First on CNN: Condoleezza Rice endorses Sessions for attorney general

Condoleezza Rice, who served as secretary of state to former President George W. Bush, endorsed former Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions Monday to be President-elect Donald Trump’s attorney general. Rice, who is also from Alabama, wrote a letter of appreciation to Sen. Chuck Grassley about Sessions, where she said that Sessions, a “friend,” was someone she admired “greatly.”

FBI agent who interrogated Saddam Hussein leads airport case new

The FBI agent who interrogated Saddam Hussein alone for months after the former Iraqi leader’s capture is now leading the investigation into the Florida airport shooting rampage that killed five and is being blamed on an Iraq war veteran. George Piro, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Miami field office, was Saddam’s sole interrogator beginning in January 2004.

FBI agent who interrogated Saddam Hussein leads airport case

The FBI agent who interrogated Saddam Hussein alone for months after the former Iraqi leader’s capture is now leading the investigation into the Florida airport shooting rampage blamed on an Iraq war veteran. George Piro, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Miami field office, was Saddam’s sole interrogator beginning in January 2004.

Trump wants former Sen. Dan Coats to be intelligence chief

President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday named retired Sen. Dan Coats as national intelligence director, saying the former member of the Senate Intelligence Committee was the right person to lead the new administration’s “ceaseless vigilance against those who seek to do us harm.” Trump’s announcement came one day after release of a declassified government report on Russian efforts to influence the presidential election.

Trump’s winter nest is lavish Florida club

When President-elect Donald Trump rang in the new year this weekend, he did it with actor Sylvester Stallone, romance-novel cover model Fabio and a crowd of wealthy developers under the swaying palm trees at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach. President George W. Bush had his ranch in Crawford, Texas.

Trump’s winter nest is lavish Florida club

When President-elect Donald Trump rang in the new year this weekend, he did it with actor Sylvester Stallone, romance-novel cover model Fabio and a crowd of wealthy developers under the swaying palm trees at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach. President George W. Bush had his ranch in Crawford, Texas.

Could have defeated Trump, Obama says

President Barack Obama, seen Sunday in Hawaii, had some criticism of Hillary Clinton’s campaign in an interview released Monday. President Barack Obama said in an interview released Monday that he could have beaten Republican President-elect Donald Trump if they had faced off in last month’s election.

Clinton wins popular vote by nearly 2.9 million

Hillary Clinton received nearly 2.9 million more votes than President-elect Donald Trump, giving her the largest popular vote margin of any losing presidential candidate. Certified results in all 50 states and the District of Columbia show Clinton winning nearly 65,844,610 million votes – 48 percent – to Trump’s 62,979,636 million votes – 46 percent – according to an analysis by The Associated Press.

The oilman who brought Trump and the Bush world together

Throughout the presidential campaign, the Bush family and many of its Republican allies turned their backs on Donald Trump. Now, they’re finding common cause with Trump over his pick to lead the State Department: Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson, who has long orbited their same political, philanthropic and business worlds.

Today in History

On Dec. 18, 1916, during World War I, the 10-month Battle of Verdun ended with French troops succeeding in repulsing a major German offensive. In 1863, in a speech to the Prussian Parliament, Prime Minister Otto von Bismarck declared, “Politics is not an exact science.”