Debatable: What if they held a Democratic presidential candidate debate on the Saturday night before Christmas? Would it make a noise? If it did, would anybody hear it? The debate opened with Bernie Sanders having to apologize for his staff …

Political Climate: Delegates to the world climate change summit in Paris were expected to release the draft of an agreement that would commit nearly every country on earth to reducing the emission of greenhouse gases. The target is to keep …

—From Pilot Knob, NY.   Heavy Weather: Flash flood warnings have been declared in parts of Texas and evacuations are underway as rivers and creeks continue to rise. The floods have hit Houston while more rain is in the forecast. …

—From Pilot Knob, NY.   Heavy Weather: At least three people are dead and others are missing after torrential rains caused flash flooding in Texas and Oklahoma. Up to 10 inches of rain fell in some areas over a 24-hour …

The Football Business:After a flurry of outrage over his re-instatement, The Minnesota Vikings have once again sidelined their star running back Adrian Peterson, who’s facing criminal charges that he hit his four-year-old son with a switch. A statement by the …

Iraq Crisis: As American jets and drones continued to strike targets in Iraq yesterday, President Obama said the bombing could continue for months. Shortly before he took off for a family vacation in Martha’s Vineyard the president told reporters, “I don’t …

Iraq Crisis:In the wake of US airstrikes yesterday, the Muslim fundamentalist ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi delivered a threat addressed to “America, the defender of the cross.” He said, “Soon enough, you will be in direct confrontation — forced to …

Israel: Dozens of people have been killed in Gaza as Hamas and Israel trade a flurry of fire. Hamas is firing longer-range rockets into Israel, falling near Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. At least 117 rockets hit Israel yesterday, one of …

Border: President Obama is asking for $2 billion to deal with the flood of illegal immigrants, many of them unaccompanied children, coming across the border in Texas. Since October, more than 52,000 children have been apprehended after crossing the border …

Iraq: Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has rejected international calls to form a unity government that includes the Sunni minority to defuse the country’s civil war. Maliki is a Shiite who has squeezed Sunnis out of power in both the military …