Softball: New England quarterback Tom Brady yesterday said he hand picks every game ball for the way it feels, but didn’t notice that any of the balls in Sunday’s game against Indianapolis were soft by two pounds of air pressure. …

SOTU: He may pop a surprise, but President Obama has already revealed most of what he will call for in tonight’s State of the Union address. He’s been touring the country giving away the plot to his speech. The president …

Christmas: In his traditional Christmas address Pope Francis denounced the “brutal persecution” of religious and ethnic minorities. “May Christmas bring them hope, as indeed also to the many displaced persons, exiles and refugees, children, adults and elderly, from this region …

Econ 101: The Dow Jones closed above 18,000 for the first time in its history yesterday, lifted by lower gasoline prices, increased jobs, and growing confidence. The economy grew at a rapid-paced 5 percent last quarter, according to the government, …

Econ 101: The Dow Jones rose 421 points yesterday, the market’s biggest one-day spike in three years. Investors were excited about earnings reports. At the same time the price of oil continued to slide under $56 a barrel. While that’s …

Permawar: The forces of the Islamic State have been significantly damaged by coalition air strikes, Secy. of State John Kerry said at a meeting of diplomats in Brussels. “Our commitment will be measured most likely in years but our efforts …

Nation: As demonstrators marched in cities around the country yesterday, President Obama stepped into the Ferguson fray, announcing the formation of a task force to defuse the tension between communities and their police departments. He said there is “a simmering …

Ferguson: Police Officer Darren Wilson, who was cleared Monday by a grand jury in the shooting of an unarmed black teenager, has resigned from the Ferguson, Mo. police department. A letter from Wilson released by his lawyer said, in part, …

Turnover: A former federal judge acting as an arbitrator overturned the indefinite suspension of former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice for domestic violence. It’s a big setback for the NFL trying to police domestic violence by players, but the …

World: A new video released by the Islamic State appears to confirm the death of American aid worker Peter Kassig, who was taken captive in Syria a year ago. The video does not show the killing, but does show a …