Statement by President-elect Joe Biden on the Need to Sign the COVID-19 Economic Relief Bill  —  It is the day after Christmas, and millions of families don't know if they'll be able to make ends meet because of President Donald Trump's refusal to sign an economic relief bill approved by Congress …

Washington's Secret to the Perfect Zoom Bookshelf?  Buy It Wholesale.  —  In a place like Washington—small, interconnected, erudite, gossipy—being well-read can create certain advantages.  So, too, can seeming well-read.  The “Washington bookshelf” is almost a phenomenon in itself …

Trump's Presidency Is Over.  His Judges Will Be Here For Decades.  —  Thanks to Mitch McConnell, Trump has put more than 230 people into lifetime federal court seats.  Most are white, male, right-wing ideologues.  —  Donald Trump's presidency is ending in a few weeks.

Donald Trump's pardons must not obstruct justice  —  Abuses of constitutional clemency power should be investigated and prosecuted  —  The writer is a Harvard professor of constitutional law  —  If, as Alexander Pope reflected in 1711, “to err is human, to forgive, divine,” …

Archaeologists uncover ancient street food shop in Pompeii  —  ROME (Reuters) - Archaeologists in Pompeii, the city buried in a volcanic eruption in 79 AD, have made the extraordinary find of a frescoed hot food and drinks shop that served up the ancient equivalent of street food to Roman passersby.

Person of interest identified in connection to Nashville bombing  —  A law enforcement source told CBS News a person of interest has been identified in connection to the Christmas morning explosion in Nashville.  The person is connected to the RV that exploded.

A Stinging Setback in California Is a Warning for Democrats in 2022  —  Democrats lost four swing House districts in the state, suggesting that their hold on a number of formerly Republican seats is tenuous at best.  —  LOS ANGELES — Two years ago, Democrats celebrated a sweep …

A ‘Great Cultural Depression’ Looms for Legions of Unemployed Performers  —  With theaters and concert halls shuttered, unemployment in the arts has cut deeper than in restaurants and other hard-hit industries.  —  In the top echelons of classical music, the violinist Jennifer Koh is by any measure a star.

Families are turning obituaries into final pleas to avoid COVID-19  —  When Pamela Caddell died of COVID-19 last month, there was no funeral — her family knew that, as a former nurse, she wouldn't want anyone else to be exposed to the disease.  —  But there was still something her husband …

Despite smooth election, GOP leaders seek vote restrictions  —  ATLANTA (AP) — Changes to the way millions of Americans voted this year contributed to record turnout, but that's no guarantee the measures making it easier to cast ballots will stick around for future elections.

Downtown Nashville explosion knocks communications offline  —  NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A recreational vehicle parked in the deserted streets of downtown Nashville exploded early Christmas morning, causing widespread communications outages that took down police emergency systems and grounded holiday travel at the city's airport.