Today's Headlines: All This Talk of Voter Fraud? Across U.S., Officials Found Next to None

[Hungry, Thirsty and Bloodied in Battle to Retake Mosul From ISIS] | View in [Browser] | Add [nytdirect@nytimes.com] to your address book. | [Unsubscribe] [The New York Times] [Most Popular] | [Video] | [Today's Headlines] Monday, December 19, 2016 IN THIS EMAIL [NYT] [World] | [U.S.] | [Politics] | [Business] | [Technology] | [Sports] | [Arts] | [N.Y./Region] | [Media & Advertising] | [Today's Video] | [Obituaries] | [Editorials] | [Op-Ed] | [On This Day] | [CUSTOMIZE »] [Get The Times for as low as 99¢.] Top News [Voters lined up in and outside the Valley Forge Volunteer Fire Department polling station in Pennsylvania on Election Day.] [All This Talk of Voter Fraud? Across U.S., Officials Found Next to None] By MICHAEL WINES Despite Republican claims of widespread violations, it seems that credible allegations of illegal voting were exceedingly rare. [Iraqis at the Khazer refugee camp, about 45 miles from Mosul, pleading for food during the distribution of aid on Saturday.] [Hungry, Thirsty and Bloodied in Battle to Retake Mosul From ISIS] By TIM ARANGO, ERIC SCHMITT and RUKMINI CALLIMACHI Up to a million people are trapped inside Iraq's second-largest city, where the brutal urban war of attrition is proving to be tougher than expected. [Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, was among the lawmakers who wrote a letter on Sunday to Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, calling for a select committee to lead the inquiry into Russian hacking aimed at influencing the American election.] [Senators Push to Broaden Inquiry on Election Hacking] By NICHOLAS FANDOS A bipartisan group, including John McCain and Chuck Schumer, called for the creation of a select committee on cyberactivity to lead the investigation. For more top news, go to [NYTimes.com »] [Get the Morning Briefing in Your Inbox] What you need to know to start your day, delivered Monday through Friday. [Sign up »] ADVERTISEMENT Editors' Picks [A mother with three cubs in Kaktovik.] SCIENCE [Polar Bears' Path to Decline Runs Through Alaskan Village] By ERICA GOODE The bears that come here are climate refugees, on land because the sea ice they rely on for hunting seals is receding. [President Nixon aboard Air Force One with Secretary of State Rogers, left, and Henry Kissinger, national security adviser, right.] OPINION | Op-Ed Contributor [Will Trump Play Spy vs. Spy?] By EVAN THOMAS Presidents who sideline the intelligence community do so at their - and the country's - risk. QUOTATION OF THE DAY "They don't look like polar bears. But it does not matter. I will Photoshop them when I get home." Today's Videos [Rebels set fire to buses that were meant to evacuate wounded and sick people from two besieged villages in northern Syria.] [Syrian Evacuation Buses Set on Fire] After a halt in evacuations, new convoys reached opposition-held eastern Aleppo on Sunday, while five of the buses entering government-held villages near Idlib Province were set on fire, according to local activists. [Caroline Blumberg/European Pressphoto Agency. Technology by Samsung.] [Lascaux Caves, Paleolithic and New Again] More than 50 years after the Lascaux caves were closed to the public, a new exhibition, featuring a reproduction of the prehistoric cave art, has opened. World [Rebels set fire to buses that were meant to evacuate wounded and sick people from two besieged villages in northern Syria.] [Aleppo Evacuations Will Be Monitored After U.N. Reaches Deal] By BEN HUBBARD and SOMINI SENGUPTA A vote is set to take place on Monday morning. Russia had vowed to block a previous resolution, but diplomats said they had reached an agreement. [A man covered in a prayer shawl prayed in the illegal Israeli settler outpost of Amona in the West Bank on Sunday.] [Israel Reaches Agreement to Relocate Amona Settlers] By ISABEL KERSHNER The deal, which would move settlers to another contentious location, avoids a forced relocation that many feared could turn