Obama to pass torch to Merkel on farewell visit

US President Barack Obama pays a farewell visit Thursday to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, widely seen as the new standard bearer of liberal democracy since the election of Donald Trump. On the last leg of his final European tour as president, Barack Obama will underline shared values and try to ease fears about the future of the transatlantic partnership On the last leg of his final European tour as president, Obama will underline shared values, try to ease fears about the future of the transatlantic partnership and thank Merkel for her friendship during his two terms, White House officials said.

It’s no decoy: ‘Duck Dynasty’ to wrap after 11 seasons

Prosecutors say that when Philando Castile was pulled over in July, he calmly told the officer he had a gun and was licensed to carry it. Prosecutors say that when Philando Castile was pulled over in July, he calmly told the officer he had a gun and was licensed to carry it.

Theory from 1950s can help explain Clinton loss

A theory from the 1950s can help explain. According to University of Michigan researchers in their book "The American Voter," just three factors influence the majority of voters - long-term partisan predispositions, judgments about important issues and images of the candidates.

Several’ officials have asked Bentley about Sessions’ seat; Mo Brooks interested

Gov. Robert Bentley already has a list of willing volunteers for U.S. Senate, should Jeff Sessions leave his seat for a job in President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet. Bentley's spokeswoman said "several" people have reached out to the governor about Sessions' seat.

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PIC: An Iraqi man pushes his mother on a wheelbarrow as they flee to an area held by the Iraqi Special Forces 2nd division in the Samah neighbourhood of Mosul during an ongoing operation against Islamic State group jihadists. Hundreds of people used the opportunity to get out of harm's way during a period of relative calm on the frontline neighbourhoods of eastern Mosul.

Famed pianist, 92, to perform in Boston after heart surgery

Pressler, 92, is s... Prosecutors say that when Philando Castile was pulled over in July, he calmly told the officer he had a gun and was licensed to carry it. Prosecutors say that when Philando Castile was pulled over in July, he calmly told the officer he had a gun and was licensed to carry it.

Donald Trump’s 7-point healthcare plan

As President Obama prepares to step down in January, he will leave behind one of the most harmful legacies imaginable: Unaffordable healthcare for much of the nation, which is bitterly ironic, given that the "Affordable" Care Act, a.k.a. Obamacare , was supposed to lower premiums and other out-of-pocket expenses. In fact, as reported by the Washington Free Beacon , a new study has found that average premiums will increase by 27 percent next year, even higher than what the Department of Health and Human Services predicted just weeks ago.

Bernie Sanders ‘Looking Forward’ to Seeing Donald Trump Honor His Populist Promises

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders called on President-elect Donald Trump follow through on a raft of pledges-including heavy federal spending on Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and infrastructure-that he made as candidate, in the face of the Republican Congress's budget-slashing ambitions. Trump split with decades of fiscally conservative GOP dogma during his erratic run at the presidency by promising to leave entitlement outlays untouched and to sink billions into the country's bridges, roads and water systems.

The Latest: Trump to bar officials from lobbying for 5 years

Donald Trump's transition team says the incoming president is planning to require officials to pledge that they won't lobby the government for five years after leaving the Trump administration. Transition spokesman Sean Spicer says Trump will require new government officials to terminate their role as either state or federal lobbyists before joining the administration.

How Trump’s son-in-law spurred a ‘purge’ of Christie associates21 minutes ago

Gov. Christie risked his political reputation as a moderate Republican with good standing in the establishment wing of the party by endorsing the insurgent campaign of Donald Trump. His long-shot bet appeared to pay off last week with Trump's stunning election victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Donald Trump and the authentic black swan event

The election of Donald Trump as president has been regarded by some as a black swan event: an extremely rare occurrence so unexpected and consequential that it generates stunning changes in the existing order. And the triumph of Mr. Trump is the national self-correction back to the center-right, a state of normalcy, and most importantly, to the country's natural and rightful exceptionalism.

New Mexico governor offers assurances on health coverage

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez has offered assurances that people won't be left without health insurance as President-elect Donald Trump and fellow Republicans seek to overhaul the Affordable Care Act. Martinez was attending a meeting Wednesday of the Republican Governors Association in Florida.

Fishermen hope Trump dumps, or at least eases, Obama’s Atlantic marine protections

New England fishermen who opposed President Barack Obama's creation of the Atlantic Ocean's first marine national monument are now hopeful President-elect Donald Trump will abolish it, shrink it or allow some fishing inside it. While Trump, a Republican, hasn't specifically addressed the monument, he has said he would undo Obama's policies that he views as executive overreach.

McConnell returned to Senate GOP helm as Schumer replaces Reid, Sanders elevated

Senate Republicans re-elected Mitch McConnell of Kentucky on Wednesday to be majority leader next year, keeping the tough legislative tactician at the forefront when the new Congress begins working on Donald Trump's agenda. The chamber's Democrats replaced their departing leader with Sen. Chuck Schumer, meaning the New Yorker will be Washington's most powerful Democrat as the party confronts a Republican-dominated government.