Sunday's Headlines: Fearing abandonment by Trump, CIA-backed rebels in Syria mull alternatives

Trump's emerging Cabinet looking more conventional than many expected; Raw emotions persist as Trump prepares for presidency; Oakland officials fear dozens dead in massive warehouse party fire; 'The world is watching': Voices from Standing Rock;   The morning's most important stories, selected by Post editors   Top Stories Fearing abandonment by Trump, CIA-backed rebels in Syria mull alternatives Three years after the CIA began secretly shipping lethal aid to rebels fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, battlefield losses and fears that a Donald Trump administration will abandon them have left thousands of opposition fighters weighing their alternatives, including a closer alliance with better-armed al-Qaeda and other extremist groups. By Karen DeYoung and Louisa Loveluck  •  Read more » Trump's emerging Cabinet looking more conventional than many expected Most of the president-elect's choices have gone a long way toward mollifying some of his Republican critics, and several are tailor-made to encourage cooperation between the administration and Congressional GOP leaders. By John Wagner and Sean Sullivan  •  Read more »   Raw emotions persist as Trump prepares for presidency Everyone knew or should have known that the wounds from an election as raw and divisive and negative as campaign 2016 would not be quickly healed. By Dan Balz  •  Read more »   Oakland officials fear dozens dead in massive warehouse party fire At least 9 people have been confirmed dead following the huge blaze at a warehouse where a concert was taking place. Authorities expect the toll to rise because more than 50 people were in the building, which city officials said had been investigated due to complaints about illegal structures inside. By Kristine Guerra, Ana Swanson and Tim Bontemps  •  Read more »   'The world is watching': Voices from Standing Rock Native Americans and military veterans. Environmentalists and police. Ranchers and lumberjacks. Students and nurses. All have been drawn to the North Dakota site of an oil pipeline at the center of debates on indigenous rights, corporate might, progress and oppression. By Kevin Sullivan  •  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   Opinions   Why no one can stop President Trump from using nuclear weapons By Alex Wellerstein  •  Read more »   Trump is surrounding himself with generals. That's dangerous. By Phillip Carter and Loren DeJonge Schulman  •  Read more »   The most ambitious, irritating and hopeful books of 2016 — and the best one, too By Carlos Lozada  •  Read more »   Robots won’t kill the workforce. They’ll save the global economy. By Ruchir Sharma  •  Read more »   My best fitness trick? Telling everyone I used to be fat. By Mike Riggs  •  Read more »   Five myths about the decline and fall of Rome By Nathan Pilkington  •  Read more » ADVERTISEMENT   More News   In Pence's new D.C. neighborhood, not exactly the welcome wagon Residents hoisted rainbow flags to protest the vice president-elect's opposition over the years to equal rights for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. By Ian Shapira  •  Read more » Melbourne backlash highlights Australia's mixed feelings on refugees Australia resents the thousands of people who have made the treacherous trip by sea to seek refuge. Yet detention centers built to deter asylum seekers are regarded by many Australians as their greatest national shame. By A. Odysseus Patrick  •  Read more » College football's winners and losers from the 2016 regular season Alabama, Washington, Tom Herman, James Conner and Jabrill Peppers should be pleased with this year. But the season couldn't end fast enough for Notre Dame, Michigan State, Rutgers, Mark Helfrich and the Big 12. By Patrick Stevens  •  Read more » Green Party drops bid for statewide election recount in Pennsylvania Lawyers for the Green Party-backed voters who filed the case say they can't afford a court-ordered $1 million bond. However, efforts to force recounts and analyze election software in scattered precincts across the state were continuing. Associated Press  •  Read more » Cuba carries Fidel Castro to final resting place The former dictator's ashes were scheduled to be interred Sunday morning in a "simple" ceremony to mark the end of a national mourning period. By Nick Miroff  •  Read more » Parents of Virginia teen who committed suicide sue school counselor Jay Gallagher ended his life three weeks after a friend told his school counselor at Potomac Falls High School in Virginia that the 18-year-old was suicidal, according to the lawsuit filed by his parents. By Moriah Balingit  •  Read more » Paul Ryan isn't ruling out Medicare privatization, and it's not just Democrats who are wary Republican House Speaker Paul D. Ryan made clear that he is willing to pursue a major overhaul of Medicare, including changes that could eventually put private companies in charge of the health care for tens of millions of American seniors. By Mike DeBonis  •  Read more » News quiz: 10 new questions from a busy week How closely did you pay attention? As usual, the faster you correctly answer, the bigger the time bonus. By Tiffany Harness and Elyse Samuels  •  Read more » Cars 2017 Audi A4: Worth every penny The compact sedan is more comfortable than ever, yet remains a pleasure to drive. By Warren Brown  •  Read more » Travel Exploring Poland's communist-era past In a Krakow neighborhood, a history lesson in an era of change. By Hugh Biggar  •  Read more » Arts & Style The only holiday gift guide you need Editors and tastemakers pick out the best of the best for everyone on your list. By Washington Post staff  •  Read more »         Share Today's Headlines:       Twitter      Facebook Trouble reading? Click here to view in your browser. You received this email because you are signed up for Headlines. For additional free newsletters or to manage your newsletters, click here. We respect your privacy. If you believe that this email has been sent to you in error or you no longer wish to receive email from The Washington Post, click here. Contact us for help. ©2016 The Washington Post, 1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071