Thursday's Headlines: Alabama results remake 2018 election playbook for both parties

Democrats see hope in huge turnout among black voters; Trump faults others, spreads blame for Moore's loss; Roy Moore turns recount into religious crusade: 'Immorality sweeps over...

Democracy Dies in Darkness     The morning's most important stories, selected by Post editors   Alabama results remake 2018 election playbook for both parties The outcome was the latest recent election in which Democratic candidates exceeded the party's past performance among key voting groups. Democratic leaders believe the victories represent a growing backlash against President Trump — and a potential building wave for 2018. Meanwhile, Republicans see dimmer hopes for retaining power. By Michael Scherer, Robert Costa and Josh Dawsey  •  Read more » Democrats see hope in huge turnout among black voters A year that began with hand-wringing over President Trump's victory ended with routs and upsets powered by the party's most loyal supporters. By David Weigel and Eugene Scott  •   Read more »   Trump faults others, spreads blame for Moore's loss The president told advisers he does not want the Republican's defeat to be seen as a referendum on him, even though he supported the candidate. By Ashley Parker and Josh Dawsey  •   Read more »   Roy Moore turns recount into religious crusade: 'Immorality sweeps over the land' "We are indeed in a ​struggle to preserve our republic​, our civilization​, and ​our religion," Moore said in a video sent to his supporters. By Kyle Swenson  •   Read more »   One wide-open question about Doug Jones: What kind of senator will he be? Will the incoming senator from Alabama be a reliable Democratic vote or a moderate who reaches across the aisle? "The people of Alabama expect me to do the right thing and vote for the people of Alabama," he said. By Sean Sullivan and David Weigel  •   Read more »   'We dodged that bullet': A bipartisan sigh of relief over the Doug Jones win On the morning after, Democrats walked a little taller, and Republicans saw a brighter side. By Ben Terris and Dan Zak  •   Read more »   Festive cheer missing among Christians in Mideast after Trump's Jerusalem move The administration's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move the U.S. Embassy there has provoked widespread opposition among Christians across the Middle East. As Vice President Pence prepares to visit the region, the White House is facing an awkward backlash from Christians it pledged to protect.  By Loveday Morris  •   Read more »   Trump hopes tax overhaul will lure U.S. business back home. Ireland is skeptical. Ireland is a preferred European home for the United States' top tech and pharmaceutical companies. Irish officials, accountants and highly skilled workers expect American companies to keep investing unabated in Ireland, with little incentive to move back to the United States. By Shawn Pogatchnik and Heather Long  •   Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT Opinions   This is what Puerto Ricans need from the government. Right now. By Lin-Manuel Miranda  •   Read more »   Mueller needs to make a change By Andrew C. McCarthy  •   Read more »   Just how much trouble are Republicans in? By Jennifer Rubin  •   Read more »   Why can the U.S. government confiscate prisoner artwork from Guantanamo Bay? By Mohamedou Ould Slahi  •   Read more »   Sen. Shelby channels Atticus Finch, saves the day in Alabama By Ed Rogers  •   Read more »   Republicans are worried about the integrity of Mueller's team. That's overblown. By Editorial Board  •   Read more » ADVERTISEMENT More News   Walter Reed admits McCain for side effects of treatment for brain cancer Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has been undergoing chemotherapy and radiation to treat brain cancer at the National Institutes of Health, next to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. By Paul Kane  •  Read more »     Without Omarosa Manigault, lack of diversity in White House becomes even more pronounced One of the president's most prominent African American supporters resigned under pressure after a confrontation with Chief of Staff John F. Kelly, who had grown frustrated with her abrasive and attention-seeking style. By Vanessa Williams and David Nakamura  •   Read more »   As elections loom, Putin says it's not his fault there isn't any competition At his annual press conference — part news, part carnival — Vladimir Putin said it's not his job to create the competition in Russia's political system. By Andrew Roth and David Filipov  •   Read more »   'I cannot handle it any longer': Suicide suspected in death of Ky. lawmaker accused of molesting teen The body of Kentucky state Rep. Dan Johnson — who was accused of molesting a member of his church when she was 17 — was found with one gunshot wound to the head. By Marwa Eltagouri  •   Read more »   Fact Checker | Analysis Comparing the 'Trump economy' to the 'Obama economy' White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders bragged on Twitter about the "booming Trump economy" but most of the upward economic trends began in the Obama-era. By Nicole Lewis  •   Read more »   The $1 billion U.S. embassy is a crystalline 'sugar cube' in London It is the most expensive American embassy ever built. But designers say the soon-to-be-opened outpost, with its modernist-museum vibe, does something new by exuding openness while hiding the ways it defends itself from attack. By William Booth  •   Read more »   Human-caused global warming boosted Hurricane Harvey's rainfall by at least 15 percent, studies find Storms like the one that flooded Houston and a wide area of Texas in August are also much more likely, the studies found. By Joel Achenbach  •   Read more »         Share Today's Headlines:    Twitter     Facebook Trouble reading? Click here to view in your browser. You received this email because you signed up for Today's Headlines 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