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Monday's Mini-Report, 12.17.18

Today's edition of quick hits.

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Look for more on this on tonight's show: "Two former associates of ex-national security adviser Michael Flynn have been charged with 'covertly and unlawfully' trying to influence American politicians in a plot to extradite a Turkish cleric living in the U.S."

* Striking findings: "A report prepared for the Senate that provides the most sweeping analysis yet of Russia's disinformation campaign around the 2016 election found the operation used every major social media platform to deliver words, images and videos tailored to voters' interests to help elect President Trump -- and worked even harder to support him while in office."

* The world tries to move on without us: "After two weeks of bruising negotiations, officials from almost 200 countries agreed Saturday on universal, transparent rules that will govern efforts to cut emissions and curb global warming. The deal agreed upon at U.N. climate talks in Poland enables countries to put into action the principles in the 2015 Paris climate accord."

* Quite a sight: "Opponents of Hungary's far-right prime minister, Viktor Orban, demonstrated on Sunday for the fourth day in the past five, in what has become one of the most sustained displays of street opposition to Mr. Orban since he entered office eight years ago."

* Trump's intervention in the Matt Golsteyn case, apparently because of a Fox News segment, is going to get very messy.

* By some accounts, Pam Patenaude ran the Department of Housing and Urban Development because Ben Carson doesn't know how: "The HUD official considered by many to be crucial to both the agency's smooth operation and to Puerto Rico recovery efforts resigned Monday and will transition out of the role in January."

* Trump's not-so-successful success story: "North Korea on Sunday condemned the Trump administration for stepping up sanctions and pressure on the nuclear-armed country, warning of a return to 'exchanges of fire' and that peace with Pyongyang could be blocked forever."

* Barack Obama believes "Republicans will never stop trying to undo" the Affordable Care Act. I'm hard pressed to disagree.

* Internal documents examined by Reuters reportedly showed that Johnson & Johnson's baby powder "was sometimes tainted with carcinogenic asbestos and that J&J kept that information from regulators and the public."

* Chai Feldblum's plight: "Conservative Sen. Mike Lee is taking a lone stand against a Trump nominee, blocking her from joining the office that takes workplace complaints because of her support for LGBTQ rights."

* We live in such strange times that the sitting American president suggested "Saturday Night Live" might be illegal, and it's not among the top 20 political stories of interest today.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.