Roy Moore or Doug Jones? Who will win?

Alabama voters are heading to the polls today to cast their ballots in one of the most controversial races in the state’s history.

Republican Roy Moore is facing Democrat Doug Jones in a special election to decide who will replace Attorney General Jeff Sessions in the U.S. Senate. 

President Trump, after initial reluctance following the allegations against Mr. Moore offered a full endorsement. 

This is a good example of an election where there's no good candidate. On the one hand you have Roy Moore, who is a radical right wing guy and has been accused of sexual misconduct.

On the other hand, the Democrat, Doug Jones, is totally out of touch with Alabama. He's a very, very left-wing guy. 

The point of the story is that our whole country is a mess right now, it’s in shambles.

DOJ Official Tied to Fusion GPS

Nellie Ohr, wife of demoted DOJ official Bruce Ohr, worked for Fusion GPS in the summer and fall of 2016, ahead of the presidential election.

Fox News reported that Bruce Ohr had met with dossier author Christopher Steele during the campaign, and with Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson after the election. According to Fox, Bruce Ohr’s bosses at the Justice Department were not aware of his meetings with Steele and Simpson. Steele provided the dossier to the FBI in July 2016. 

Bruce Ohr was, and remains, director of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. However, until December 6, he held two titles at the DOJ. The title that he was demoted from was far more senior, he was the associate deputy attorney general. The Department of Justice has provided no public explanation for Bruce Ohr’s demotion.

The nature of Nellie Ohr’s duties (including whether she worked on the dossier) remains unclear, however, she has written extensively on Russia related topics. Previously, Nellie Ohr worked as a Russia expert at the Wilson Center, a Washington think tank, a decade ago.

Earlier today, President Donald Trump's legal team said that it's time to create a second special counsel to start investigating the FBI and Department of Justice.

Trump Faces Accusations from the Left

President Trump tweeted early this morning saying that Democrats are moving on from the Russia investigation to "false accusations" of sexual harassment. 

At least 17 women have come forward with a wide range of accusations against Trump, ranging from sexual harassment and sexual assault to lewd behavior around women. All the alleged incidents took place prior to Trump's assuming the presidency. 

On Monday, more than 50 female Democratic lawmakers asked the House oversight committee to investigate allegations of sexual misconduct against President Donald Trump. 

After Senator Kirsten Gillibrand called for Trump to resign, he tweeted, "Lightweight Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a total flunky for Chuck Schumer and someone who would come to my office ‘begging’ for campaign contributions not so long ago (and would do anything for them), is now in the ring fighting against Trump. Very disloyal to Bill & Crooked-USED!”

Speaking at a news conference this afternoon, Gillibrand called Trump's online insult derogatory.

Open Borders & Lazy Immigration Policies

Nearly 142,0000 Bangladeshis have emigrated to the U.S. on the basis of family ties, White House Special Assistant Kelly Sadler revealed on Monday. 

“A significant driver of this influx of family-based immigration is Chain Migration, the process by which foreign nationals permanently resettle within the U.S. and subsequently bring over their foreign relatives, who then have the opportunity to bring over their foreign relatives, until entire extended families are resettled within the country,” Sadler said. 

“Chain migration” occurs when immigrants enter the U.S. through sponsorship from family members already settled in the country. Critics have said it theoretically could trigger an endless flow of family members emigrating in. 

Sadler’s email follows a Monday alleged terrorist attack on the New York City subway system by Akayed Ullah. Ullah is a former New York City cab driver who entered the U.S. with his parents on a F43 family immigrant visa in 2011, and is a lawful permanent resident who resides in Brooklyn. 

Ullah emigrated to the U.S. months before his 21st birthday. Had he been 21 years old, a family member would not have been allowed to petition for him to obtain a visa. 

Trump, in a statement, blamed the attack on America's "lax immigration system, which allows far too many dangerous, inadequately vetted people to access our country."

Jerry Brown Believes the California Wildfires are a Produce of Climate Change

California is reeling from its most destructive wildfire season ever, which Governor Jerry Brown blames on the effects of climate change. Brown says the fires show President Trump is making a mistake by ignoring the facts of global warming. 

Brown said on “60 Minutes” that President Trump is wrong to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement and misguided for calling it a bad deal for America. 

"That's a preposterous idea, not even a shred of truth in that statement," Brown said. "I don't think President Trump has a fear of the Lord, the fear of the wrath of God, which leads one to more humility...  and this is such a reckless disregard for the truth and for the existential consequences that can be unleashed." 

The Thomas Fire covers a span of more than 230,000 acres, tens of thousands of acres larger than all of New York City combined.

Nearly 1,000 homes and other structures have been either damaged or destroyed. The cost of the fire has crested $38 million, according to fire officials. With roughly 18,000 more structures threatened, that cost is likely to increase.

College Campus Christmas Crisis

As another Christmas season approaches, colleges across the country are issuing their annual guidelines on how to make the season as inclusive as possible. Other schools are encouraging "inclusive holiday decorating parties," or hold annual "tree lighting" ceremonies. Here are some of the examples: 

Ohio University: OU put out a guide on “holiday expenditures,” noting that decorations cannot be purchased with university funds, but that any decorations “displayed in public areas” should “be secular in nature.” 

University of Alabama: The Crimson White, which is the student paper, ran an opinion piece declaring Trump’s decision to “bring the nativity back to the White House” a “slap in the face.”

“Placing the nativity scene on the grounds of the most important house in the United States is sending the message that their president forgets those who do not practice Christianity,” the editorial read. 

The op-ed did not note that the Obamas never removed the nativity – it was just reported they considered it. 

The State University of New York, Brockport: SUNY Brockport issued guidance on “culturally sensitive holiday decorations,” even advising employees to “consider a grab bag instead of a ‘Secret Santa’ gift exchange.” 

So, what you have here is a movement, very successful, to take any spirituality, any religion out of the Christmas holiday. The baby Jesus, even though he founded Christianity in the sense that the whole religion is based on his philosophy, that can't be mentioned because if you mentioned Christianity, you're offending somebody who isn't Christian. That's the thinking. It's just staggering, isn't it?

Mail Time!

• "Thank you, Bill, for explaining this whole business of the women and why and how they got to NBC News. Very disturbing to see a man, a president being smeared in every possible way. Does the president have so little power that he cannot put an end to this?" 

• "Dear Bill, you were dead on right on the prediction of Trump and the accusations. Now what?" 

• "Bill, you always mention CNN and MSNBC and newspapers when referring to negative Trump news. How does the Associated Press fit into that category? I never see anything but negative Trump news when I read their print. Our Missoula, Montana newspaper prints a lot of AP." 

Word of the Day: Blatherskite