Murder Town: The city of Chicago finished 2016 with 762 murders, more than New York and Los Angeles combined. Another four thousand people were wounded by gunfire in bullet city.

It’s an enormous increase from the 485 Chicago murders reported in 2015.

An investigation by 60 Minutes that aired last night reported that the rise in murders has corresponded with a dramatic drop in Chicago cops doing the basic police work of stops and arrests. The statistics for stops and arrests dropped 80 percent from August 2015 to August 2016.

The change in police activity is attributed in part to the aftermath of a 2013 incident when a white officer shot and killed an unarmed 17-year-old boy. The officer is charged with murder. A handful of current and former cops told 60 Minutes that they’ve pulled back rather than risk their lives and careers.

Three people were murdered in the first six hours of 2017.

Nightclub Terror: The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the New Year’s Eve attack on a nightclub in Istanbul that killed 39 people, calling the lone gunman “a hero soldier of the caliphate.” The shooter got away and a massive manhunt is underway.

Absolute Power: Congress returns to Washington tomorrow with Republicans fully in control and intent upon pushing through an ambitious set of changes for the tax code, Medicare, and Medicaid while completely repealing the Affordable Care Act known as Obamacare. They have nothing to replace it, or the health insurance it’s brought to 20 million people, but they say they’re going to repeal it.

A big item is attacking government regulations. With the inauguration 18 days away, President-elect Trump’s appointed White House Press Secretary, Sean Spicer, promised on CNN yesterday that the new president will “repeal a lot of the regulations and actions that have been taken by this administration over the last eight years that have hampered both economic growth and job creation.” He didn’t say which regulations.

That’s Entertainment: Trump is said to be working on his inauguration speech, which will need to be more than 140 characters long.

Kid Rock and Ted Nugent are lined up to perform at the inauguration. Remember them? Trump’s inaugural committee is having a terrible time finding A-list performers to appear. They’ve been rejected by Elton John, country singer Garth Brooks, and opera singer Andrea Bocelli.

A soprano in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir has resigned in protest over the group’s agreement to perform at the inauguration of Donald Trump. Jan Chamberlin wrote in a letter to the choir’s president that, “I could never look myself in the mirror again with self-respect.” She wrote in a Facebook post, “I only know I could never ‘throw roses to Hitler.’ And I certainly could never sing for him.”

Nation: A prankster draped the letters of the Hollywood sign so that it read “Hollyweed.” It was done once before, back in 1976. — New York’s new Second Avenue Subway line opened yesterday with thousands of happy people taking a ride. Next stop, Coney Island. The new line relieves the pressure on the overcrowded 4,5, and 6 trains under Lexington Ave. It’s been a long time for the first train to arrive. The line was originally proposed in 1920.

Amateur Night: CNN’s Don Lemon got his ear pierced and was drunk on the air from a New Orleans bar New Year’s Eve. “Yeah, I’m lit. Who cares?” Singer Mariah Carey couldn’t keep up with the pre-recorded music to lip-synch her songs in New York’s Times Square. Then she couldn’t pull it together to sing live, either, and left the stage. She blames the technical setup.

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