San Francisco’s NBC affiliate reports: Customers have been lining up and packing into Bay Area cannabis dispensaries to buy holiday gifts including gummies, chocolates, cartridges and flowers. “From the moment we were open at 9 o’clock we had a line,” Magnolia assistant general manager Kysa Butler said. “We’ve been knocking the lines out quickly but they’ve been steady, too.” Pot …

Politico reports: Defense Secretary James Mattis wished U.S. troops a merry Christmas and worked Christmas Day after President Trump pushed the secretary out two months earlier than he planned to resign. “To those in the field or at sea, ‘keeping watch by night’ this holiday season, you should recognize that you carry on the proud legacy of those who stood …

Jonah Goldberg writes for the LA Times: Weirdly, it’s gotten to the point that when I say President Trump is not a man of good character, I feel like I should preface it with a trigger warning for many of my fellow conservatives. But his refusal to listen to advisors; his inability to bite his tongue; his demonization and belittling …

Reuters reports: Pope Francis, in his Christmas message to the world, urged people on Tuesday to see differences as a source of richness instead of danger and called for reconciliation in places torn apart by conflict. Francis delivered the traditional papal “Urbi et Orbi” message to tens of thousands of people in a sunny St. Peter’s Square from the same …

The Jewish Forward reports: Actress Roseanne Barr will visit the Israeli Knesset in late January to speak out against the boycott, divest and sanctions movement. Barr, a pro-Israel activist, is set to tour Israel with Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, founder of the World Values Network. She reportedly was invited to speak at the Knesset by Deputy Speaker Yechiel Hilik Bar and …

Reuters reports: President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the partial shutdown of the federal government was going to last until his demand for funds to build a U.S.-Mexico border wall is met. Speaking after a video conference with U.S. troops posted abroad, Trump also reiterated his contention that the Federal Reserve was raising U.S. interest rates too fast. At Christmas …

Bloomberg reports: President Trump has weighed dismissing Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, a source familiar with the president’s thinking told Bloomberg News. Another source told Bloomberg said that Mnuchin’s future at the helm of the Treasury Department depends on whether the market continues to drop. Trump’s unhappiness with his treasury chief was reported the day after Mnuchin released a statement seeking …

The Guardian reports: The government is to ban unethical puppy and kitten farms in England, pledging to end the trade of unscrupulous breeders who keep animals in filthy and cramped conditions and force some to be pregnant many times over. The regulation will mean anyone wanting to buy or home a puppy or kitten will have to deal directly with …

The Hill reports: Russian state-backed news outlet RT on Monday released a satirical video depicting President Trump opening Christmas gifts.   Trump begins by opening a gift from Kim Jong Un, who gave him small gold busts of the two leaders. Trump tosses the bust of Kim aside before opening his next gift: A “Make America Great Again” hat boasting a …

The Associated Press reports: President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump on Christmas Eve took calls from children anxious to find out where Santa was on his gift-giving journey. In one conversation, Trump asked a 7-year-old named Coleman, “Are you still a believer in Santa?” He listened for a moment before adding, “Because at 7, it’s marginal, right?” Trump …

USA Today reports: Where is Santa Claus right now? Thanks to a few high-tech trackers, we have an idea. Government workers, Google and even some local drone groups have their eyes on the sky this Christmas Eve looking for Santa’s sleigh and his flying reindeer. Not even a partial government shutdown is stopping the North American Aerospace Defense Command from …

This story makes its fifteenth annual appearance on JMG… Grand Central Terminal functions as the mechanical heart of midtown New York City, pumping out several thousand workers and tourists on one beat, then sucking in several thousand more on the next. The rhythms of the terminal are fascinating. Beat. Four thousand, inbound from New Haven. Beat. Three thousand, outbound to …

The New York Times reports: Kevin Spacey will be charged with a felony following an accusation of sexual assault made public last year, the authorities in Nantucket said on Monday. The charge, first reported by The Boston Globe, is in connection with an accusation of misconduct that was made by a former television anchor, Heather Unruh, who said that Mr. …

The Wrap reports: President Trump, instead of channeling his inner Kevin McAllister and enjoying being “all alone” in the White House on Christmas Eve, is blasting Democrats for refusing to give him the one gift he really wants: a $5-billion border wall. The president also skewered the Federal Reserve, saying it “doesn’t understand” his policies — leading to the recent …

CNN reports: Markets took a wild ride on Monday after Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s attempts to calm investors backfired. Stocks had recovered late morning, but then fell to their lowest level for the day after President Donald Trump tweeted mid-morning, “The only problem our economy has is the Fed.” Investors are concerned that Trump may fire Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome …

The Rising reports: President Trump trails former Vice President Biden in a hypothetical 2020 matchup, according to a new HarrisX poll. The survey finds Biden leading Trump, 42 percent to 36 percent, better than at least two other leading potential Democratic White House contenders. The president tops Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) in their matchup, with 37 percent saying they would …

Mediaite reports: White House spokeswomen Mercedes Schlapp appeared for an interview on Fox & Friends Monday, where she was challenged by host Brian Kilmeade to name a single adviser that told President Donald Trump to withdraw troops from Syria. “Can you name an adviser the president has that recommended he pull out 2,000 troops?” Kilmeade asked. Schlapp dodged: “I’m not …

Politico reports: Key House Democrats plan to use their newfound power to force a debate about the war-making authority that Congress approved after 9/11 — after years of being stifled by the chamber’s Republican leaders. Prospects will be much brighter for the lawmakers who have spent years pushing Congress to weigh in on the use of American forces in countries …

The Hill reports: President Trump on Monday criticized outgoing Defense Secretary James Mattis, claiming he hasn’t done enough to address countries that “take total advantage of the U.S.” and U.S. taxpayers. Mattis wrote in his resignation letter that the strength of the U.S. is “inextricably linked to the strength of our unique and comprehensive system of alliances.” He added that …

NBC News reports: Forces loyal to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders are waging an increasingly public war against Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke, the new darling of Democratic activists, as the two men weigh whether to seek the party’s presidential nomination in 2020. The main line of attack against O’Rourke is that he isn’t progressive enough — that he’s been too close …