americans as he ponders whether to sign a long-overdue COVID-19 relief bill.