violent. [Friday prayers at Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, outside Jakarta. Around 20 percent of the country's six million university and postgraduate students are majoring in Islamic studies.] Memo From Indonesia [Indonesia's Dire Need for Engineers Is Going Unmet] By JOE COCHRANE Too many of those lucky enough to pursue a higher education choose professions that, however noble, can do little to help expand the economy. For more world news, go to [NYTimes.com/World »] ADVERTISEMENT U.S. [The bottom half of one of New York Life's 19th-century ledgers lists an insurance policy taken out on a slave named Harriett. The ledger is held by the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.] [Insurance Policies on Slaves: New York Life's Complicated Past] By RACHEL L. SWARNS In its 19th-century beginnings, New York Life Insurance sold 508 policies covering slaves. Their descendants are grappling with it. [Dan McKee's rare baseball card of Guy Zinn, who was the first player to bat at Fenway Park. He was also Jewish, which made the card of interest to Jeff Aeder, who started the online Jewish Baseball Museum in March.] [A Jewish Player's 1914 Baseball Card Triggers a $125,000 Dispute] By BEN BERKON A standoff between the seller of an obscure relic on eBay and a collector who offered a grand sum for it highlights how niche passions can drive the sports memorabilia market. [Sylvester Stallone in 2015. In a statement on Sunday, he said he thought he would be more effective in helping military veterans ] [Sylvester Stallone Suggests He Would Decline Trump Arts Role] By NIRAJ CHOKSHI and PATRICK HEALY Republican allies of President-elect Donald J. Trump made overtures to Mr. Stallone last week about an arts-related job, two Trump advisers said on Friday. For more U.S. news, go to [NYTimes.com/US »] ADVERTISEMENT Politics [Ivana Trump, Donald J. Trump, John B. Connally and Richard M. Nixon in March 1989 at the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation Gala in Houston.] [When Donald Trump Partied With Richard Nixon] By MANNY FERNANDEZ In Houston for a benefit in 1989, Mr. Trump, then a real estate developer, had the ear of the fallen president for two days. Former Gov. John B. Connally of Texas and his wife helped bring them together. [R. Bruce Josten last week at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington.] On Washington [Longtime Business Lobbyist Laments Loss of 'Smoke-Filled Rooms' in Washington] By CARL HULSE The top lobbyist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, who is retiring, has watched his specialty - sophisticated legislative give and take - become less valued. [Tallying projected electoral votes as results came in at a Coconut Grove, Fla., election night party.] [The Electoral College Meets Monday. Here's What to Expect.] By EMMARIE HUETTEMAN The nation's electors will convene across the country to cast ballots for the president and vice president. PODCAST [A Political Guide You Can Trust] The election is over. But the story has just begun. Michael Barbaro, a veteran political reporter, hosts The Run-Up, a weekly podcast that makes sense of American politics and government. [Available on iTunes]. For more political news, go to [NYTimes.com/Politics »] Business [The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai, India. The founder of the Tata Group, Jamsetji Tata, opened the hotel, India's first luxury lodging serving Indians, in the early 1900s. Today it is considered a national landmark.] [In India, a Clash at the Top of the Tata Empire Gets Ugly] By GEETA ANAND Ratan Tata, a revered figure in a country steeped in corruption, finds himself caught up in a public fight for control of the business amid allegations of wrongdoing. [Melissa Medina and Frederik Colting, creators of KinderGuides, with their dog, Merci. The new series of books aims to make challenging adult literary classics accessible to very young readers.] [Forget 'Pat the Bunny.' My Child Is Reading Hemingway.] By ALEXANDRA ALTER Some publishers are