Evening Edition: FBI deputy director, facing onslaught of GOP criticism, plans to retire

Can GOP boost its 2018 outlook by selling the tax bill? Will the tax bill help or hurt Republicans? It depends.

Democracy Dies in Darkness     The day's most important stories   FBI deputy director, facing onslaught of GOP criticism, plans to retire Andrew McCabe was the right-hand man to former agency director James Comey, which meant he was involved in most of the FBI's actions that vex President Trump. He spent hours testifying privately this week before congressional committees, where Republicans said they were dissatisfied with his answers. He plans to step down in a few months when he is eligible for full pension benefits, people familiar with the matter said. By Devlin Barrett and Karoun Demirjian  •  Read more » The Take | Analysis Can GOP boost its 2018 outlook by selling the tax bill? As President Trump signed the sweeping legislation into law, he said, "I think it's selling itself." But every Republican running in a competitive midterm race next year faces an uphill climb to turn his words into reality after the tax plan was pushed through Congress with record speed. By Dan Balz  •   Read more »   Will the tax bill help or hurt Republicans? It depends. Democrats claim Republicans triggered a political tsunami by passing an unpopular tax bill with enormous benefits for the rich. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell defiantly disagrees, saying he is confident that the tax vote will help everyone. By Paul Kane  •   @PKCapitol | Analysis   •   Read more »   Russian submarines step up activity around undersea data cables, unnerving NATO The apparent Russian focus on the cables, which provide Internet and other communications connections to North America and Europe, could give the Kremlin the power to sever or tap into vital data lines, senior military officials said. By Michael Birnbaum  •   Read more »   The most ridiculous celebrity apologies of 2017 — that didn't involve harassment From an accidental flashing on Snapchat to dancing with a kangaroo onstage, they were really sorry if you were offended. By Emily Yahr  •   Read more »   Miss America CEO resigns after emails reveal his crude remarks about pageant winners In addition to Sam Haskell — who apologized for a "mistake of words" — the board chairman and one board member also resigned. The board of directors vowed an investigation in response to HuffPost's publishing of emails sent among organization executives. By Ellen McCarthy  •   Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT People on the West Coast were freaked out by a UFO. Extraterrestrials were not to blame. The U.S. government did just admit that it had spent $22 million to investigate unidentified flying objects. So Los Angeles residents could be forgiven for jumping to conclusions when they saw something streaking across the night sky. By Cleve R. Wootson Jr.  •   Read more »   The Fix | Analysis 12 things the Russia probe has definitively uncovered so far Seven months since the appointment of Robert Mueller III as special counsel, there is still no smoking gun. But here's what we do know. By Amber Phillips  •   Read more »   'I hope I can quit working in a few years': A preview of the U.S. without pensions The first full generation to retire since employers largely did away with the benefit offers a sobering preview of a labor force more and more dependent on their own savings. Many former workers at a now-closed McDonnell-Douglas plant in Oklahoma see that actual retirement is elusive, even as they reach beyond age 70. By Peter Whoriskey  •   Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT In inflation-plagued Venezuela, 'it's like Christmas isn't even happening this year' Venezuelans are calling this holiday season "Infeliz Navidad" — Unhappy Christmas. Amid an inflation crisis and a collapsing economy, families have no money for presents or Christmas dinners. By Anthony Faiola  •   Read more »   Teen charged with killing girlfriend's parents. They had worried he was a neo-Nazi, family and friends said. Police said the 17-year-old shot himself after shooting the Virginia couple in their home Friday while their children and relatives were inside. The suspect is in critical condition at a local hospital. By Justin Jouvenal  •   Read more »   Trump administration renews mining leases near Minnesota wilderness, reversing Obama The move, which benefits a Chilean company whose owner rents a home to Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, reverses an Obama administration decision over concerns that mining could contaminate a pristine watershed. By Juliet Eilperin  •   Read more »   Interactive Can you find the real Santa (and 24 impostors)? In the spirit of the holiday, illustrator Gus Morais presents his version of Christmastime at the North Pole. Santa's home town is bustling with shoppers and families full of cheer, but it has also become overrun with Saint Nick impersonators. By Gus Morais  •   Read more »   Retropolis | The Past, Rediscovered Fact-checking 'The Post': What got left out of the latest Pentagon Papers drama The new Steven Spielberg movie, starring Tom Hanks as Post editor Ben Bradlee and Meryl Streep as publisher Katharine Graham, skipped some interesting history. By Michael S. Rosenwald  •   Read more »           Share Evening Edition:    Twitter     Facebook Trouble reading? Click here to view in your browser. You received this email because you signed up for Evening Edition or because it is included in your subscription. 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. ©2017 The Washington Post, 1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071