Survey: Germans say Trump is more dangerous than Putin, Kim or Xi  —  41% of Germans believe President Trump is more of a threat to world peace than North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping or Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei …

No, Justin Trudeau didn't get Trump edited out of ‘Home Alone 2’  —  Trump answers question about ‘Home Alone 2’  —  (CNN)President Donald Trump tweeted Thursday night about a matter that had been percolating in pro-Trump media circles all day: the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. editing him out of “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.”

Rachel Maddow rooted for the Steele dossier to be true.  Then it fell apart.  —  Fifth in a series on the media's handling of the Steele dossier.  See Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4.  —  In March 2017, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow invited Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) onto her show to talk Russia.

One eccentric socialite is to blame for California's wild pig problem  —  California's wild pigs are massive and ubiquitous.  They can grow into 200-pound ripping machines.  They tear up lawns and destroy hillsides.  Their gruesome teeth can even threaten humans and pets.

Republicans won't be able to override Chief Justice Roberts during impeachment trial — here's why  —  Republican Senators have already bragged that they have no intention of listening to the evidence against President Donald Trump during what should be a fair trial.

Trump is already searching for his next secretary of state  —  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says he isn't running for Senate next year.  Those close to him say he hasn't made a final decision yet.  But that hasn't prevented a barely concealed competition from breaking out within …

Trump's Dream Is to Become America's Viktor Orbán  —  For several years, Hungary has been the name American liberal intellectuals have given to their worst domestic nightmares.  Hungary's president, Viktor Orbán, has fashioned an apparently permanent majority for his conservative Fidesz Party …

Trump Retweets Article Which Names Alleged Whistleblower  —  President Donald Trump retweeted an article, Thursday night, which contained the name of a person alleged to be the whistleblower who filed a complaint relating to the commander-in-chief's dealings with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Public support for Trump conviction at all-time high, poll finds  —  Donald Trump's removal from office is the highest it has ever been, according to a new poll.  —  Fifty-five per cent of those asked said they were in favour of the US president's conviction by the Senate, a figure which has shot up from 48 per cent the week before.

Democratic insiders: Bernie could win the nomination  —  Suddenly, Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign is being taken seriously.  —  For months, the Vermont senator was written off by Democratic Party insiders as a candidate with a committed but narrow base who was too far left to win the primary.

Mike Bloomberg is trying to convince big-money Democratic donors that he can win in 2020, even though he isn't taking their money  — Billionaire candidate Mike Bloomberg's presidential campaign may not be taking money from some of the most influential Democratic donors on Wall Street …

Why I quit Twitter — and you should, too  —  Over the previous 10 years, I had written 180,000 tweets.  Yes, I said 180,000.  —  So I haven't posted a tweet in nine months.  How am I doing?  I'm still in recovery.  Over the previous 10 years, I had written 180,000 tweets.  Yes, I said 180,000.

In Trump Country, a season of need on family farms  —  BERKSHIRE, N.Y. — The grocery list took Anne Lee hours to make, an exercise in her increasingly desperate effort to feed her family of seven.  —  “Chicken noodle soup?” she wondered as she sat at her kitchen table with a pen and notepad.

One of the nation's biggest school systems will let students take time off to protest.  The conservative backlash has begun.  —  One of the nation's largest school districts will allow students time off to participate in protests, a novel policy that proponents argue is the only way to handle …

Why Trump isn't getting credit from voters for good economic news  —  It's not just about impeachment and the surrounding controversies  —  In the past two weeks, good economic news has buoyed the Trump administration, providing a welcome distraction from his impeachment.

Report: Deval Patrick lacks signatures to make Michigan ballot  —  Lansing — Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick's campaign for president failed to collect enough valid signatures to make Michigan's March 10 primary ballot, according to a report this week from state election officials.

The Christmas Eve Confessions of Chuck Todd  —  That disinformation was going to overtake Republican politics was discoverable years before he says he discovered it.  —  'Round midnight on Christmas eve, Rolling Stone posted a short interview with Chuck Todd, host of “the longest running show on television,” NBC's Meet the Press.

Donald Trump has violated his oath.  Mitch McConnell is about to violate 2  —  We Kentuckians know that our word is our bond.  Oaths are the most solemn of promises, and their breach results in serious reputational — and sometimes legal — consequences.  —  President Donald Trump will soon …

A Year at the 5th Circuit Shows Trump's Devastating Impact on the Courts  —  For the 5th Circuit, 2019 was an experiment in extreme right-wing jurisprudence.  —  With the help of Senate Republicans, Donald Trump spent the first three years of his presidency remaking the federal judiciary in his own image.

In supposed apology to Richard Jewell, Tom Brokaw revises history  —  Like his deeply flawed coverage of the 1996 Olympic bombing, Tom Brokaw's so-called apology this week to the late Richard Jewell leaves much to be desired.  —  The NBC News special correspondent this week …

With so much promise, why is Cory Booker's campaign falling flat?  —  Cory Booker sounded more like a preacher than a presidential candidate as he urged Democrats to vote for someone who could unite America, not just chase Donald Trump from the White House.  —  “Beating Donald Trump is the floor …

William Greider, Journalist Who Focused on Economy, Dies at 83  —  In interviews with Reagan's budget director, David Stockman, he exposed doubts about the supply-side economics that the administration had embraced.  —  William Greider, a reporter, editor and popular author who examined the United States …

U.S. Government Sets Record for Debt Auctions  —  Total sum to hit $2.55 trillion; share of debt purchased by investors was largest since auction data was made public  —  The Treasury Department auctioned seven-year notes Thursday, closing the door on a record year for sales of longer-term debt in 2019.

2020: The year in preview  —  We know this much already: There will be an election next year.  People will spend money, eat food, watch (and play) sports, use phone apps and play video games, and countries around the world will engage in diplomacy — and conflict.

Israel's embattled Netanyahu wins landslide in primary  —  JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday scored a landslide victory in a primary race for leadership of the ruling Likud party, giving the embattled leader an important boost ahead of the country's third election in less than a year.

Pa. Board of Pardons missed a chance to show mercy to inmates who deserve to be released  —  John Fetterman, For the Inquirer  —  Friday, December 20, was one of the most dismaying days of my life.  —  As chair of the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons, I sat in a session where we contemplated …