Trump hesitates to personally lobby for endangered Cabinet picks  —  The president-elect is not yet personally pushing hard for his selections, limiting his exposure if they withdraw or fail to win confirmation.  —  President-elect Donald Trump, a lifelong teetotaler whose brother struggled …

Iran Begins to Evacuate Military Officials and Personnel From Syria  —  The withdrawals by one of President Bashar al-Assad's key backers comes amid a resurgent rebel offensive.  —  Iran began to evacuate its military commanders and personnel from Syria on Friday, according to regional officials …

Killing of insurance CEO reveals simmering anger at US health system  —  Mike Wendling in Chicago & Madeline Halpert in New York  —  The “brazen and targeted” killing of health insurance executive Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, outside a New York hotel this week shocked America.

Trump transition nearly a month behind on key policy prep  —  The president-elect's advisers haven't yet begun meeting with federal agencies, despite signing an agreement late last month allowing them to do so.  —  President-elect Donald Trump's transition team still has not sent policy advisers …

South Korean President Yoon's impeachment vote fails after ruling party boycotts it  —  A South Korean legislative push to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived imposition of martial law fell through on Saturday after most lawmakers from his conservative governing party boycotted the vote.

The Musk Rat  —  A stark warning over Elon Musk's huge campaign contributions and his finger on the social media scales for Trump  —  The New York Times reported this morning that the world's richest man, Elon Musk, who owns Tesla, Space X and Twitter, spent a whopping $250 million to help elect Donald Trump.

Far-right activists from Germany spent US election day at Trump's Mar-a-Lago  —  AfD parliamentary candidate and influencers posed for photos with now president-elect at his Florida home  —  As Donald Trump gathered his supporters, family and friends at Mar-a-Lago on US election day last month …

Trump Still Faces 8 Civil Lawsuits Over the Jan. 6 Attack  —  Donald J. Trump has successfully defeated or impeded many legal challenges against him over the storming of the Capitol, but eight lawsuits on the matter remain in the courts.  —  There have been many efforts, over nearly four years …

Welcome to the New Dark Ages  —  If Trump has his way, the next four years will be far worse than even the Gilded Age  —  Donald Trump has moved at warp speed to nominate people to serve in his Cabinet and other important government posts who have chosen loyalty to him as their most important virtue …

What Republicans and Democrats Get Wrong About Crime  —  Americans are understandably concerned about crime.  Before the 2024 election, voters consistently ranked it among their top priorities.  At least two states rolled back reforms this year, and prison populations in many states …

Harris raised and spent twice as much as Trump in final days of 2024 election  —  WASHINGTON - Some Democrats are questioning how Kamala Harris' presidential campaign spent more than $1 billion but nonetheless lost to Donald Trump - and now they have more fodder as they continue with their post-election autopsies.

Supreme Court term-limits amendment proposed by Sens. Manchin, Welch  —  The long-shot proposal by Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vermont) and outgoing Sen. Joe Manchin III (I-West Virginia) would impose 18-year term limits on new justices.  —  Two senators have introduced a constitutional amendment …

How Alarmed Harris Staffers Went Rogue to Reach Black and Latino Voters  —  Worried that the campaign was neglecting voters of color in Philadelphia and other battleground cities, organizers secretly gathered at a Dunkin' Donuts and elsewhere to get out the vote.

A big insurer backed off its plan to pay less for anesthesia.  That's bad.  —  Support independent journalism that matters — become a Vox Member today.  —  In November, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) issued a dire warning: One of America's largest insurance companies …

The Silicon Valley Billionaires Steering Trump's Transition  —  The involvement of wealthy investors has made this presidential transition one of the most potentially conflict-ridden in modern history.  —  The week after the November election, President-elect Donald J. Trump gathered …

Trump travels to Paris for Notre Dame Cathedral's reopening and to meet with Macron  —  PARIS — Donald Trump is off on his first international trip as president-elect, ready to join world leaders and dignitaries in Paris for a Saturday celebration of the renovation of Notre Dame Cathedral after a devastating fire in 2019.

Democrats and Republicans in Congress worried that Gabbard might leak information to Syria  —  When she arrived in Congress, Tulsi Gabbard was seen as a rising Democratic star.  But over time, her views on Russia and Syria shocked, puzzled and alarmed her colleagues.

The fascinating — and important — Florida and Ohio Senate appointments  —  A look at the dynamics for both appointments, which could make the Senate more or less Trump-y.  —  President-elect Donald Trump is engaged in a battle of wills with GOP senators over his Cabinet picks …

Pam Bondi will face an ethics quagmire as attorney general  —  She and her firm have clients that have been doing legal battle with the U.S. government.  —  Over the past six years, Pam Bondi has worked as a Washington lobbyist for one of the top firms in the country, representing corporate behemoths such as Amazon and Uber.

South Korea's President Survives Impeachment Bid  —  Opposition lawmakers failed to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over the political crisis he sparked by declaring martial law earlier this week.  Tens of thousands of protesters had gathered.  —  Jun Michael Park for The New York Times Jun Michael Park for The New York Times

Biden and Trump spoke by phone last week  —  The previously unreported phone call marks the only known time Biden and Trump have spoken since the president-elect visited the White House last month.  —  President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump spoke on the phone over the Thanksgiving holiday …

How Childhood Tragedy Shaped the Doctor Trump Picked for Surgeon General  —  At the age of 13, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat said she accidentally knocked over a box in a darkened room.  A handgun went off, leaving her father dead.  —  Needing a pair of scissors, a 13-year-old girl went into the bedroom …

Trump has an obsession with House members … - House members, by contrast, have to run for reelection every two years and are typically more in touch with the fanatically pro-Trump GOP base.  — “We know what people expect. … - Another two have served in the House …

UnitedHealth shooting stokes mourning and glee on social media  —  Jubilation among some users highlights scale of Americans' frustration over their health system  —  The killing on Wednesday of a top UnitedHealth Group executive unleashed a wave of commiseration, but also revelry …