Thursday's Headlines: Trump concedes Russia hacked DNC, calls salacious claims ‘fake news’

Federal ethics chief calls Trump's plan 'meaningless'; How a secret and unsubstantiated dossier made it into the public domain; It was a mad, mad day in American politics. Is it also our new normal?; In the face of swirling controversies, a reminder of the challenges Trump will face; At testy confirmation hearing, Tillerson gets sharp inquiries from senators on both sides; Elaine Chao emphasizes private funds for Trump's promised transportation fixes; Booker breaks tradition, says fellow senator Sessions shouldn't be attorney general;   The morning's most important stories, selected by Post editors   Top Stories Trump concedes Russia hacked DNC, calls salacious claims 'fake news' The president-elect for the first time acknowledged Russia's alleged role in last year's election, but he denied that the leaks were intended to boost him. He also furiously denounced reports that Russia had obtained intelligence that could compromise him. By Philip Rucker and Ashley Parker  •  Read more » Federal ethics chief calls Trump's plan 'meaningless' Walter Shaub, head of the Office of Government Ethics, said Trump has fallen short in his efforts to erase conflicts of interest By Lisa Rein  •  Read more »   How a secret and unsubstantiated dossier made it into the public domain In deciding to brief Donald Trump on the allegations, the U.S. intelligence community was trying to anticipate headlines, but it may have accelerated them. By Greg Miller, Ellen Nakashima and Karen DeYoung  •  Read more »   It was a mad, mad day in American politics. Is it also our new normal? Wednesday was a big, weird moment in the lurching transition of federal power. On the cusp of the Trump era, what it felt like on a day everything happened all at once. By Monica Hesse and Elise Viebeck  •  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   In the face of swirling controversies, a reminder of the challenges Trump will face No president in memory has come to the brink of his inauguration with such a smorgasbord of potential problems and unanswered questions, or with the level of public doubts that exist around his leadership. By Dan Balz  •  Read more »   At testy confirmation hearing, Tillerson gets sharp inquiries from senators on both sides Under combative questioning from Sen. Marco Rubio, Rex Tillerson did not dispute the overall finding of Russian meddling — the extent and intent of which Trump has openly questioned. By Ed O'Keefe and Anne Gearan  •  Read more »   Elaine Chao emphasizes private funds for Trump's promised transportation fixes In a Trump Cabinet that promises to be a mix of outsiders and Washington hands, Chao will serve as a voice of experience, colleagues said. By Michael Laris and Ashley Halsey III  •  Read more »   Booker breaks tradition, says fellow senator Sessions shouldn't be attorney general The remarks marked the first time a sitting senator has testified against a colleague's nomination for a cabinet post, and they were among the most notable at Sessions's two-day confirmation hearing. By Matt Zapotosky  •  Read more »   Opinions   Obama's moving farewell, Trump's terrifying hello By E.J. Dionne Jr.  •  Read more »   The Trump dossier is silly — except for one thing By Charles Lane  •  Read more »   Tillerson's foreign policy: Russia first By Dana Milbank  •  Read more »   The hilarious hoax that should have taught the academy a lesson By George F. Will  •  Read more »   Beware the dark art of Russian blackmail By Christian Caryl  •  Read more »   Trump takes a step forward on ethics. Here's how he could do better. By Editorial Board  •  Read more » ADVERTISEMENT   More News   Obamacare is one step closer to repeal after Senate advances budget resolution The Senate voted 51 to 48 early Thursday morning to approve a budget resolution instructing House and Senate committees to begin work on legislation to repeal major portions of the Affordable Care Act. The House is expected to vote on the measure as early as Friday. By Kelsey Snell and Mike DeBonis  •  Read more » Trump news cycle has Democrats struggling to adapt Fanning the flames of Trump controversies didn't help Hillary Clinton. But Democrats can't seem to resist — and they don't know how to change the subject. By Paul Kane  •  Read more » San Diego Chargers may be on the move to Los Angeles Dean Spanos, the chairman of the Chargers, has told several owners and some NFL officials that he intends to exercise his option to move his franchise, according to two people familiar with the league's inner workings. By Mark Maske  •  Read more » 'You can't look at us': Mass shooter Dylann Roof formally sentenced to death Roof hoped his actions at a South Carolina church would spur a race war, but at Wednesday's sentencing hearing, his victims' relatives shared a message: He failed. By Dustin Waters and Mark Berman  •  Read more » Hunting groups look to Donald Trump Jr. as their champion in new White House Hunting and conservation groups plan to rely on the 39-year-old to serve as their champion in his father's administration on an issue that puts him in direct opposition to many conservatives who are counting on a GOP president to scale back federal control over millions of acres where drilling, grazing and other private uses are restricted. By Matea Gold and Juliet Eilperin  •  Read more » Michelle Obama was Jimmy Fallon's only guest and, no, they did not mom dance The late-night host dedicated his entire show to the first lady, who said the end of her husband's administration has "been surprisingly emotional for all of us in ways that we didn't expect." By Krissah Thompson  •  Read more » Palestinians: Pray that Trump won't move U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem Palestinian leaders are pleading with President-elect Donald Trump to not follow through on his pledge to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv. They have asked mosques worldwide to offer prayers against the move. By William Booth and Carol Morello  •  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. 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