art WATCH: Sylvia Pavone hula hoop dances to synchronized graphics Andrea James

politics Trump defends tear gas church photo op: 'I think Christians think it was a beautiful picture' Xeni Jardin

politics 'It sickened me', says fmr Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Mike Mullen on Trump's church gassing stunt Xeni Jardin

trump Trump's goons also gassed and grenaded St. John’s clergy, says reverend Mark Frauenfelder

donald trump Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde denounces Trump’s abuse of St. John's Church as a prop Xeni Jardin

politics Trump DoJ steps in to shorten Roger Stone’s prison sentence (which is yet to be announced) Xeni Jardin

Jesus Merry Christmas, someone stole Jesus's foreskin Thom Dunn

religion Exorcist training and conference next month in Chicago David Pescovitz

religion Brexit Crisis: Church of England to host Emergency Tea Parties Rob Beschizza

kangaroos Watch: Angry kangaroo punches paraglider as soon as he lands Carla Sinclair

happy mutants Jonathan Coulton is kickstarting an album of 70s soft rock covers Cory Doctorow

corruption Cheap dates: here's how much it cost the telcoms sector to buy Congress and murder Net Neutrality Cory Doctorow

russia Russian Orthodox Patriarch announces church-government inquiry to prove that the Tsar was killed in 1917 as part of a Jewish ritual Cory Doctorow

obits Mandy Johnson, 1953-2015 Rob Beschizza

law British judge sentences racist "cunt" to 18 months in jail Rob Beschizza

transparency Research files on El Salvador stolen from human rights group suing CIA over El Salvador Xeni Jardin

A nerd’s 12 best and worst films from 2014 Ethan Gilsdorf

History Misleading on Marriage: how gay marriage opponents twist history to suit their agenda Lisa L. Spangenberg