NATIONAL

“Donald Trump’s verbal attacks on women have done little to dent his meteoric rise, but a deeper look at his polling shows the threat of a gender gap ripping open if he becomes the GOP nominee.” – Politico

“The Washington Post removed an editorial cartoon from its website late Tuesday that depicted Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz’s young daughters as trained monkeys.” – Fox News

“7 Ways Hillary Clinton Is NOT Like My Abuela” – Red State

“In June, Ted Cruz promised on NPR that opposition to gay marriage would be ‘front and center’ in his 2016 campaign.” – Politico

“Evangelist Franklin Graham announced Tuesday he is leaving the Republican Party over the GOP-led spending bill passed last week, calling it ‘wasteful’ and likening funding of Planned Parenthood to Nazi concentration camps.” – Fox News

“Donald Trump seems set to end 2015 as the dominant force in the race for next year’s Republican nomination for president, with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz now a clear — yet distant — second after a strong debate performance, a new CNN/ORC poll released on Wednesday has found.” – CNN.com

“The tree at Rockefeller Center is eighty years old and 78 feet tall. It weighs ten tons. It is wrapped in a 45,000 multi-colored lights, in strands of wire five miles long. It blinks and winks and sparkles, surrounded by a mass of people made larger by the mild weather and a shopping season that has seen more willingness to spend than other recent years. They mill about the base of the Norway Spruce in their groups, all of them with black mirrors in hand, many of them wielding selfie sticks like neutered lightsabers which, when crossed by accident, give off a loud *clack*.” – The Federalist

“Is Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) about to make a 2016 presidential endorsement? Recent evidence seems to suggest he might.” – The Blaze

“Thousands celebrated the end of a year’s campaigning against mass migration on Monday night at the Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West (PEGIDA) rally on the banks of the river Elbe in Dresden, Germany.” – Breitbart

“In case you missed it yesterday, Virginia Attorney General and Democrat Mark Herring unilaterally eliminated long standing concealed carry reciprocity agreements with 25 states, leaving just five states to be recognized. He did so in the name of “gun safety.” – Katie Pavlich/Townhall

LOUISIANA

“Two West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s deputies have been suspended after Col. Richie Johnson with WBRSO said three inmates were unaccounted for.” – WAFB.com

“An estimated 11,000 invitations have been sent for Gov.-elect John Bel Edwards’ swearing-in ceremony set for Jan. 11.” – WBRZ.com

“Governor-elect John Bel Edwards today asked both the federal government and the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to avoid any unnecessary interruption of Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits on January 1, 2016 for low-income able-bodied single adults, even if they have not yet been able to find work.  The decision will affect approximately 31,000 low-income adults who stand to lose $194 a month in electronic food assistance starting January 1, due to Governor Bobby Jindal’s decision not to request a federal waiver in October.” – Action News 17

“A 21-year-old woman is alive after she was pulled from a fiery crash that happened at the base of the I-210 bridge Monday night.” – KPLCTV.com

“As the Edwards family prepare for their transition into the governors mansion in January, the state’s first lady is carving out her position in her new found role.” – KNOE.com

“A Louisiana lawyer is suing People magazine over a story he alleges falsely portrays him as his late wife’s killer.” – ABAJournal

“State police say a sheriff’s deputy in Louisiana shot and killed a 32-year-old man inside his home.” – Seattle Times

“A vehicle pursuit from Lake Charles to Iowa Monday at speeds more than 100 miles per hour ended when the vehicle got stuck on the railroad tracks.” – KPLCTV.com

“In order to graduate from high school in Louisiana, students will soon be required to apply for federal financial aid for college.” – USNews.com

“As more and more names of Louisiana politicos continue to be floated as possible candidates for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. David Vitter, the announced candidates—Rep. Charles Bous­tany, Rep. John Flem­ing and former Rep. Joseph Cao—are rapidly working to nail down their bases of support.” – Business Report