"In the presence of television executives and anchors, Trump whined about everything from NBC News reporter Katy Tur's coverage of him to a photograph the news network has used that shows him with a double chin. Why didn't they use 'nicer' pictures?" President-elect Trump gathered together a group TV news bigwigs to lecture them on their unfair coverage. (Wait, he won, right?) This is the latest salvo in the battle against the media. And that battle is a really big deal. From The New Yorker: Donald Trump Personally Blasts The Press.

+ As you might imagine, a free press is an issue I'm passionate about. Let me make this crystal clear: When a leader yells at the press, he is yelling at the people. Here are five reasons Trump's press lecture (and his subsequent Tweets that attacked the NYT, falsely suggested they changed the rules of a meeting, and accused them of being not nice) are something to worry about: We Know Exactly Who Strong Arms the Free Press.

+ Emily Bazelon: "A small group of superrich Americans -- the president-elect
among them -- has laid the groundwork for an unprecedented legal assault on the media. Can they succeed?" Billionaires vs. the Press in the Era of Trump.

+ Columbia Journalism Review: Covering Trump: An oral history of an unforgettable campaign

+ Ultimately, the meeting with the NYT did happen. And Trump commented on many hot button issues. He said he'd keep an open mind about the Climate Change Accord, and commented on the alt-right conference where some attendees were celebrating with a Hitler-like salute: "I disavow and condemn them."

According to Peter Thiel, "it's hard to overstate and hard to summarize Jared's role in the campaign. If Trump was the CEO, Jared was effectively the chief operating officer." Forbes chats with the enigmatic Jared Kushner who, with few resources and almost no experience, managed to weave together a Trump win.

"Up to 100,000 troops from various arms of the Iraqi military and allied factions are fighting what are believed to be less than 5,000 militants inside the city." But there are tunnels, booby traps, human shields, and many other factors that could make the battle for Mosul a very long fight.

+ AP: Friend or Foe? Sometimes it's hard to tell in the war for Mosul

For a few hours on Monday, the world held its collective breath as an earthquake hit off the coast of Japan, and loud sirens warned residents of Fukushima to head for higher ground to avoid a potential tsunami. Luckily, the tsunami had lost its force before making it to land. Many observers were shocked that we'd see a quake and tsunami in the same region that had already been hit by an epic tragedy. But as Quartz explains, the latest earthquake in Japan was an aftershock of the one five years ago.

"This study tells us that young blood, by itself, cannot work as medicine." According to the latest research, infusing young blood into an older creature won't make the latter feel young again. That said, it does look like infusing old blood into a young person can be toxic. From Popular Science: New research makes it clear that young blood is no anti-aging drug. (Great, now what am I gonna do with these kids...)

InFocus shares a collection of photos from the Dakota Access Pipeline protests, where "hundreds of protesters made attempts to force their way through the barricades, reportedly setting dozens of fires. They were met with water cannons, pepper spray, tear gas, and rubber bullets, resulting in dozens of injuries."

"The nonsuburban electorate will decide that the system has failed and start looking around for a strongman to vote for -- someone willing to assure them that, once he is elected, the smug bureaucrats, tricky lawyers, overpaid bond salesmen, and postmodernist professors will no longer be calling the shots ... One thing that is very likely to happen is that the gains made in the past 40 years by black and brown Americans, and by homosexuals, will be wiped out. Jocular contempt for women will come back into fashion … All the resentment which badly educated Americans feel about having their manners dictated to them by college graduates will find an outlet." The author of those statements would hardly stand out in 2016. But philosopher Richard Rorty wrote that in a 1998 book. The NYT on the book that suggested this year's election was coming.

"The industry's challenge -- or opportunity -- is getting people to commit for life. A pretty big milestone for someone adopting any form of instrument is getting them through the first song." Bloomberg on a company trying to get you to rock when you can't take your eyes off the iPad. Don't Give Up on the Guitar. Fender Is Begging You.

"Many students judged the credibility of newsy tweets based on how much detail they contained or whether a large photo was attached, rather than on the source." I believe that children are the future. I also believe they have no idea whether news stories are real or fake.

"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn't approve cosmetics before they're sold ... that means suppliers are on an honor system." So it probably shouldn't surprise you that there's no aloe in your aloe.

+ Amazon is bringing its online ticketing business to the US. (I think that's it. They sell everything...)

+ A guy hit a basket from 593 feet out.