Crosstalk: December 12, 2016

The pile of news stories never stops growing and Jim sifted through it to bring specific headlines to the attention of Crosstalk listeners:

--Additional Trump picks include Cathy McMorris Rodgers to head the Interior Department, Andrew Puzder to lead the Department of Labor, former Marine John Kelly to head Homeland Security and Ben Carson to head Housing and Urban Development

--Trump accuses the Chinese of not playing by the rules.

--Trump meets with several victims of the November 28th Ohio State University terror attack.

--Nigel Farage and Donald Trump accused of using tactics comparable to ISIS according to the U.N. Rights Chief.

--V.P.-elect Michael Pence didn't want to be recognized at WWII memorial event.

--Michael Moore predicts something crazy might happen to prevent Trump from taking office.

--Senate Democrats allegedly plotting a course to delay or put a stop to Trump's cabinet picks through a grinding confirmation process.

--In a Time Magazine article, Mark Weston explains how Democrats can get rid of the antiquated electoral college system.

--In Michigan, a full one-third of precincts in Wayne County were unable to have ballots counted due to discrepancies with ballot counts.

--Jill Stein admits on CNN that there's still no evidence of voter fraud.

--A bill that passed the Michigan House Elections Committee on Tuesday would make it so that candidates who lose the election by more than 5% would have to pay the entire cost of the recount.

--A nullification bill to be considered by the Michigan State Legislature in 2017 would block enforcement of unconstitutional executive orders inside Michigan state borders.

--President Obama says his greatest regret was his inability to further restrict the Second Amendment via increased gun control.

--Once President Obama leaves office, at least 88 of his political appointees will likely remain.

--The GOP House voted against impeaching IRS Commissioner John Koskinen, delaying indefinitely the effort to hold him accountable for the targeting of Tea Party groups.

--A White House official says President Obama has ordered a review of the e-mail hacking that rattled the presidential campaign.

--Congress is sending the president a defense policy bill that seeks to give Republicans the final word on key national security issues.

--Senior defense officials suppressed a study documenting 125 billion dollars worth of administrative waste at the Pentagon.

--Former President Jimmy Carter publicly calls for President Obama to divide the land of Israel at the U.N. before inauguration day.

--Secretary of State John Kerry excoriated the Israeli right, claiming that support for settlement construction stems from a desire to subvert Israeli/Palestinian peace.

--Palestinians are quietly engaging in illegal construction of entire neighborhoods in many parts of the West Bank and Jerusalem.

--Iranian theme park teaches war and violence to children.

--Japanese Prime Minister wins parliamentary approval for ratification of the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

--A Dutch court has convicted populist, anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders of inciting discrimination at a trial branded as politically motivated.

--The increasing Islamic terrorism threat facing China is prompting them to question its military support to its ally Pakistan.

--After the arrest of a 17 year old male Afghan refugee suspected of raping and killing a 19 year old German woman, government officials are trying to clamp down on bad talk about refugees and migrants.

--ISIS has sent at least 1,500 jihadi terrorists back to Europe from Middle East war zones with instructions to carry out attacks.

--'60 Minutes' of Sweden film crew attacked after attempting to film 'peaceful' Islam.

--The Christian Evangelical Church in Jerusalem has been ransacked and extensively damaged by Muslim neighbors.

--The Ohio Senate is attempting to pass a bill that would prevent abortions once a heartbeat is detected.

--Macy's decides to stop sending donations to Planned Parenthood.

--Choose Life Wisconsin announced this week that it is now an authorized group with the Department of Motor Vehicles for the purpose of requesting a specialty license plate.

--Planned Parenthood, the Center for Reproductive Rights and the ACLU have filed suit to challenge abortion laws in 3 states.

--Planned Parenthood of Idaho is suing Stanton Health Care, a life-affirming women's medical clinic because they're parking their mobile unit on their own property which is next to an abortion center.

--The highest abortion rate in America in comparison to the birth rate is in New York City where it's 60% of the birth rate.

--New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a speech that the city would help women get health care if Congress defunds Planned Parenthood.

--Starting December 19th, Texas abortion facilities will no longer be allowed to throw aborted babies bodies in landfills or down the garbage disposal. Instead they will be required to bury or cremate them.

--The Illinois Human Rights Commission has ordered a Christian businessman to pay 2 homosexuals $30,000 because he declined to host their gay wedding.

--The Human Rights Campaign joined in with the White House to advance an LGBT program in rural America.

--A prominent Baptist minister in Texas who backed Trump's campaign calls same-sex marriage, 'settled law' and Christians should move on to another issue like abortion.

--A federal appeals court is requiring middle schools that include 6-8th graders to allow homosexual clubs to meet on school property.

--The New York State Health Department has signaled that it intends to allow transgender youths to received Medicaid coverage for hormones that hold back puberty.

--Same-sex couple seeks to reinstate its case against Kim Davis.

--Human tracking bill passes.

--Astronaut John Glenn passes away at the age of 95.