repurposing modern classics, making simplified picture books of them for children and cutting out the R-rated details. [Taylor Swift performing at the Grammy Awards in February.] Mediator [By Attacking the Press, Donald Trump May Be Doing It a Favor] By JIM RUTENBERG While biting tweets backfire and fake news abounds, subscriptions are on the rise in what could be journalism's finest hour. For more business news, go to [NYTimes.com/Business »] Technology [Jay Sean, a musician, was courted by social networks like Facebook, but Snapchat has kept its distance.] [Snapchat Plays Hard to Get With Celebrities and Influencers] By KATIE BENNER and SAPNA MAHESHWARI While most social networking services court and elevate celebrities, Snapchat treats them like everyday users. [Part of the holiday advertising campaign for David Yurman jewelry, which is promoting microdonations to various causes.] Advertising [Selling Jewelry With a Crowdfunding App and Dash of Social Sharing] By MARTHA C. WHITE David Yurman, the New York-based jewelry brand, is tapping into social philanthropy through a holiday advertising campaign. [A security camera on the side of a building in Manhattan.] [A World of Surveillance Doesn't Always Help to Catch a Thief] By QUENTIN HARDY A reporter's credit card was stolen, so he counted all the video cameras in stores where it was used afterward. And then he included the data from the Uber rides. For more technology news, go to [NYTimes.com/Technology »] Sports [Roger Federer ended his season after losing a semifinal match at Wimbledon against Milos Raonic. After taking the time to heal his troublesome left knee, Federer is ready for his return.] [Roger Federer Welcomes the End ... Of a Layoff, Not His Career] By CHRISTOPHER CLAREY Federer got a taste of retirement with his longest break from the ATP Tour since he turned professional in 1998. Now, he will try his hand at a comeback. [N.B.A. Agrees to Reduce Back-to-Back Games. Old-Timers Raise an Eyebrow.] By SCOTT CACCIOLA The concern over playing consecutive matches is a source of amusement for an older generation, who played when easing the schedule was hardly a priority. [Odell Beckham Jr. secured the victory with a 4-yard, one-handed touchdown grab.] Giants 17, Lions 6 [Beckham's Score Helps Giants Beat Lions in a Showdown of Top Teams] By ZACH SCHONBRUN Odell Beckham Jr. made a one-handed touchdown grab late in the fourth quarter to help the Giants improve to 10-4, the N.F.C.'s second-best record. For more sports news, go to [NYTimes.com/Sports »] Arts [The manuscript of a string quartet by Beethoven that failed to sell at Sotheby's last month after a scholar publicly questioned the assertion by Sotheby's, and its experts, that the work was written in Beethoven's hand.] [As Prices for Classical Scores Soar, One Beethoven Is in Question] By MICHAEL COOPER A Beethoven work for string quartet, with 23 bars of music, went unsold at Sotheby's last month after a scholar called it a fake. [Brit Marling in the mysterious ] [Review: The Cryptic Sparkles in 'The OA.' Reality Disappoints.] By JAMES PONIEWOZIK This mysterious Netflix series wants you to become addicted to it. But beware: It's a two-hour movie with a seven-hour-plus run time. [On A&E's ] [Inside the Ku Klux Klan, With an A&E Documentary Series] By KATHRYN SHATTUCK The filmmakers incorporated anti-hate activists as they tried to persuade members to leave the Klan - or at least to leave their children out of it. For more arts news, go to [NYTimes.com/Arts »] New York [The Sag Harbor Cinema, known for its eclectic programming, was destroyed on Friday after a fire, driven by the wind, ripped through the village's main drag.] [In Sag Harbor, a Beloved Cultural Oasis Is Lost] By WILLIAM NEUMAN The Sag Harbor Cinema, known for its avant-garde programming and red neon sign, was destroyed in a fire that ripped through the village's main drag. [A red Bentley with bullet holes, a key element in one 2016 crime that ultimately failed to yield a story worth writing.] Crime Scene [In a Year of Crime