1. Top US naval commander dies

2. A US defense official said that the death over the weekend of the top admiral overseeing US naval forces in the Middle East was an apparent suicide. It was reported on Saturday that Vice Adm. Scott Stearney was found dead in his residence in Bahrain (an island country in the Persian Gulf). The US Navy's Bahrain-based Naval Forces Central Command, which the Fifth Fleet is part of, oversees operations in areas like the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. The command is seen as critical to US security interests given the challenges of Iran and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, both of which the US sees as potential threats to shipping in the region. A tremendous amount of commercial shipping, including large amounts of oil and gas, travels through the waters overseen by Fifth Fleet. No reason, as of yet, has been given for the apparent suicide.

3. In Other News
America may get its deepest look yet inside Robert Mueller's Russia investigation in the next four days, with a series of disclosures that have the potential to be greatly damaging for President Donald Trump regarding his ties with the Russians. Court filings focusing on Trump's first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, on Tuesday and his ex-campaign chairman Paul Manafort on Friday could offer new details of Mueller's investigation into the 2016 campaign.
During a stop for his book tour in Missoula, Montana, Monday night, former Vice President Joe Biden discussed his 2020 prospects, saying he believes that he is the "most qualified person" to be president, noting a decision is coming in the next two months.
The Heisman Trophy finalists were announced Monday evening, with Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray and Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins selected for the Saturday, Dec. 8 ceremony and announcement of the winner in New York.