Many in U.S. Skeptical Trump Can Handle Presidential Duties  —  PRINCETON, N.J. — As Donald Trump prepares to take the presidential oath on Jan. 20, less than half of Americans are confident in his ability to handle an international crisis (46%), to use military force wisely (47%) …

America Becomes a Stan  —  In 2015 the city of Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, was graced with a new public monument: a giant gold-plated sculpture portraying the country's president on horseback.  This may strike you as a bit excessive.  But cults of personality are actually the norm in the …

Impeaching Trump  —  The process begins now.  —  Donald Trump is wildly unfit to be president, and he will demonstrate that in ways that break the law and violate the Constitution.  Since the election, there have been three wishful efforts to keep Trump from the presidency …

Claiming mandate, GOP Congress lays plans to propel sweeping conservative agenda  —  For six years, since they took back the House of Representatives, Republicans have added to a pile of legislation that moldered outside the White House.  In their thwarted agenda, financial regulations were to be unspooled.

Why Corporations Are Helping Donald Trump Lie About Jobs  —  President-elect Donald Trump would like everybody to believe that his election is energizing the economy by forcing businesses to create thousands of jobs in the United States.  And companies like Sprint seem perfectly happy …

State Rep. Martinez shot in head by ‘stray bullet’ while celebrating  —  The District 39 representative says he is doing well  —  NORTH OF WESLACO — State Rep. Armando “Mando” Martinez confirmed Sunday evening that he's now doing well after being shot in the head earlier that morning …

Intellectuals for Trump  —  A rogue group of conservative thinkers try to build a governing ideology around a President-elect who disdains ideology.  —  The most cogent argument for electing Donald Trump was made not by Trump, or by his campaign, but by a writer who, unlike Trump …

Obama could still force Garland onto court during ‘intersession recess’  —  President Obama will have one last chance to force Judge Merrick Garland onto the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday — but it's a legal gamble and one that has so many pitfalls that even those who say he could get away with it believe it isn't worth the fight.

Aide downplays Trump hacking revelation … Incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer on Monday tamped down expectations that President-elect Donald Trump  —  will reveal new details about alleged Russian hacking during the U.S. presidential election in the coming days.

Cuomo vetoes bill that would have required state to fund legal services for the poor  —  ALBANY — Gov. Cuomo vetoed a bill late Saturday that would have required the state to fund legal services for the poor in each county.  —  Cuomo's office in a New Year's Eve statement released …

The art of getting to know Trump  —  In the fall of 2006 right after then Sen. Barack Obama announced to Tim Russert on Meet the Press he was seriously considering a run for the nomination of the Democratic Party for president, thousands of reporters, journalists, bloggers …

Black pols plan Trump resistance  —  After eight years of the nation's first African-American president, black lawmakers were in for an adjustment no matter who won the White House.  —  But members of the Congressional Black Caucus say they're bracing for the worst in Donald Trump …

Perdue Is Trump's Lead Pick for Agriculture Secretary  —  Perdue's selection for agriculture post isn't yet final  —  Several other candidates have been interviewed by Trump  —  Sonny Perdue III, the former governor of Georgia, is president-elect Donald Trump's leading candidate …

For Democrats, 2017 Will Be The Year of Living Stupidly  —  If you thought 2016 was packed full of liberal foolishness, just wait until you get a load of 2017.  As 2016 ends, progressives enter the new year terrified that Donald Trump will continue to run circles around them …

Turkey nightclub attack: IS says it carried out shooting  —  So-called Islamic State says it was behind the new year attack on a Turkish nightclub that killed 39 people.  —  The group said in a statement it was carried out by “a heroic soldier”.  —  At least 600 revellers were celebrating …

About that bogus claim that North Carolina is no longer a democracy . . .  Nick Stevenson directed me to a recent op-ed in the Raleigh News & Observer, where political science professor Andrew Reynolds wrote: … So far so good.  But then comes the punchline:

Obama's closest adviser says president has been scandal-free  —  Scandal, what scandal?  —  President Obama has been squeaky clean, according to his closest adviser, Valerie Jarrett.  —  “The president prides himself on the fact that his administration hasn't had a scandal …

Crisis in Chicago  —  Bill Whitaker reports on Chicago's surge in murders and discovers an alarming situation that may be contributing to the rise in violence  —  The following script is from “Crisis in Chicago,” which aired on Jan. 1, 2017.  Bill Whitaker is the correspondent.

Obama Plans Farewell Speech From Chicago  —  HONOLULU — President Obama will give a farewell address next week from Chicago, his hometown, most likely his last chance to defend his legacy directly to the country before Donald J. Trump is sworn in, the White House announced on Monday.