The failure by Congress to pass a formal authorization for the war against the Islamic State means that Donald Trump will effectively have unlimited powers to wage what he calls a global U.S. war on radical Islam, an alarming scenario for many Democrats, reports Politico.

• AP: Trump Tax Reforms Could Depend on Little-Known ‘Scoring’ Panel
• Townhall: Krauthammer: The Damage the Democratic Party Has Suffered Under Obama Is ‘Incalculable’
• NY Post: DC Private Schools Giving Kellyanne Conway the Brush-Off
• The Hill: Obama Under Pressure to Prove Russian Interference in Election
• AP: Relations Between Obama, Netanyahu Camps Hit Rock Bottom

With only 23 days left as secretary of state, John Kerry warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel on Wednesday that Israel’s government was undermining any hope of a two-state solution to its decades-long conflict with the Palestinians with its continued support of settlements “strategically placed in locations that make two states impossible,” reports The New York Times.

• Townhall: Trump Tells Israel to ‘Stay Strong’
• Daily Caller: Federal Appeals Court Invites Trump’s AG to Enter Clinton Email Scandal
• The Hill: State Dept Denies Document Shows Collusion With Palestinians
• AP: Great Expectations: Small Businesses Upbeat About 2017
• Independent: Henry Kissinger Has ‘Advised Donald Trump to Accept’ Crimea as Part of Russia

Speaking with Rhode Island news station WPRI, incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer said that Donald Trump’s use of Twitter will be “a really exciting part of the job” as president, reports Politico.

• The Hill: Trump Team on Inauguration Protests: We Respect First Amendment
• Townhall: Krauthammer Says UN Israel Resolution Was a ‘US Operation All the Way’
• WashTimes: Obama Circumvents Constitution With ‘Signing Statements’ After Blasting Bush
• The Hill: Trump Team: Inauguration Speech Will Be About ‘Dreaming Big’
• Weekly Standard: U.N. Agency Publishes Secret Iran Deal Docs On Exemptions Obama Admin Dismissed