Angering Swedish prosecutors who interviewed him, Assange releases his version of sexual encounters with Swedish woman pressured to charge him….--read Assange statement here
--in NY Times interview, Edward Snowden defines patriotism and explains why he won’t return to US to face trial
--NY Times editorial encourages Obama to be generous with pardons, commutations
--Trump will name retired Marine General John Kelly to run Homeland Security, at least it's not Kris Kobach
--Trump’s pick for EPA chief is worse than Myron Ebell; Scott Pruitt is Koch-sponsored Oklahoma attorney general who’s all-in for oil and gas barons
--The Guardian reveals that Koch Bros. and pal Harold Hamm are scoring big in the Trump transition, including Pruitt
--at DeSmogBlog, Steve Horn details how AG nominee Jeff Sessions wrote the bill that became the “Halliburton loophole” for fracking, with help from Harold Hamm
--lawyers say Trump can’t immediately reverse the decision not to grant easement for Dakota pipeline
--Paris is blanketed in smog, auto restrictions extended
--Trump’s unexpected phone call from Taiwan leader was orchestrated by former senator and prez candidate Bob Dole, a paid lobbyist for Taiwan
--lame-duck pork-barrel shenanigans, as GOP adds $10 billion in war funding and slips in a waiver for Mattis to serve as Defense Secretary
--reports that Islamic State is losing ground in Mosul and Aleppo
--Palestinian-American activist Rasmea Odeh is granted a new trial on charges that she lied in immigration documents
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