Until Biden's win is certified, the U.S. remains vulnerable  —  Not to be alarmist, but we should recognize that the United States will be in the danger zone until the formal certification of Joe Biden's election victory on Jan. 6, because potential domestic and foreign turmoil could give President Trump an excuse to cling to power.

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.

Mnuchin's loyalty to Trump could end with painful setback as president shreds stimulus deal  —  Democrats and Republicans had thought Mnuchin was speaking for the president in negotiating the $908 billion pact, but Trump quickly called it a “disgrace.”  —  President Trump on Saturday continued …

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.

A Short Tribute to My Mother  —  My mother died in Moscow on December 25, at the age of 83.  She meant everything to me, of course, but she was a remarkable woman in her own right, and I wanted to share a little about her and her life.  —  Klara Shagenovna Kasparova was born in Baku …

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.

John Cornyn's Christmas Eve brisket confuses the internet  —  Well, it definitely appears to be meat of some sort.  —  U.S. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas on Thursday tweeted a photo of his family's holiday meal with the caption, “Brisket family tradition.”  —  As Cornyn is the senior senator from Texas …

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,” …

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 …

Fact check: Georgia Republicans run more misleading attack ads against Warnock and Ossoff  —  PAC money pours into Georgia Senate runoff races  —  Washington (CNN)In early December, we fact-checked misleading attack ads from both Democrats and Republicans in the two Georgia runoff elections …

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 …

Fintan O'Toole: Trump has unfinished business.  A republic he wants to destroy still stands  —  2020 in review: Donald Trump will continue to unleash racism, nativism and a fear of government  —  “In my beginning”, wrote TS Eliot in Four Quartets, “is my end.”

Amazon hires lobbyist brother of Biden White House counselor  — Jeff Ricchetti, the brother of Biden's White House counselor Steve Ricchetti, recently secured a lobbying contract with Amazon Web Services.  — The report shows Ricchetti registered to lobby for Amazon Web Services on Nov. 13 …

Southern California's Hospitals Are Overwhelmed, and It May Get Worse  —  Each day in California brings a mind-numbing new accounting of the tragedy underway.  This week, the state became the first to reach two million virus cases.  —  LOS ANGELES — If this were any other year …