- The Justice Department is suing to block a proposed mega-merger between AT&T and Time Warner [New York Times].
- A study finds the House GOP tax reform plan would add $1.3 trillion to the national debt [Washington Post].
- The Trump administration has returned North Korea to the list of state sponsors of terrorism. The designation means new sanctions will go into effect on the rogue nation [New York Times].
- The government may be headed toward a shutdown next month if House Speaker Paul Ryan includes a fix for undocumented immigrants who came to the country as minor children as part of a year-end spending bill [Politico].
- A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from cutting off funds for so-called sanctuary cities [CNN].
- The FCC is planning to repeal Obama-era net neutrality regulations [Politico].
- A second woman has come forward accusing Sen. Al Franken of sexual misconduct. After the revelation, many liberal groups called for Franken’s resignation [Politico].
- Democratic Rep. John Conyers settled a wrongful dismissal complaint in 2015 with a former employee who alleged the longtime Congressman fired her because she would not acquiesce to his sexual advances [BuzzFeed].
- Veteran journalist Charlie Rose has been suspended after eight women alleged lewd and gross behavior from Rose toward them, including unwanted sexual advances, obscene phone calls and walking around naked in front of them [Washington Post].
- The New York Times has suspended star political reporter Glen Thrush after numerous women accused the White House reporter of acting inappropriately toward them [Vox].
- The Trump administration announces they will end temporary immigration protection for Haitians in the U.S. by July 2019 [CNN].
- More and more Facebook employees are coming forward to say the internet giant is putting profits ahead of the best interests of its users [Axios].
- A dozen U.S. State Department employees are accusing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson of violating a federal law that would prevent foreign militaries from using child soldiers [Reuters].
- German Chancellor Angela Merkel may call for snap elections after she was able to form a governing coalition [BBC].
- The Argentine navy is desperately searching for a submarine that went missing last week [CNN].
On this day in history:
- 1620 – Plymouth Colony settlers sign the Mayflower Compact.
- 1789 – North Carolina ratifies the U.S. Constitution and is admitted as the 12th state.
- 1877 – Thomas Edison announces his invention of the phonograph.
- 1905 – Albert Einstein’s paper that leads to the formula E = mc² is published in the journal Annalen der Physik.
- 1922 – Rebecca Latimer Felton of Georgia becomes the first female U.S. Senator. Her appointment was temporary, as she served just 24 hours.
- 1985 – U.S. Navy intelligence analyst Jonathan Pollard is arrested for spying after being caught giving Israel classified information.
- 1986 – National Security Council member Oliver North and his secretary start to shred documents allegedly implicating them in the Iran-Contra affair.