News, Some Dark Deeds Yield Dead Ends] By MICHAEL WILSON Not every outing to report from a crime scene results in a juicy column. A few came with high hopes that didn't last. [Barbara Roston signed up for a Brooklyn Library card after returning the book ] [57 Years Later, Even the Library Had Stopped Counting the Fines] By JONATHAN WOLFE A Brooklyn native checked out "Gone With the Wind" in 1959. After cross-country moves and raising four children, she returned the book to an amused and thankful branch. For more New York news, go to [NYTimes.com/NewYork »] Obituaries [Zsa Zsa Gabor in a restaurant in Munich, Germany, in September 1965.] [Zsa Zsa Gabor, Actress Famous for Her Glamour (and Her Marriages), Dies at 99] By ROBERT D. McFADDEN Ms. Gabor put a luster on American celebrity with her self-parodying glamour and revolving-door millionaire marriages. She was 99. [During a demonstration of the Heimlich maneuver in August 1981, Dr. Heimlich, right, and Mayor Edward Koch showed how a choking victim should signal for help.] [Dr. Henry J. Heimlich, Famous for Antichoking Technique, Dies at 96] By ROBERT D. McFADDEN Dr. Heimlich entered the pantheon of medical history with his maneuver but in later years often found himself at odds with a medical establishment skeptical of his claims. [William Hudnut, center, with Mayor Greg Ballard, left, and former Mayor Stephen Goldsmith at an Indianapolis Colts game in 2014.] [William Hudnut, Mayor Who Transformed Indianapolis, Is Dead at 84] By LIAM STACK Under Mr. Hudnut, Indianapolis went from a sleepy Midwestern town to a thriving city, a transformation driven largely by a focus on professional sports. For more obituaries, go to [NYTimes.com/Obituaries »] Editorial What's at Stake [Ben Carson's Warped View of Housing] By THE EDITORIAL BOARD Donald Trump's choice to run HUD does not appear to support the agency's mission. [Mayor Bill de Blasio speaking to reporters after meeting with President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower.] Editorial [Proud to Be a Sanctuary City] By THE EDITORIAL BOARD New York, with strong public support, is one of the cities that is determined to help shield immigrants from a Trump administration crackdown. [Elaine Welteroth, editor of Teen Vogue.] Editorial Notebook [The Teen's Guide to the Trump Presidency] By ANNA NORTH Teen Vogue plans to cover Mr. Trump's policies aggressively. And it may have help from its readers. For more opinion, go to [NYTimes.com/Opinion »] Op-Ed Op-Ed Contributor [Google Wants Driverless Cars, but Do We?] By JAMIE LINCOLN KITMAN With a push from the tech industry and others, automated vehicles are getting the green light without yielding to public interest. [People protesting in Philadelphia, after the election.] The Stone [How to Live Without Irony (for Real, This Time)] By CHRISTY WAMPOLE Forwarding a jeering meme to people who agree with you is not political action. On Campus [The Season to Be Stressful] By WILLIAM PANG Instead of dismissing college students as coddled, celebrate us as more in tune with our mental health. For more opinion, go to [NYTimes.com/Opinion »] ON THIS DAY On Dec. 19, 1984, Britain and China signed an accord returning Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty on July 1, 1997. [See this Front Page] | [Buy this Front Page] FOLLOW US: [Facebook] [Facebook] | [Twitter] [@NYTimes] | [Pinterest] [Pinterest] | [Instagram] [Instagram] [NYT] Access The New York Times from anywhere with our suite of apps: [iPhone®] | [iPad®] | [Android] | [All] [.] Save 15% at [The NYTimes Store »] [.] Have questions? [Help Section »] [.] Visit our mobile website at [m.nyt.com »] About This Email This is an automated email. Please do not reply directly to this email. You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's Today's Headlines newsletter. [Unsubscribe] | [Manage Subscriptions] | [Change Your Email] | [Privacy Policy] | [Contact] | [Advertise] Copyright 2016 | The New York Times Company | NYTimes.com 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018